Solitude: A Philosophical EncounterThe author identifies five intrinsic virtues of solitude: Freedom of Action; Attunement to Self; Attunement to Nature; Reflective Perspective; and Creativity. The common objections to solitude - that it is empty, pointless, vain, foolish, lonely, dangerous, unnatural, morbid, self-indulgent, selfish, escapist, evasive of social responsibility, irrelevant for post-modern women, and culturally limited to alienated privilege in late stages of capitalism - are each given their say and then critically dismantled. Professor Koch's discussion includes an overview of historical restrictions on solitude for women, as well as contemporary women's writings on solitude, and a detailed study of the role of solitude in the classics of ancient Taoism. |
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Contents
THE NATURE OF SOLITUDE | 5 |
Dimensions | 13 |
Loneliness Isolation Privacy Alienation 5 | 29 |
Disengagement | 49 |
Engaged Disengagement | 57 |
The Symmetry of Engagement and Disengagement | 81 |
Images of Solitude | 93 |
EVALUATING SOLITUDE | 97 |
The Arguments Apriori | 153 |
Arguments from Experience | 181 |
Some History | 201 |
Responses | 219 |
Women and Solitude | 249 |
A Universal Value? | 275 |
EPILOGUE | 299 |
NOTES | 301 |
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Common terms and phrases
actually alienation aloneness appears argue argument attunement awareness becomes begin better body called century certainly chapter Cited claims clear complete concern consciousness consider containment contemplation course death desire developed discussion disengagement emotion encounter engagement example existence experience express eyes fact feeling felt finally freedom give hand human idea imagination important individual inner insisted interest involves isolation kind light lines living loneliness lonely look meaning mind moral nature never objects observation one's pain perhaps person philosophical possible presence Press question reference reflection relations remarks seems seen sense separate silence single social society solitary solitude sometimes soul speak things Thoreau thought true understand University University Press virtues whole woman women writing York