How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
Michael Schur
Simon & Schuster
Nonfiction, Humorous Nonfiction/Media Reference/Philosophy/Sociology
Themes: Cross-Genre
****+
Description
When the quirky comedy show The Good Place debuted on NBC in 2016, following the recently-deceased Eleanor Shellstrop after
she finds herself misplaced in the "Good Place" after a morally questionable life, it brought matters of ethics and morality into
millions of living rooms. The struggle to define morality, what it means to be a good person (and even why one should strive to be
good), is one humans have wrestled with since prehistory. In that time, we've domesticated wolves, reshaped the climate, sent space
probes beyond the edge of the solar system, and decoded DNA, so one would think someone would've come up with an answer to this whole
"what is 'good'?" ethical question by now. Well, they have - numerous answers, often contradictory, each with their own strengths and
weaknesses. Series creator Michael Schur relates the history of ethical theories and how they work (or sometimes fail to work) in
practice, while also discussing his own struggles to define a personal moral code that's both fair and feasible.
The audiobook features cameos from several series stars and a few others.
Review
The Good Place is one of the best shows, start to finish, I've seen. One of its many strengths was its ability to relate
complex matters of ethics and morality in palatable ways, no doctorates required, showing how even the most flawed and seemingly
irredeemable of people can learn and grow if given the tools and the chance. Somewhat remarkably in an America that has always skewed
to an assumed Christian cultural root, the show explored ideas of right and wrong without resorting to religion as a backstop; though
there is a metaphysical element in the whole series concept of souls and the Good and Bad places, the characters arrive at their
conclusions without the carrot or stick of divine edict driving them. Much like the series, this book also avoids religion, which is -
despite what many fundamentalists seem to insist - not a necessary component of morality. Delving into lessons from Aristotle, Kant,
Sartre, and others, Schur gives a rough-sketch rundown of the basic ideas behind major schools of thought... all of which require some
moderation for practice in a world that's a lot bigger, messier, and more complicated than any strict theory can accomodate. With those
tools, he then shows how to approach various problems, from thought exercises like the trolley problem to practical applications such
as returning shopping carts, as well as potential pitfalls, and (naturally) some callbacks to The Good Place. Throughout the
book runs a strong vein of humor which, like in the show, helps keep the subject matter relatable. I found the whole thing both
entertaining and thought-provoking, much like the series.
Examining one's own morality, developing and living by a code of ethics, is not something many of us have been encouraged to actively
do. It's a process that is, by its very nature, never finished and requires constant fine-tuning through inevitable failures. There are
no definitive and clear answers. There is no one-size-fits-all option. There is also a lot that is simply beyond our control, and it's
all too tempting to just give up. In this book, Schur makes a strong argument for why we should make the effort anyway, whether or not
there's a Good Place waiting for us at the end of it all.