[(The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics)] [Author: Kenan Malik] published on (May, 2014)

This book explores the history of moral thought as it has developed over three millennia, from Homer's Greece to Mao's China, from ancient India to modern America. It tells the stories of the great philosophers, and breathes life into their ideas, while also challenging many of our most cherished moral beliefs. Engaging and provocative, This book confronts some of humanity's deepest questions. Where do values come from? Is God necessary for moral guidance? Are there absolute moral truths? It also brings morality down to earth, showing how, throughout history, social needs and political desires have shaped moral thinking. It is a history of the world told through the history of moral thought, and a history of moral thought that casts new light on global history. At a time of great social turbulence and moral uncertainty, there will be few histories more important than this. Read more... Machine generated contents note: 1. On the capriciousness of gods and the tragedy of Man -- 2. Gods of reason -- 3. On human flourishing -- 4. Heaven and hell -- 5. Nirvana -- 6. The view from the mountains -- 7. Faith and power -- 8. Reason and Revelation -- 9. The human challenge -- 10. The revolutionary spirit and the reactionary soul -- 11. The human triumph -- 12. Passion, duty and consequence -- 13. The challenge of history -- 14. The death of God, the end of morality -- 15. The anguish of freedom -- 16. The ethics of liberation -- 17. The unravelling of morality -- 18. The search for ethical concrete -- 19. Confucianism, communism and the clash of civilizations -- 20. The Fall of Man.

In this remarkable and groundbreaking book, Kenan Malik explores the history of moral thought as it has developed over three millennia, from Homer's Greece to Mao's China, from ancient India to modern America. It tells the stories of the great philosophers, and breathes life into their ideas, while also challenging many of our most cherished moral beliefs.

Engaging and provocative, The Quest for a Moral Compass confronts some of humanity's deepest questions. Where do values come from? Is God necessary for moral guidance? Are there absolute moral truths? It also brings morality down to earth, showing how, throughout history, social needs and political desires have shaped moral thinking. It is a history of the world told through the history of moral thought, and a history of moral thought that casts new light on global history.

At a time of great social turbulence and moral uncertainty, there will be few histories more important than this.

Accessible, fascinating, and thought-provoking, this is the groundbreaking story of the global search for moral truthsIn this remarkable book, Kenan Malik explores the history of moral thought as it has developed over three millennia, from Homer's Greece to Mao's China, from ancient India to modern America. It tells the stories of the great philosophers, and breathes life into their ideas, while also challenging many of our most cherished moral beliefs.Engaging and provocative, The Quest for a Moral Compass confronts some of humanity's deepest questions. Where do values come from? Is God necessary for moral guidance? Are there absolute moral truths? It also brings morality down to earth, showing how, throughout history, social needs and political desires have shaped moral thinking. It is a history of the world told through the history of moral thought, and a history of moral thought that casts new light on global history. Cover 1 Also by Kenan Malik 3 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 7 Contents 8 1 On the capriciousness of gods and the tragedy of Man 11 2 Gods of reason 34 3 On human flourishing 56 4 Heaven and hell 85 5 Nirvana 121 6 The view from the mountains 145 7 Faith and power 175 8 Reason and Revelation 194 9 The human challenge 219 10 The revolutionary spirit and the reactionary soul 246 11 The human triumph 265 12 Passion, duty and consequence 292 13 The challenge of history 327 14 The death of God, the end of morality 358 15 The anguish of freedom 380 16 The ethics of liberation 402 17 The unravelling of morality 423 18 The search for ethical concrete 451 19 Confucianism, communism and the clash of civilizations 474 20 The Fall of Man 498 Notes 511 Bibliography 542 Acknowledgements 564 Index 565 EBC,Converted In This Work, Kenan Malik Explores The History Of Moral Thought As It Has Developed Over Three Millennia, From Homer's Greece To Mao's China, From Ancient India To Modern America. It Tells The Stories Of The Great Philosophers, And Breathes Life Into Their Ideas, While Also Challenging Many Of Our Most Cherished Moral Beliefs. A history that has never been told before: the story of the global search for moral truth.