The Quest for Character

What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published Sept. 27, 2022 by Basic Books.

ISBN:
978-1-5416-4697-1
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5 stars (1 review)

2 editions

A very good question.

5 stars

I consider Massimo Pigliucci one of my "spiritual" teachers. His books, in fact, helped me achieve a better grasp of myself and sparked my love for ancient philosophy. Moreover, I am also a paid subscriber of his Substack, so this review may be a bit biased.

However, The Quest for Character is a book that tries to answer a very pressing question: how can we get better leaders?

I am fascinated by politics and, as probably many, I am increasingly worried and depressed by the abysmal level of modern political landscape. This book echoes my feelings and try to use the lens of philosophy to analyze the relationship between ethos and effective leadership.

As I said, it tries. Because, as for all complex problems, there is no unique and easy solution. Somebody, may find frustrating that, in the end, the book shows how each one of us carries an individual …