Benevolent Living: Tracing the Roots of Motivation to God

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In one way or another all people need and seek happiness. Throughout the ages philosophers have attempted to define happiness, to distinguish between wise and unwise ways of pursuing it and to determine what the conditions are that make it possible and enduring.
Both empirically and creatively, Benevolent Living examines every major aspect of the problem of happiness—the economics, politics, sociology, psychology, esthetics and ethics of the sense of well-being and joy in being alive.
This work not only talks of achieving a comprehensive philosophy of happiness and responsibility but actually develops one that can be represented as solid and of distinct value in the face of sophisticated criticism.
The authors uniquely incorporate clever cartoons in their study of mirth, hedonism and morality. They address the most basic, relevant questions about the kind of life we should live in a world that seems bent upon self-destruction. Eric Hoffer declared, “We are warned not to waste our time, but we are brought up to waste our lives.” Seeing this as a challenge, the authors respond by establishing ethical principles and attitudes that can create the motivation for widespread benevolent behavior.
The purpose of this book is to show how reason can unite people with one another through the sharing of life’s universal or intrinsic values. The work sets forth values and perspectives that cross over all ethnic, racial, cultural and religious boundary lines.
The Christian views set forth reflect the background and commitment of the authors but do not imply the sort of doctrinal rigidity that would alienate others. Rather, their ecumenical hope is that all world religions, peoples and seekers might find new strength and unity in an intelligent, informed affirmation of God’s loving Care.
From an eminent philosopher-theologian: In the literature of philosophy known to me, there is nothing much like this book. It is a remarkable work, hard-hitting, well documented and truly learned. It is an eloquent defense of belief in God, vigorously supported in a great variety of ways. It gives powerful expression to the proposition that secular humanism is a danger to the good life. The point is not that atheists cannot in some cases live by high ideals, but that not only are these ideals inherited from theistic religions but they also make more rational sense and have stronger survival power when given appropriate theistic formulation. Hazelett and Turner compliment me in my practice of looking for truth in every great philosopher, not just in my special favorites. I can return the compliment. They outdo me in this practice in many cases. They show magnificently what lesser-known thinkers can do to force insiders to live up to their pretensions as seekers of the truth as collectively pursued. This book is almost an encyclopedia of considerations relevant to ethics or religion. It presents the most careful and many-sided analysis of happiness that I can recall reading. Who, I wonder, can be so wise, or so foolish, as to feel no need to learn more on this subject? —Charles Hartshorne, The University of Texas at Austin