Personal Destinies: A Philosophy of Ethical Individualism

by David L. Norton

What is the meaning of life? Modern professional philosophy has largely renounced the attempt to answer this question and has restricted itself to the pursuit of more esoteric truths. Not so David Norton. Following in the footsteps of Plato and Aristotle, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, Jung and Maslow, he sets forth a distinctive vision of the individual's search for his place in the scheme of things.



Norton's theory of individualism is rooted in the eudaimonistic ethics of the Creeks, who viewed each person as innately possessing a unique potential it was his destiny to fulfill. Very much the same idea resurfaced in modern times with the British idealists and Continental existentialists. The author reviews these antecedents, showing how his theory differs from those of his predecessors.



After a fascinating chapter on "The Stages of Life," Norton shows how the mature consciousness of one's destiny leads to direct, intimate knowledge of other persons, and how this in turn provides the basis for social morality. The conception of justice in which this theory culminates, rooted as it is in essential human differences, provides a challenging alternative to the much-discussed theories of Rawls and Nozick.

Genres: Philosophy

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 1976

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are brilliant one-liners in this book buried beneath antiquated vocabulary and dense philosophical text. Those one-liners could alter your view on the world, but it's so hard to find them. So, I wouldn't recommend this unless you are feeling exceptionally academic.

If you want more details, you can read my paper on the book...once I write it. Better get started since it's due Monday......

[Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minus the chapter on metaphysics (which made me feel as though I didn't understand my own language), this book is incredible. Its proposed philosophy of ethical individualism seemed to speak to what I always knew inside and wanted to believe--that each of us is unique and has a potential that no one else has.

Norton makes the compelling argument that we can create a more just and ethical society if we each come to know and strive to actualize our unique potential. He rejects the type of philosophy that would base ethics on erasing differences between human beings and instead bases his work on the worth of the individual. Phenomenal... if you can make it through the philosophical jargon that is ubiquitous. :)

[Chris Cathcart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review/commentary at my blog: https://ultimatephilosopher.blogspot....

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review maybe forthcoming.

[VR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! Philosophy, ethics, and of course the combination leads naturally into a system of living that I strongly resonate with. Frankly, while the author is definitley secular, he shares much with religion and I actually find him teaching principles that I have believed for years on religious grounds.

Not a light read by any means, but if you want to think deeply to the end of self-actualization, this is the book for you.

[Herzog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a philosophy major as an undergrad and read Hegel in some detail, but I found this book a tough slog. Admittedly, I am not steeped in the Rawls/Nozick tradition, but so many of the concepts and language were difficult for me to understand as thoroughly as I would have liked. I am better with the Greek tradition and its concept of eudaimonia which is very appealing and seems to have been lost in the contemporary world. I would recommend this for professionals only.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK this is a philosophical book but I loved it. I want to reread it this year. It ruminates on ethics and the meaning of life.