Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
One of the most important philosophy titles published in the twentieth century, Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture is more significant, even more crucial, today than it was when it first appeared fifty years ago.
Pieper shows that the Greeks understood and valued leisure, as did the medieval Europeans. He points out that religion can be born only in leisure - a leisure that allows time for the contemplation of the nature of God. Leisure has been, and always will be, the first foundation of any culture.
He maintains that our bourgeois world of total labour has vanquished leisure, and issues as startling warning: Unless we regain the art of silence and insight, the ability for non-activity, unless we substitute true leisure for our hectic amusements, we will destroy our culture - and ourselves.
These astonishing essays contradict all our pragmatic and puritanical conceptions about labour and leisure; Josef Peiper demolishes the twentieth century cult of "work" as he predicts its destructive consequences.
Format: Paperback | 176 pages
Dimensions (cm): 21.7 x 14 x 1.1 | 218g
Publication Date: 15 Nov 1998
Publisher: St. Augustine's Press
Publication City/Country: Southbend, IN, United States
Language: English
Edition Number: 1
ISBN10: 1890318353
ISBN13: 9781890318352
Condition: Good
A vintage book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including very minor scuff marks along the edges of the front cover, but no holes or tears. The inside of the front cover has a square sticker with a bird illustration and the name of a previous owner on it (see pic. 2). The majority of pages are undamaged with very minimal creasing, but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text and no writing in margins. No missing pages.