What kind of life best ensures human welfare? Since the ancient Greeks, this question has been as central to ethical philosophy as to ordinary reflection. This text shows that a proper understanding of welfare funadamentally changes how we think about what is best for people.

Darwall defends this theory with clarity and precision and with a subtle understanding of the place of sympathetic concern in the rich psychology of sympathy and empathy. His forceful arguments should change how we understand a concept central to ethics and our understanding of human bonds and human choices.

Acknowledgments ix
CHAPTER I: Welfare's Normativity 1
CHAPTER II: Welfare and Care 22
CHAPTER III: Empathy, Sympathy, Care 50
CHAPTER IV: Valuing Activity: Golub's Smile 73
Notes 105
References 123
Index 133