Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Philosophy and Life

  • Exploring the Great Questions of How to Live
  • By: A. C. Grayling
  • Narrated by: Justin Avoth
  • Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (8 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Philosophy and Life cover art

Philosophy and Life

By: A. C. Grayling
Narrated by: Justin Avoth
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Frontiers of Knowledge cover art
The Challenge of Things cover art
Thinking of Answers cover art
Democracy and Its Crisis cover art
Breakfast with Seneca cover art
The Mind That Is Catholic cover art
Stoicism cover art
Parfit cover art
Philosophy for Life cover art
Simply Dirac cover art
The Human Predicament cover art
Future Visions cover art
No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life cover art
Why We Are Restless cover art
Homeschooling 101 Philosophy for Kids and Teenagers cover art
Evil in Modern Thought cover art

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

From the eminent philosopher, an authoritative exploration of the great questions of how to live

'There is a question everyone has to ask and answer—in fact, has to keep on asking and keep on answering. It is, 'How should I live my life?' meaning, 'What values shall I live by? 'What sort of person should I be? What shall I aim for?' The great majority of people do not ask this question, they merely answer it unthinkingly, by adopting conventional views of life and what matters in it...'

From Stoics to existentialists, in philosophy and literature, discussion of the philosophy of life—of love and death, of courage, fortitude and wisdom—challenges us all to think about what kinds of life are truly worth living. In this summation of a lifetime thinking and writing about this great question, A. C. Grayling explores with clarity and depth the ideas that each of us must use in answering it for ourselves.

Drawing on the lives, experiences and works of a fantastically eclectic range of thinkers—taking in not only philosophers such as Confucius, Seneca and Nietzsche, but also authors from Shakespeare to Ursula LeGuin, and modern thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum and Simon May—Philosophy and Life brings together wisdom from across eras and continents in a tour de force on the philosophy of being human in a complicated world.

©2023 A. C. Grayling (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects." (Steven Pinker)

"An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity." (Independent)

What listeners say about Philosophy and Life

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great explanations to a lot of big questions.

He explains philosophy in ways that can be applied to life with examples. I first read Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, but I did not agree with everything and it doesn't cover a lot of what goes on in life. This book has been great to learn from. I might buy the actual book as well to help highlighting areas.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Authentic philosophical survey of the big question

It is a survey of the history of the—mostly western—philosophical inquiries into living life, and living it well. Grayling is a wise wizard sage, and this book departs some of the wisdom. It prompts us to live life philosophically and for life to be all the better for it. This book provides an invaluable aid for such practice. I will go buy a hard copy, so I can poor over this again in more detail. The last chapters which function as an autobiography of Graylings approach to living life philosophically was particularly magical. Thanks you Anthony!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great help in finding the answer to the question

Really enjoyed the journey, do much so that I have listened to the recording twice and purchased the hard back to aid my further exploration of this wonderful subject. 'What is Life' and what part do I choose to play'
An easy stimulating listen well narrated.
Thank you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful