The Needs of Strangers
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-02 07:53:15
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael Ignatieff
- ISBN：0312281803
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
This thought provoking book uncovers a crisis in the political imagination， a wide-spread failure to provide the passionate sense of community "in which our need for belonging can be met。" Seeking the answers to fundamental questions， Michael Ignatieff writes vividly both about ideas and about the people who tried to live by them—from Augustine to Bosch， from Rosseau to Simone Weil。 Incisive and moving，The Needs of Strangers returns philosophy to its proper place， as a guide to the art of being human。
Reviews
Danny
，
From a transcendental standing point the author analyzes how deep our understanding as society of the general needs of humans has evolved and how individuals and the state could develop laws and idiosyncrasies to better satisfy basic needs and even desires if possible， although the historical frame he is describing of developed spiritual needs would not apply to all of the eastern societies
Mesha
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I haven't read anything of this nature since my time in undergrad。 It was challenging， but refreshing at times， and with a conclusion that pulled everything together: "We need words to keep us human。 Being human is an accomplishment like playing an instrument。 It takes practice。 The keys must be mastered。 The old scores must be committed to memory。 It is a skill we can forget。 A little noise can make us forget the notes。。。 Our needs are made of words: they come to us in speech， and they can die I haven't read anything of this nature since my time in undergrad。 It was challenging， but refreshing at times， and with a conclusion that pulled everything together: "We need words to keep us human。 Being human is an accomplishment like playing an instrument。 It takes practice。 The keys must be mastered。 The old scores must be committed to memory。 It is a skill we can forget。 A little noise can make us forget the notes。。。 Our needs are made of words: they come to us in speech， and they can die for lack of expression。" 。。。more
Sara
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Definitely an intriguingly little book with some good food for thought。 In each chapter Ignatieff presents the concept of need in a different context， some of which I found significantly more interesting than others。 I'm not sure if it was his writing style or if philosophy just isn't for me， but I found the book difficult to get through。 Fascinating ideas， whether you agree with them or not， but a slow read。 Definitely an intriguingly little book with some good food for thought。 In each chapter Ignatieff presents the concept of need in a different context， some of which I found significantly more interesting than others。 I'm not sure if it was his writing style or if philosophy just isn't for me， but I found the book difficult to get through。 Fascinating ideas， whether you agree with them or not， but a slow read。 。。。more
Justin Michael James Dell
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If anything， this book is an excellent little primer on the contributions a variety of Western thinkers have made to the issue of social responsibility， especially as it relates to providing for others' needs， starting with St。 Augustine and ending with the welfare state in the 20th century。 I found Ignatieff's explication of difference （as opposed to sameness and universality） as a necessary precondition to the adequate satisfaction of social needs very thought-provoking。 While not calling for If anything， this book is an excellent little primer on the contributions a variety of Western thinkers have made to the issue of social responsibility， especially as it relates to providing for others' needs， starting with St。 Augustine and ending with the welfare state in the 20th century。 I found Ignatieff's explication of difference （as opposed to sameness and universality） as a necessary precondition to the adequate satisfaction of social needs very thought-provoking。 While not calling for the dismantlement of the welfare state， he offers some stinging indictments of its inadequacy。 At times I found Ignatieff somewhat imprecise in his use of language。 For example， he sometimes uses the word "desire" in a technical sense as something separate from a "need，" but other times he appears to use the word in more of a generic sense。 Other than that， this is a splendid little book。 。。。more
Eero Wahlstedt
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Excellent book of political philosophy with a strong humanist message。 Short and readable。
Brent
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Better at writing， than politics。
Ilsa
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the sentences are very dense with ideas not well clothed in graceful satin sounds but the idea and points are awesome。。。
E。C。
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For anyone who hazards the task of tying literature， philosophy， political and social responsibility into everyday application。 Ignatieff makes it seem possible。
Reference
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hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Needs of Strangers&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft