Finding Meaning and Beauty in an Idiotic World by Wei-Ching Chang

What are the most important things in life, and how can we live more ethical, fulfilling lives? In our modern world, it is not always easy to answer these questions; human needs and ethics have been obscured by the destructive demands of capitalism, colonialism, discrimination, militarism, and other sociopolitical forces. In Finding Meaning & Beauty in an Idiotic World, Wei-Ching Chang offers us a roadmap to thinking through these complex issues, distilling the meaning of life into a series of universal values pertaining to truth, goodness, and beauty. No social mechanism will be left uncovered, as Chang draws upon both Eastern and Western philosophies and the fields of literature, film, political science, and women's studies to examine each one. The themes that emerge include reason over faith and intuition, the importance of freedom and equality in democracy, how to diminish the calamites of war and violence, and ultimately, how to act cooperatively with one another in the cultivating of worldwide ethics. The result is a thought-provoking tour de force that teaches us, through the power of logic, how we can better appreciate our own lives and act more generously to nurture the lives of others on both personal and global scales.