Whyphilosophershaveadvocatedsimplelivingfor2,500years--andwhyweignorethematourperilFromSocratestoThoreau,mostphilosophers,moralists,andreligiousleadershaveseenfrugalityasavirtueandhaveassociatedsimplelivingwithwisdom,integrity,andhappiness.Butwhy?Andaretheyright?Isatasteforluxuryfundamentallymisguided?Ifonehasthemeanstobeaspendthrift,isitfoolishorreprehensibletobeextravagant?Inthisbook,EmrysWestacottexamineswhy,formorethantwomillennia,somanyphilosophersandpeoplewithareputationforwisdomhavebeenadvocatingfrugalityandsimplelivingasthekeytothegoodlife.Healsolooksatwhymostpeoplehaveignoredthem,butarguesthat,inaworldfacingenvironmentalcrisis,itmayfinallybetimetolistentotheadvocatesofasimplerwayoflife.TheWisdomofFrugalityexploreswhatsimplicitymeans,whyit’ssupposedtomakeusbetterandhappier,andwhy,despiteitsbenefits,ithasalwaysbeensuchahardsell.Thebooklooksnotonlyattheargumentsinfavoroflivingfrugallyandsimply,butalsoatthecasethatcanbemadeforluxuryandextravagance,includingtheideathatmoderneconomiesrequirelotsofgettingandspending.Aphilosophicallyinformedreflectionratherthanapolemic,TheWisdomofFrugalityultimatelyarguesthatwewillbebetteroff--asindividualsandasasociety--ifwemoveawayfromthematerialisticindividualismthatcurrentlyrules.
