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Quote by Martha C. Nussbaum

“I think the imagination helps us move out of the purely oppositional mentality and see the world in a richer and more variegated way.”

Quote by Martha C. Nussbaum

Author

Martha C. Nussbaum

Martha C. Nussbaum is a renowned philosopher known for her contributions to the fields of emotion, ethics, and aesthetics. Her research spans a wide range of topics, including ancient Greek philosophy, contemporary ethics, and cultural criticism. more

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“As human beings, we ought to be vulnerable. We shouldn't try to say that we can be self-sufficient or do everything that's necessary for a good life on our own, because we need other people.”

People Needs Trying Humans Self Human Beings Ought Vulnerable Sufficient Good Life Self Sufficient

Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“The Greek tragedies and comedies are like a roadmap to all the ways in which trying to live this rich, full life can go wrong. You could get into a war. You could find that you have members of your family on the wrong side of a political crisis. You could be raped. You could find that your child has gone crazy because of some horrible experience she's had.”

“It's not as though there aren't many, many art works and many other cultures, but there was something special about the civic nature of the Greek theater. All the citizens stopped working. They came into these theaters. It wasn't like a Broadway theater where you sit in the dark and you expect to be passively entertained. You're in this theater, amphitheater, in bright sunlight looking at your fellow citizens, recognizing their faces, and thinking with them about the future of your city. I think very few cultures have had a theatrical tradition that is quite so civic.”

Thinking Art Faces Culture Dark Cities Special Citizens Tradition Theater Fellows Greek Sunlight Broadway Recognizing Theatrical Civics Something Special Other Cultures

Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“You have to pay so much to see theater, even in Chicago. In the Greek theater, you didn't have to pay anything. You actually had to go, and you just sat there all day.”

Pay Theater Greek Sat Chicago

Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“There are no general-interest media that all of us can tap into. I'm not a good person to talk to about social media. I just avoid it. I'm suspicious also of the culture of venting. But the bigger question is, How can we in this media world have a genuine civic conversation? I mean, look at Franklin Roosevelt. He had these radio talks that all Americans listened to, and there was a common civic conversation that came out of it.”

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Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“Radio was, in a way, a very philosophical medium. You could make an argument on the radio, and people listened to it. Television is already harder because people's attention span becomes shorter with television. Cut to a commercial and all that.”

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Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“TV has a lot of problems, but I think the Internet and social media have a lot more. Under the cover of anonymity people say the most vicious things.”

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Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“The thing that I find so bad about anger is the desire for payback. Of course, it is very human to wish for revenge. Your mother has died in the hospital, and the first thought a lot of people have is, I'll sue the doctor. You feel helpless, and you think, I'm less helpless if I'm doing something active that makes someone else pay. And social media make it easy to inflict all kinds of pain on other people. But what good does it do?”

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Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“A person in torment is not going to give you anything.”

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Author:Martha C. Nussbaum

“The GDP approach doesn't address many aspects of human life: health, education, political liberty, religious liberty, employment opportunities. And these are not all that well correlated with gross domestic product. We also have to think about equality among groups. And freedom of speech and religion. China always ranks near the top of developing countries these days, but there are lots of things we might see as lacking in China.”