Graceful Simplicity: The Philosophy and Politics of the Alternative American DreamDespite the United States' economic abundance, "the good life" has proved elusive. Millions long for more time for friends and family, for reading or walking or relaxing. Instead our lives are frantic, hectic, and harried. In Graceful Simplicity, Jerome M. Segal, philosopher, political activist, and former staff member of the House Budget Committee, expands and deepens the contemporary discourse on simple living. He articulates his conception of a politics of simplicity—one rooted in beauty, peace of mind, appreciativeness, and generosity of spirit. |
Contents
Two Ways of Thinking About Money | 3 |
Individualistic Strategies for Simple Living | 23 |
The Money We Need | 45 |
The Politics of Simplicity | 73 |
How Did We Get Where We Are? | 119 |
Graceful Living | 159 |
Graceful Living and Retreating from the World | 180 |
Graceful Opulence versus Graceful Simplicity | 200 |
Are We Simple Creatures? | 214 |
The Monetary Illusion | 228 |
Economic Life for the Twentyfirst Century | 247 |
NOTES | 253 |
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Common terms and phrases
achieved activity aesthetic American American Dream ancient argue Aristotle attained beauty Bernard Mandeville better capita central century Condorcet consumer Consumer Expenditure Survey core economic needs cost desires Duauf earn emerges Epictetus Epicurean Epicurus expenditures family income friends Garden give graceful existence graceful living graceful simplicity growth household housing human Ibid idea of progress Iliad important increase individual instance issue John Woolman labor leisure less limited live gracefully Mandeville married couple families matter means nomic one's opulence ourselves percent perhaps personal services perspective pleasure politics of simplicity poor possible poverty problem productivity rabbits relationship religious respect rich schools seek Seneca sense simple living social society someone spending Stoic Stoicism technologies things Thoreau Thucydides tion transformation vision wealth well-being