John Armstrong

In Search of Civilization

  • In Search of Civilization

  • What is civilization?
    Why do we need it?
    And what can civilization offer us in an age of irony?

    The idea of civilization is a complex one, tangled up for years in ideas of colonialism and politics. John Armstrong explores the nature and aims of civilization in this elegant and witty book, examining how civilizing forces from the Greeks to the Renaissance have shaped and coloured our ideas of what a Good existence means. Only by bringing conversations about civilization back into our everyday lives, Armstrong reveals, can we rediscover our chance for wisdom and happiness.

The Armstrongs' A-Z Guide to Life
The Armstrongs' A-Z Guide to Life
  • Ann Armstrong
  • John Armstrong
Love, Life, Goethe
Love, Life, Goethe
John Armstrong
The Water Of Life
The Water Of Life
John Armstrong
Conditions of Love
Conditions of Love
John Armstrong

John Armstrong was born in Glasgow in 1966. Previously a research fellow and director of the Aesthetics Programme at the University of London, he is currently a research fellow in the philosophy of art at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is author of Conditions of Love and The Secret Power of Beauty, both published by Penguin.

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