The Philosophy of Morals and Values by Nicola

Philosophy of Morals and Valuesby Anonymous

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May 04, 2004: It is often joked that ?the beginning? is the ?very best place to start? and The Philosophy of Morals and Values by Nicola Russo takes this advice to heart. We begin the volume at the beginning of mankind, as early man comes down from the trees and casts about himself for a new means of survival. He then takes us forward, to the dawn of religion, and how the ?witch doctor? began to scheme how best to take our wealth (food) away from us. Covering in detail the early philosophy of mankind, and how our ancestors were more philosophical then we are today, Nicola leads us through the six branches of philosophy and how they relate to our everyday life. Many of his ideas go against the teachings that have been passed down from generation to generation, and with good reason. Politicians promise us that theirs will be the great age of prosperity promised to us long ago, but I haven?t seen it! So maybe it?s time to examine what we?ve been taught, where those ideas came from, and learn some new ideas in their place. As with any work that tries to teach, Nicola does an excellent job of maintaining a clear, concise language throughout the work, while becoming slightly more technical by the end. This is an excellent strategy because once you have the background of previous chapters; later chapters will present less trouble. He also recognizes that you probably won?t be sitting down to read the entire volume in one sitting. To this end he provides many reminders, when necessary, to what has come before, to make or reinforce a point. The work does an excellent job building on what has come before, and at no time should the reader feel lost or confused about what is currently being read, as ideas flow logically from one to another. Which is not, however, to say that the volume is without criticism. The first is Nicola?s insistence on making his views on religion known in every one of the six books. In the end, I felt a bit ?beaten about the head and shoulders? with anti-religious sentiments and condemnation. Lines like ?It was just another pharaoh?s fairy tale.? do little to reinforce his ideas, and more to take away credibility by making him sound like a broken record. The only other criticism I can offer is the sheer number of grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes that plague every chapter of every book. I found far too many then should exist is a work of this magnitude, and I hope a reprinting of the book is done in the future to correct them. While these mistakes are grating on the eyes, the larger danger is that Nicola?s ideas are dismissed because of them. He proposes radical changes to our lives and government, and being dismissed out of hand because of inadequate editing will not help his cause. Please keep in mind that I did not use this space to attack his ideas or philosophy, as the principles found in the volume are sound. The fact that I can find only those two small criticisms with the volume should speak for itself. The volume is not only a search for morals in an ?ethical? world. Within are ideas for a new kind of moral government, the meaning of life, and ideas on the teaching of children. The volume has far reaching consequences, and if put into play, the ideas within could change the world. It is no less then a battle cry to take back what it yours and live a moral life. It can, and should, be done, and...