Description
Book SynopsisBeverley Clack is Professor in the Philosophy of Religion at Oxford Brookes University. Her publications include:
Interrogating the Neoliberal Lifecycle: The Limits of Success, co-edited with Michele Paule (2019);
Philosophy of Religion: A Critical Introduction, co-authored with Brian R Clack (3rd edition 2019);
Freud on the Couch (2013);
Feminist Philosophy of Religion: Critical Readings, co-edited with Pamela Sue Anderson (2004);
Sex and Death: A Reappraisal of Human Mortality (2002); and
Misogyny in the Western Philosophical Tradition (1999). From 2012-16 she was City Councillor for St Clements Ward in Oxford, and from 2016-2018 she was a member of the Labour Party's National Policy Forum. She is a member of the Methodist Church's Faith and Order Committee, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Trade ReviewNothing succeeds like success? Perhaps not.
How to be a Failure and Still Live Well is a powerful rejection of the language of ‘success' that dominates contemporary neo-liberal culture. Blending philosophy and personal experience Beverley Clack gives a moving defense of the necessity of loss and failure in building relationships, identity and a meaningful life. This splendid book gives us a picture of the kind of fuller existence we can aspire to as individuals who choose our own response to tragedy and as members of a community that does not rely on false optimism or selfish calculation to bind itself together. * Joshua Foa Dienstag, Professor of Political Science & Law, University of California, Los Angeles, USA *
Thought-provoking and compelling, Bev Clack takes us into the heart of failure and loss, with personal depth and engaging philosophical and theological insights. Clack raises profoundly important questions and offers no easy answers - but helps the reader to engage more deeply with life, aided by failure and loss. * Alistair Ross, Associate Professor of Psychotherapy, Oxford University, UK *
With characteristic wisdom, insight, humanity and wit, Clack shows us how dwelling with our failures can make genuine flourishing possible. This is philosophy at its best – philosophy that contributes to the shared human endeavour of living a good life, engaging deftly with psychology, politics, theology, feminist theory, literature and art. * Anastasia Scrutton, Associate Professor in Philosophy and Religion, University of Leeds, UK *
The threat of failure is ever-present, but hardly ever openly examined. This thoughtful, honest and often moving book examines why so many of us are haunted by failure. Its erudite and detailed diagnosis of the reasons for widespread feelings of failure across modern societies makes for both fascinating and inspiring reading. * Anneliese Dodds, MP, House of Commons, UK *
With characteristic wisdom, insight, humanity and wit, Clack shows us how dwelling with our failures can make genuine flourishing possible. This is philosophy at its best – philosophy that contributes to the shared human endeavour of living a good life, engaging deftly with psychology, politics, theology, feminist theory, literature and art. * Dr Anastasia Scrutton, Associate Professor in Philosophy and Religion, University of Leeds, UK *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Failure: And How to Live Well Chapter 1: Success, Failure, and the 21st Century Good Life Chapter 2: Women, Failure, and the Fear of Loss Chapter 3: Death and Sickness, Loss and Failure Chapter 4: Factoring Out Failure, Factoring Out Humanity: Bureaucracy, Metrics, and the Loss of Spontaneity Chapter 5: From Homo Economicus to Homo Religiosus: Remaking the Human Chapter 6: Accepting Failure, Embracing Loss Conclusion: Being a Failure and Living Well Bibliography
