Rome as a Guide to the Good Life

A unique, portable guidebook that sketches Romes great philosophical tradition while also providing an engaging travel companion to the city. This is a guidebook to Rome for those interested in both la dolce vita and what the ancient Romans called the vita beatathe good life. Philosopher Scott Samuelson offers a thinkers tour of the Eternal City, rooting ideas from this philosophical tradition within the geography of the city itself. As he introduces the citys great works of art and its most famous sitesthe Colosseum, the Forum, the Campo de FioriSamuelson also gets to the heart of the knotty ethical and emotional questions they pose. Practicing philosophy in place, Rome as a Guide to the Good Life tackles the profound questions that most tours of Rome only bracket. What does all this history tell us about who we are? In addition to being a thoughtful philosophical companion, Samuelson is also a memorable tour guide, taking us on plenty of detours and pausing to linger over an afternoon Negroni, sample four classic Roman pastas, or explore the citys best hidden gems. With Samuelsons help, we understand why Rome has inspired philosophers such as Lucretius and Seneca, poets and artists such as Horace and Caravaggio, filmmakers like Fellini, and adventurers like Rosa Bathurst. This eclectic guidebook to Roman philosophy is for intrepid wanderers and armchair travelers alikeanyone who wants not just a change of scenery, but a change of soul.