Is truth-telling morally overrated? Is deception a ``normal...attribute of practical intelligence?'' In this provocative, original work, Nyberg (Philosophy of Education/SUNY at Buffalo) looks at the moral and logical complexity of deception. Contending that deception and self-deception are necessary to social stability and individual mental health, Nyberg suggests that intentional deceit—white lies, selective omissions, even conscious silences—can be creative and compassionate alternatives to stark truth-telling. Unlike Sissela Bok's Lying (1978), which he finds limited by its abstract theoretical approach, Nyberg's study concentrates on deception in context—between friends, while raising children, in court cases—and emphasizes the importance of coherent interpretation of ultimate outcome over adherence to a single principle. Should you tell a dying novelist that his latest work is not up to snuff, or an especially jealous wife the details of affairs carried on before the marriage? For the most part, Nyberg uses everyday behavior or literary example to highlight the issues as, in sharp, deft sentences, he cuts to the heart of the matter: ``To live decently with one another, we do not need moral purity, we need discretion''; ``What does a child need before sleep, reality or comfort?''; ``Sometimes the truth does not set you free; it destroys the sense of freedom that hope provides.'' Moving from legal ethics to receptive aphasics responding to a Reagan speech, from The Hedgehog and the Fox to Honest Andrew, this isn't philosophy-made-simple but a spirited, accessible challenge to basic assumptions about what constitutes moral conduct.
Pub Date: April 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-226-61051-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Univ. of Chicago
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1993
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
