The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders

The author of How to Be a Stoic asks what might be philosophy's ultimate question: can we learn to be better people?  

"Pigliucci's expert account of ancient ethics will help us save our souls, and thereby, just maybe, save the world."―James Romm, author of Plato and the Tyrant

Are good people born, or made? Since ancient times, the question has been of paramount importance. In the Athens of 430 BCE, Socrates set out to teach Alcibiades, who sought to lead his city, how to be a good person. Socrates failed spectacularly, and all of Athens paid the price.

In The Quest for Character, philosopher Massimo Pigliucci asks what this famous story and others, including those of Alexander, Marcus Aurelius, and Cato, can teach us today. He blends ancient sources with modern interpretations to present a philosophy of personal excellence, helping us see what we might demand of our leaders--and what we might cultivate in ourselves.

The Quest for Character reveals that being a good person is a matter of will, not simple luck. Whether we are seeking to train a philosopher kind, educate a child, or simply improve ourselves, this book reveals the essential steps on the road to an excellent life.