The Ordinary Virtues
eBook - PDF

The Ordinary Virtues

Moral Order in a Divided World

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Ordinary Virtues

Moral Order in a Divided World

About this book

Winner of the Zócalo Book Prize
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice


"Combines powerful moral arguments with superb storytelling."
—New Statesman

What moral values do we hold in common? As globalization draws us together economically, are the things we value converging or diverging? These twin questions led Michael Ignatieff to embark on a three-year, eight-nation journey in search of an answer. What we share, he found, are what he calls "ordinary virtues": tolerance, forgiveness, trust, and resilience. When conflicts break out, these virtues are easily exploited by the politics of fear and exclusion, reserved for one's own group but denied to others. Yet these ordinary virtues are the key to healing and reconciliation on both a local and global scale.

"Makes for illuminating reading."
—Simon Winchester, New York Review of Books

"Engaging, articulate and richly descriptive… Ignatieff's deft histories, vivid sketches and fascinating interviews are the soul of this important book."
—Times Literary Supplement

"Deserves praise for wrestling with the devolution of our moral worlds over recent decades."
—Los Angeles Review of Books

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Yes, you can access The Ordinary Virtues by Michael Ignatieff in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Ethics & Moral Philosophy. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction: Moral Globalization and Its Discontents
  7. 1. Jackson Heights, New York: Diversity Plaza
  8. 2. Los Angeles: The Moral Operating Systems of Global Cities
  9. 3. Rio de Janeiro: Order, Corruption, and Public Trust
  10. 4. Bosnia: War and Reconciliation
  11. 5. Myanmar: The Politics of Moral Narrative
  12. 6. Fukushima: Resilience and the Unimaginable
  13. 7. South Africa: After the Rainbow
  14. Conclusion: Human Rights, Global Ethics, and the Ordinary Virtues
  15. Notes
  16. Acknowledgments
  17. Index