Power, Pleasure, and Profit

In "Power, Pleasure, and Profit," David Wootton explores the transformation of Western thought over four centuries, highlighting the shift from Aristotelian ethics and Christian morality to a framework centered on instrumental reasoning. He examines how this method of cost-benefit analysis has shaped our pursuits of power, pleasure, and profit, influencing political, ethical, and economic landscapes. As religious conflict and the Scientific Revolution paved the way for these new ideas, Wootton questions whether the rise of instrumental reasoning has ultimately improved our world or diminished the importance of virtue and honor.