Waubonsee Community College

A philosophy of pessimism, Stuart Sim

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-194) and index

index present

non fiction

A philosophy of pessimism

comics graphic novelsbibliography

905380334

Stuart Sim

There are many reasons to despair over the state of the world today: climate change, war, terrorism, social injustice and an utter failure by our political systems to fix them. Yet there will always be those frustrating optimists who counter such an outlook by citing developments such as modern medicine, democracy and the World Wide Web as signs that things are, and always have been, getting better. Stuart Sim argues in response that there is tremendous value in keeping the dark side of human affiars at the forefront of our consciousness. This book offers the proposition that pessimists simply have a more realistic world view. Tracing how pessimism has developed over time, it shows that many thinkers throughout history - including philosophers, theologians, authors, aritsts and even scientists - have been pessimists at heart, challenging us to face up to the problems that define human existence. Spanning cultures and moving across eras, this grand discourse of pessimism proposes the provocative argument that pessimism should be cultivated and vigorously defended as one of our most useful dispositions. -- from back cover

One. The Glass is Always Half-full? Countering the Optimists -- Two. The `Doomsday Clock' is Always with Us: Pessimism in History -- Three. Optimists v. Pessimists: Economics and Politics -- Four. I Think, Therefore I Expect the Worst: Pessimism in Philosophy -- Five. A World Without Meaning: Pessimism in Literary Fiction -- Six. Visions of Despair: Pessimism in the Arts -- Seven. The Benefits of a Half-empty Glass: Pessimism as a Lifestyle