The Sovereignty of Good

By: Iris Murdoch

Narrated by: Daisy-May Parsons

Iris Murdoch once observed: 'philosophy is often a matter of finding occasions on which to say the obvious'. What was obvious to Murdoch, and to all those who read her work, is that Good transcends everything—even God. Throughout her distinguished and prolific writing career, she explored questions of Good and Bad, myth and morality. The framework for Murdoch's questions—and her own conclusions—can be found here.

Iris Murdoch was one of the great philosophers and novelists of the twentieth century and The Sovereignty of Good is her most important and enduring philosophical work. She argues that philosophy has focused, mistakenly, on what is right to do rather than what is good to be, and that only restoring the notion of 'vision' to moral thinking can this distortion be corrected. This brilliant work shows why Iris Murdoch remains essential: a vivid and uncompromising style, a commitment to forceful argument, and a courage to go against the grain.

The Sovereignty of Good is masterfully narrated by Daisy-May Parsons.

Produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

©1971 Iris Murdoch (P)2024 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Essential reading

Somewhat tedious but an important work nonetheless. There is source material mentioned throughout that would be helpful also. Plato’s Republic, the lectures and essays of Hampshire, and Simone Weil. Otherwise, this is essential reading in its own regard. Narration is very well done.

Disappointing Overall

I found this book disappointing based on what I expected from her novels. I'm in sympathy with her basic views, but found the exposition dry and didactic at times. Too much time spent building up Existentialist Straw Men, then tearing them down. Maybe I'm too familiar with the subject matter, and what were fresh insights in Murdoch's time now seem routine. Thought the performance was reasonable given the subject matter.