Josef Pieper

Author profile

born

in Elte, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

May 04, 1904

died

November 06, 1997

gender

male

genre

Philosophy, Catholicism

About this author

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Josef Pieper was professor of philosophical anthropology at the University of Münster/Germany; he was a member of several academies and received numerous awards and distinctions, among them the International Balzan Prize for outstanding achievements in the field of humanities.

Pieper is among the most widely read philosophers of the 20th century. The main focus of his thought is the overcoming of cultural forms of secular totalitarianism and of its philosophical foundations through a rehabilitation of the Christian concept of man that is related to experience and action. Plato and Thomas Aquinas in particular were the inspiring sources of a constructive criticism of contemporary culture.

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Josef Pieper's Books

Average rating: 4.27 · 2,020 ratings · 228 reviews · 62 distinct works · Similar authors

	Leisure: The Basis Of Culture 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 766 ratings — published 1948 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Four Cardinal Virtues 4.43 of 5 stars 4.43 avg rating — 217 ratings — published 1966 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Only the Lover Sings 4.39 of 5 stars 4.39 avg rating — 123 ratings — published 1990	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Faith, Hope, Love 4.4 of 5 stars 4.40 avg rating — 102 ratings — published 1997 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Abuse of Language--Abuse of Power by Josef Pieper, Lothar Krauth (Translator) 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 89 ratings — published 1992	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Guide to Thomas Aquinas by Josef Pieper, Richard Winston (Translator), Clara Winston (Translator) 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 80 ratings — published 1958 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Happiness and Contemplation by Josef Pieper, Richard Winston (Translator), Clara Winston (Translator) 4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 avg rating — 70 ratings — published 1957 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In Tune With The World 4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 61 ratings — published 1963 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart 4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 avg rating — 56 ratings — published 1991	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Anthology 4.58 of 5 stars 4.58 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 1989 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Josef Pieper

“The happy man needs nothing and no one. Not that he holds himself aloof, for indeed he is in harmony with everything and everyone; everything is "in him"; nothing can happen to him. The same may also be said for the contemplative person; he needs himself alone; he lacks nothing.”
― Josef Pieper, Happiness and Contemplation

tags: contemplation, happiness, harmony

20 likes

“Leisure is only possible when we are at one with ourselves. We tend to overwork as a means of self-escape, as a way of trying to justify our existence.”
― Josef Pieper, Leisure: The Basis Of Culture

tags: leisure, overwork, work

19 likes

“What distinguishes - in both senses of that word - contemplation is rather this: it is a knowing which is inspired by love. "Without love there would be no contemplation." Contemplation is a loving attainment of awareness. It is intuition of the beloved object.”
― Josef Pieper, Happiness and Contemplation

tags: contemplation, intuition, love

15 likes

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Josef Pieper

Author profile

combine editionsJosef Pieper's Books

Quotes by Josef Pieper

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Josef Pieper's Books