What Matters Most: Conversations on the Art of Living

About the Book

The ancient Greek philosopher Plotinus insisted that philosophy should be concerned with nothing less than "what matters most". This collection of philosophical conversations seeks to honour Plotinus' vision by addressing questions related to the art of living.

Much has been written about the "art of living" and it typically conjures up ideas of therapy, meditation, peace, happiness, and so on. But what about the art of living in the midst of all the spectacular messiness generated by an aggressive, anxiety-ridden, acquisitive and lustful species? The conversations that make up this book explore the questions that matter most to us as citizens of increasingly fractious societies and inhabitants of an increasingly fractured planet. They invite us to think anew about the complexities and challenges involved in living a good life in a world characterized by uncertainty and change.

Table of Contents:
Introduction, Anthony Morgan Part I: Living together 1. What is “we”? – Dan Zahavi with Luna Dolezal 2. Polarization and talking across difference – Elizabeth Anderson with Alexis Papazoglou 3. Misinformation and the right to know – Lani Watson with Aidan McGlynn 4. A decolonial ecology – Malcom Ferdinand with Romy Oppermann 5. Listening to animals – Eva Meijer with Adam Ferner and Darren Chetty 6. Relationality and political responsibility – Lewis Gordon with Olúfemi O. Táíwò Part II: Living with technology 7. Misunderstanding the internet – Justin E. H. Smith with Alexis Papazoglou 8. Artificial bodies and the promise of abstraction – Peter Wolfendale with Anthony Morgan 9. Will artificial intelligence transform ethics? – Shannon Vallor with John Zerilli 10. The algorithmic is the political – Annette Zimmermann with Matthew Lord 11. Intelligence and the future of AI – Stephen Cave with Sage Cammers-Goodwin 12. We and the robots – John Danaher with Anthony Morgan Part III: Living under oppression 13. The politics of gender and identity – Finn Mackay with Jana Bacevic 14. Submission and emancipation – Manon Garcia with Kate Kirkpatrick 15. Madness, identity, and recognition – Mohammed Abouelleil Rashed with Helen Spandler 16. Reimagining Black men – Tommy Curry with David Livingston Smith 17. Responsibility and structural injustice – Maeve McKeown with Alasia Nuti 18. Disobedience and seeing like an activist – Erin R. Pineda with Robin Celikates Part IV: Living in the end times 19. A world beyond capitalism – Martin Hägglund with Lea Ypi 20. Derrick Bell and racial realism – Timothy Golden with Darren Chetty 21. Spinoza in the Anthropocene – Beth Lord with Chris Meyns 22. Animals, pandemics, and climate change – Jeff Sebo with Lauren Van Patter 23. The task of thinking in the age of dumping – Michael Marder with Sofia Lemos 24. Why misanthropy? – Ian James Kidd with Anthony Morgan

About the Author :
Anthony Morgan is Editor of The Philosopher, the UK's longest-running public philosophy journal, as well as host of the philosophy events series, "On Philosophy". As one of the pioneers of the UK's public philosophy scene, he is actively involved in promoting the value of philosophy beyond academia.

Review :
A series of gripping, personal interviews that bring philosophy to bear on matters of urgency: misinformation, racial politics, capitalism, justice, AI, and more. This book lets us eavesdrop on these vital conversations, a source not just of fresh ideas but of moral and political inspiration. I kept hearing these conversations in my head long after putting What Matters Most down. Unlike so many philosophy books, it never strays from what is morally and intellectually urgent. Ancient questions given modern relevance – this book is a field guide for how to think in the twenty-first century. Dialogue is the lifeblood of philosophy, and What Matters Most captures the fun and immediacy of the subject in a masterful collection of thoughtful, urgent conversations on some of the most pressing issues of the moment. An invaluable window onto philosophy and its applications, this is a book that, through its many voices, models clearer and more careful ways of thinking.