Frugal – The Virtue of Frugal Living
They say the best things in life are free – or at least, Emrys Westacott seems to think so.
For those who have the choice, the rejection of extravagance is deemed highly virtuous. Many of the great thinkers of history have advocated the moral value of frugal living, but in our culture of excess, the temptation to indulge can be difficult to overcome.
William Isdale spoke with Emrys Westacott, a Professor of Philosophy at Alfred University, New York, about how a return to simple living could bring greater happiness in our increasingly complex world – though there’s a case to be made for the cultural value of extravagance, too.
Emrys Westacott is the author of The Wisdom of Frugality: Why Less Is More – More or Less, a philosophically-informed reflection on the benefits of frugal living.
Credits
William Isdale, Research Assistant, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne and Emrys Westacott, Professor of Philosophy, Alfred University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
