The Quest for Character

The author of How to Be a Stoic asks what might be philosophy's ultimate question: can we learn to be better people?   

“Pigliucci’s expert account of ancient ethics will help us save our souls, and thereby, just maybe, save the world.”―James Romm, author of Plato and the Tyrant  

Are good people born, or made? Since ancient times, the question has been of paramount importance. In the Athens of 430 BCE, Socrates set out to teach Alcibiades, who sought to lead his city, how to be a good person. Socrates failed spectacularly, and all of Athens paid the price.  
 
In The Quest for Character, philosopher Massimo Pigliucci asks what this famous story and others, including those of Alexander, Marcus Aurelius, and Cato, can teach us today. He blends ancient sources with modern interpretations to present a philosophy of personal excellence, helping us see what we might demand of our leaders—and what we might cultivate in ourselves.  
 
The Quest for Character reveals that being a good person is a matter of will, not simple luck. Whether we are seeking to train a philosopher kind, educate a child, or simply improve ourselves, this book reveals the essential steps on the road to an excellent life.  

• “An enlightening study… This lucid and accessible tour through ancient philosophy offers valuable lessons for today.”
  Publishers Weekly
• “Massimo Pigliucci, who has elsewhere taught us to take seriously the precepts of ancient Stoicism, here looks further afield, above all to Plato, for insight into how we become virtuous people—or, too often, fail to. His expert account of ancient ethics will help us save our souls, and thereby, just maybe, save the world.”
  James Romm, author of Plato and the Tyrant
• “A wonderful raconteur, Pigliucci brings the historical and philosophical texts of Greco-Roman antiquity to life with lessons about good character and leadership, whether we aspire to political office or not.”
  Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom
• “A rigorous theoretical foundation for ethical self-improvement with concrete steps—even a step-by-step syllabus!—for how we can become better people, how we can help others to do the same, and how we might influence our leaders and politicians to act virtuously.”
  Skye Cleary, author of How to Be Authentic