The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning

by Meghan Sullivan, Paul Blaschko

A WINNING GUIDE TO TACKLING THE BIG QUESTIONS OF BEING HUMAN WITH THE WISDOM OF THE AGES

For seekers of all stripes, philosophy is timeless self-care. University of Notre Dame philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko have shepherded thousands of students on the journey to faith and happiness in their blockbuster undergraduate course God and the Good Life.

Now they invite us into their classroom to wrestle with the big questions about how to live and what makes life meaningful. They distill guidance from Aristotle, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Iris Murdoch, and W. E. B. Du Bois to work through issues like what justifies our beliefs, whether we should practice a religion, and what sacrifices we should make for others.

The Good Life Method applies the timeless wisdom of philosophy to real- world case studies that explore love, finance, truth, and more. In so doing, this book pushes us to escape our own caves, ask stronger questions, explain our deepest goals, and wrestle with suffering, the nature of death, and the existence of God.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Religion, Audiobook, Psychology, Faith

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2023

Reviews

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily five stars. I would not describe this as a self-help book, even though it is meant to help the reader to explore his/her life and what it means to lead a good life. It is rather an introduction to the western philosophical tradition that can guide you with the wisdom and insight of some of the world's great thinkers. Although I have finished it, it is a book I will keep nearby to go back to frequently. Highly recommended.

[Ryan Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly approachable and sweet while delivering firm philosophical advice. Would experience it seven more times if I could

[Corbin Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great beginner’s guide to philosophy, especially virtue ethics, by contemporary philosophers. Sullivan and Blaschko make a strong case for the value of using philosophy as a tool to assist you in reaching Eudaimonia, the good life.

“Philosophers use reason to give us the structure of the goal, but philosophy cannot color in the details.”

[Michael]

I used this book for a class this semester and it worked really well. It garnered lots of discussion and thought, and now my students will (hopefully) like philosophy! What is odd is that the back of this book says "self-help" -- not sure if that is the best designation, but if people buy it for that it is probably for marketing. I do wish it went a little deeper into figures like Du Bois or Nietzsche, but it was good on Iris Murdoch, Anscombe, Plato and Aristotle as well as Marcus Aurelius. The thing that makes the book amazing is the personal apologies. I also tried this with students and they were also really affected and wrote their own.

[Madison Krumins · Rating 2 out of 5]

A basic self-helpy primer for philosophical thought--blew through this on audiobook. I definitely got a nice crash course on the classical philosophers, but if you're looking for something a little more in-depth for either philosophy or self-development, this might not be for you. The authors shared personal "apologies" that helped connect philosophical ideas to real-life scenarios, but overall I found myself hunting for the gems in what they were saying and tuning out to recall my own academic discussions about some of these principles in previous classes or conversations, which I'm blessed to have had exposure to.

[Gannon Foxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with stoic insights and stories to go with the ancient stoics teachings, pretty surface level read though.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. Besides teaching some basic philosophy, the book also offers good questions to learn about the self. I checked this book out of the library but it's one I would like to buy and refer to when I need extra thinking.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appropriate first book of 2022. In this time of New Year’s resolutions, what better than a book on pursuing the good life. This approachable and engaging look at virtue, ethics, and the good life will reward careful reading and contemplation. In some ways a contrast between virtue ethics and consequentialism, it is really about how to go about a thoughtful, active and meaningful life; wrestling with the big questions and coming to grips with partial and contingent answers as best we can. Might need to read it again.

[Gab Nug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This recent work, written by two philosophy professors at Notre Dame University, is an excellent introduction to philosophy that serves as a call-to-action for its readers to discover, develop, and pursue The Good Life. Fantastically, the authors make philosophy very accessible, so this would be a great read for anyone, especially the philosophically-unversed layman. However, as one who's studied graduate philosophy, I still found this text not only incredibly enriching but also an impetus for myself to not become stale in my own philosophical thought and pursuit.
The structure of this book, as far as I'm aware, is actually modeled off of a course at Notre Dame that the same authors or responsible for developing. This shines through in each chapter as they offer timeless philosophical questions and provide a number of different outlooks from various philosophical systems and even conclude every chapter with a suggested acivity intended to aid one in the construction of their own Good Life. The Catholicism of both of the authors underlies much of this book, and yet the philosophical tradition they incorporate into the text isn't restricted to those of Catholic (or other Christian, for that matter) persuasion. The school that both authors subscribe to is that of virtue ethics, but they do a great job of including many other voices to enter the ring.
The endeavor that Professors Sullivan and Blaschko is an inspiring one as they follow in the philosophical tradition of "corrupting the youth" by teaching others to ask and think through the big questions.

[Sharla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to philosophy and virtue ethics, and Sullivan and Blaschko have a great writing style. I really appreciated the personal anecdotes - some of which brought me to tears - and felt like the exercises at the end of every chapter were enormously helpful.

[Justin Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a great book for our current moment. This work from Notre Dame Philosophy Professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko is a great reminder that philosophy is timeless self-care as it can supply methods that help us to live well. It was great to be reacquainted with the Aristotelian concept of "eudaimonia" as we seek to fulfill our function as human beings in this life. Both Professors bring fascinating perspectives from their Catholic beliefs integrated with applying philosophy in daily life. The global pandemic has been real driver of reflection and the need to focus on what is truly important in life. This book certainly reinforced the idea that we can learn to ask better questions (even in our tremendously polarizing time in American life) and the importance of leading an examined life. This book reiterated to me the benefit of a liberal arts education and what for many can be a unique time to ponder the question "how ought we to live?" Our society could surely benefit from more thoughtful contemplation about the moral dilemmas we face.

[Callie Whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

the world has felt so heavy lately. this book has served as a comforting compass for me with which to navigate this world and determine how i want my life and the lives of my loved ones to look. as a notre dame student who never took god and the good life and had a pretty lackluster experience with the philosophy department, i always thought to myself that if i'd just taken a different class i would have a much greater appreciation for philosophical thought and exercise. this book gifted me that!

[Julia Alberino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rate these books that I read with groups. How much is my reaction, and how much have I absorbed from others? In any event, I found this book enormously useful for understanding the philosophical underpinnings of how I, as an individual, make decisions and for becoming more tolerant of how others do. I'm not sure why Goodreads only credits Meghan Sullivan as the author. I actually find myself more often in tune with co-author Paul Blaschko, though both have much to offer. To fully benefit from the insights offered here, I advise approaching with an open mind and spending some time working through the Soulcraft suggestions/exercises at the end of each chapter.

[David Crowder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book and will likely reread it in the near future. I was initially a little suspicious because of the title but found the content to be compelling and well structured.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

The authors either do not understand or deliberately misrepresent the few philosophical positions offered in alternative to their faith in Catholic teachings. There is very little which could be described as reason contained within this writing.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Meaghan Sullivan and co-author Paul Blaschko teach a popular philosophy class (there's a phrase I wouldn't expect to use very often) at Notre Dame called "God and the Good Life" and this book tries to get at that material. It's primarily using philosophy to answer the Big Questions about what it's all about, what makes life meaningful, and how to make life more fulfilling. God/religion comes up in the second half of the book, but it's largely an appendage of the first half's philosophical ruminations.

The book is well-done for what it is, but I found myself a bit cold to it. Short version: the Big Philosophical Questions are more things I feel like I should be interested in than things I am that interested in. That feels like a failing on my part (which is why I kick up my rating to four stars) but ultimately I found myself skimming through much of it, and not really that invested in what I did read.

It does give me more appreciation for Plato, Aristotle, and stoicism. There's a nice description of sophists and why Socrates found them so utterly lacking. The main ideas the book presents on truth, responsitilbity, integrity - look, there's nothing wrong with it. But then every chapter ends with an exercize I rarely cared about and I didn't always retain much from what I read. (And that's before the sections on religion, as I'm not religious).

One part I found especially interesting: the Jesuit idea of an Examen. That's worth pursuing. The book is worth having read just for that. But mostly the book reminded me of why I never really got that much into philosophy.

[Joshua Forsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much, it is quite thought provoking. The authors do a good job communicating things in a way that an 'entry-level philosopher' can understand easily.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through happenstance of library hold availability I've recently read two philosophy books. From my perspective, both are mis-titled but both were refreshing looks at the historical practice of philosophy. I am more strongly drawn to this book for two reasons. It is scholarly and well research by the two authors who are Professors of Philosophy at Notre Dame University. The second reason is that the role of faith is directly addressed within a philosophical framework. Those two elements created a rich reading and learning experience.

[Jacob Neisewander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful and accessible intro to philosophy. Professor Sullivan is excellent. Also my pal Murph is cited in the acknowledgements of this book!

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting review of virtue ethics from two (2) philosophy professors at Notre Dame. While the primary alternative used was utilitarian ethics, or consequentialism, there is a very brief mention of deontological ethics as well. And so we get a very good introduction to the likes of Plato and Aristotle, Socrates and Seneca, Aquinas and Kierkegaard with brief comparisons to stoicism and epicureanism. What we don’t get is specific answers … and the authors explain why that is toward the end of the book …

“Many a cult has used philosophical language and frameworks to direct people on pseudo-spiritual journeys of self-discovery. These inevitably end poorly for everyone involved. If a philosopher promises to give you the good life, you should go skeptical.”

With all of that, the authors present the material in a way to guide the reader to discover which questions they should answer and how to think about them (with a decided Catholic PoV). Each of the chapters focuses on a specific element of “The Good Life,” beginning with how you might define what that is. Woven into that are fairly long “personal apologies” that helped tie in the philosophical concepts presented therein. At the end of each chapter, they provide a section called Truthcraft/Soulcraft to encourage “Strong Questions” that help the read put the ideas into practice. Over all, I found it did a fantastic job of doing exactly what the author’s set out to do … to make me evaluate exactly what I want out of life.

Introduction]

I. The Good Life
1. Desire the Truth
2. Live Generously
3. Take Responsibility
4. Work with Integrity
5. Love Attentively

II. God and the Good Life
6. Wonder about God
7. Take a Leap of Faith
8. Struggle with Suffering
9. Contemplate Your Purpose
10. Prepare for Death

Code: The Limited of Philosophy


I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheGoodLifeMethod #NetGalley.

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a ton of books out there on philosophy and the “good life”, so I wasn’t expecting too much from this book. But, damn. This book was amazing. Sullivan and Blaschko provided something completely unique and different, and it may be for the same reason as my one slight critique that I’ll touch on later. This book separates chapters into such important aspects of life we should all be thinking about like living generously, taking responsibility, love, work, and desiring the truth. Not only do the authors cover the ideas of some of the great philosophers, but they also intertwine personal stories and experiences as well as conversations they have with their students. I’m a huge fan of effective altruism, but I’ve had some questions about it because some of it seems a bit too calculated, and these authors had such a great outlook on doing the most good we can do with a bit more nuance.

My only critique (and I can’t express enough how minor it is) is that it sometimes dives a bit much into Christianity. This is a minor critique because although I teeter between atheist and agnostic, I got sober through 12-step programs, which taught me the importance of faith. The authors do a fantastic job explaining how we can be seekers of truth while also having faith and being alright with the unexplained. They quote some Bible stuff and share their own experiences with their religion, but it’s only in a few parts of the book. The only reason I mention this is so potential readers are aware, but by no means should it deter you from reading this book.

This book is incredible, and I read it within a day. It’s another one that I’ll be returning to read in the future, and I really hope a lot of people grab a copy of this book.

[Stephen Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical Philosophy with Heartfelt Anecdotes

I found myself tearing through “The Good Life Method” in recent weeks. The book asks the reader to think about the big questions of their life while introducing some of history’s most famous philosopher and their key ideas.

A few of these big ideas have continued to resonate after finishing the book. The authors do a good job of illustrating how one’s approach to money can differ depending on if one adopts a utilitarian view (e.g. Peter Singer’s theory of effective altruism) versus the more story-based model of Virtue Ethics. A section on World War II era philosophers showed how the War encouraged consequentialism, and has also led women like Elizabath Anscombe to pursue the older model of virtue ethics. There was an excellent chapter on making reason-based “Leaps of Faith” based on the writings of the philosopher William James.

I had the sense that l really got to know Meghan and Paul. The excerpts from their respective “apologies” discuss heavy moments in their life—things like supporting a sibling through college, discerning a vocation, and the illness of a child. They were refreshingly candid on difficult topics like money, religion, relationships, and death.

As someone who hasn’t taken a college-level philosophy course, I was surprised at how they made the subject seem so personal and deeply emotional. I was also impressed with how they weaved in contemporary stories with moral themes, referencing the founder of Theranos, the doomed Fyre Festival, and Silicon Valley’s “survey approach to happiness.” Overall, the book is very well-written, asks great questions, and provides a broad introduction to moral philosophy without being too shallow or cookie-cutter about the subject.

[Rick Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I buy a book like this, I read with a pencil in hand to underline and write in the margins, but I made few notes with this book until I got to the chapter about preparing for death. This is probably because the college course upon which this book is based targets a much younger audience than me; I am in my mid 70s. I admit early frustration with the book after attempting to solve the geometry problem on page 35, finding the answer to the problem in the chapter footnotes, but not finding an explanation as to how to solve the problem. Reader's Digest does a better job explaining how problems are solved than the authors. I eventually googled the problem, found an explanation, and then was able to move on. I did appreciate the analysis, beginning on page 244, of Ezekiel Emanuel's The Atlantic article, "Why I Hope to Die at 75," which moved me when I first read it several years ago. The explanation supported the authors' advocacy for virtue ethics over Emanuel's consequentialist logic that I should die before I become more of a burden than a blessing to my family and society.

[Sam Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic introduction to most (if not all) of life's most pressing philosophical and ethical issues. The authors do a great job of applying philosophy to practical problems and heated political issues in a non-dogmatic way. I love the way the authors put their money where their mouths are by showing how they have tackled these philosophical issues in their own lives, without making the book all about them or saying it's their way or the highway. And the simple activities at the end of each chapter lead you into ways of bringing the philosophy to your own life. All in all, an excellent book for those just getting into philosophy, or those looking for philosophy that is less abstract and detached from reality and more helpful in your own pursuit of the good life.

[Frank Haug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and thought they made some good points. I hadn't really known about the difference between virtue ethics and effective altruism, but it reads more like a defense against effective altruism than a guide to how to make important decisions in life. I like the fact that they are trying to make philosophy and the collective wisdom of important thinkers over the past two thousand years relevant and accessible. After 2000 plus years of thinking about it, there is no ultimate answer as to how individuals ought to weight value and truth, or how a society ought to structure itself, but that doesn't mean we haven't made some progress.

[William Schram · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ancient Greeks had a term for the good life, eudaimonia. Today, these two Philosophy professors from the University of Notre Dame bring us an examination of the good life in all its forms.

The Good Life Method has two parts, each divided into five chapters. The first part goes over what the good life is and how to attain it. The second half focuses on God and how belief in such a being influences your decisions and philosophies.

I enjoyed the book, even though it becomes more and more preachy. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Sean Conery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading between the lines of the book description I should've realized, but this is definitely a Catholic heavy take on philosophy, bordering on religious propaganda. It was interesting to learn the take on some philosophic concepts from the Catholic perspective, but I feel that the title and cover were misleading. My fault for judging a book by its cover, but just know what you're getting into if considering reading. To the authors' credit this is very well written.

[Matt Root · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot to like here: encouraging people to take a more reflective and responsible approach to life is a great thing. But this left me unsatisfied, even as an introduction.

[cgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An abridged, portable reminder of a formative course in my undergraduate experience. The "Love Attentively," "Struggle with Suffering," and "Prepare for Death" chapters especially contain timeless guidance and excerpts from beautifully written apologies. A great read (and reread) for all life's stages.

[Rosemary Baird Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed elements of this book and it was refreshing to read something from the unique perspective of catholic philosophy professors but overall it wasn’t super compelling. I think I would have enjoyed doing their university classes more. 3.5 stars