Escaping the History of Western Philosophy

This is a philosopher's journey from nihilism and skepticism to a renewed sense of everyday happiness.Mark Anderson provides us with an entertaining account of what happens when we view reality, knowledge, and beauty from two opposed perspectives: Platonism and Nietzschean nihilism. As he travels through the ancient conflict between idealism and naturalism, he weaves in personal experiences as he discovers a skeptical attitude and arrives at an ordinary, happier life.What happens when we take philosophy seriously and follow its conclusions to their limits? Anderson explores how philosophical commitments can shape, and sometimes unsettle, our lived experience. He shows how skepticism, left unchecked, can slide into nihilism, and turns to Zen Buddhism to confront its existential and psychological consequences.Can we achieve happiness if we let go of obscure intellectual abstractions and return to a simple life, based on common-sense truth and goodness? Anderson's journey will be familiar to scholars working in the arts and humanities. This is a book to make you laugh, cry, and be happy.