Overview

From the magisterial to the mundane, achievements play a role in the best kind of human life, and many people think that they are of such importance that they are worth pursuing at the expense of serious sacrifices. Yet for all that, no philosophers have devoted more than a few short passages to discerning what makes achievements valuable, or even what makes something an achievement to begin with. Gwen Bradford presents the first systematic account of what achievements are, and what it is about them that makes them worth doing. It turns out that more things count as achievements than we might have thought, and that what makes them valuable isn't something we usually think of as good. It turns out that difficulty, perhaps surprisingly, plays a central part in characterizing achievements and their value: achievements are worth the effort. But just what does it mean for something to be difficult, and why is it valuable? A thorough analysis of the nature of difficulty is given, and ultimately, the best account of the value of achievements taps into perfectionist axiology. But not just any perfectionist theory of value will do, and in this book we see a new perfectionist theory developed that succeeds in capturing the value of achievement better than its predecessors.

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9780198864073

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Reviews

Bradford thinks very lucidly ... this book is a welcome contribution to the philosophical discussion of value in human life. I hope it has a refreshing effect on it...a falt out original contribution * Nomy Arpaly, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online * ... the book is a worthy attempt at illuminating a topic that has thus far been neglected. It will surely be the starting point for future discussions of achievement. * Eden Lin, Analysis * Bradford's book is an original and impressive contribution to the literature on human values. * Hasko von Kriegstein, Ethics * [C]learly written and well structured book ... Achievement is a refreshing and exciting book that explores a severely overlooked topic in such a way that allows a wide variety of audiences to engage with it ... the innovative arguments produced in this book will be sure to provoke subsequent work in this interesting area. * Patrick Hassan, Social Theory and Practice * The APA Book Prize is given in recognition of a philosophical achievement, and this year's winner offers a lucid and groundbreaking account of the nature and value of what the prize recognizes. An achievement is when someone succeeds in bringing about a goal, in the face of difficulty, as a result of knowing what they're doing. Since difficulty calls for effort and a distinctively human exercise of the will, achievement contributes to a life lived well. Gwen Bradford's thinking in this book represents an elegant proof of concept * American Philosophical Association *

The APA Book Prize is given in recognition of a philosophical achievement, and this year's winner offers a lucid and groundbreaking account of the nature and value of what the prize recognizes. An achievement is when someone succeeds in bringing about a goal, in the face of difficulty, as a result of knowing what they're doing. Since difficulty calls for effort and a distinctively human exercise of the will, achievement contributes to a life lived well. Gwen Bradford's thinking in this book represents an elegant proof of concept * American Philosophical Association * [C]learly written and well structured book ... Achievement is a refreshing and exciting book that explores a severely overlooked topic in such a way that allows a wide variety of audiences to engage with it ... the innovative arguments produced in this book will be sure to provoke subsequent work in this interesting area. * Patrick Hassan, Social Theory and Practice * Bradford's book is an original and impressive contribution to the literature on human values. * Hasko von Kriegstein, Ethics * ... the book is a worthy attempt at illuminating a topic that has thus far been neglected. It will surely be the starting point for future discussions of achievement. * Eden Lin, Analysis * Bradford thinks very lucidly ... this book is a welcome contribution to the philosophical discussion of value in human life. I hope it has a refreshing effect on it...a falt out original contribution * Nomy Arpaly, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online *

Author Information

Gwen Bradford is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Rice University, working in value theory and normative ethics.

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