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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many new techniques for remaining healthy have been introduced, but there has been little to no public discussion about how to live well. “Social distancing” is good medicine for the body, but the health of the spirit depends on wisdom. When we find ourselves in new and dangerous conditions, we can only look to the past for counsel.
In this book, originally published as Plague Literature and now in its second edition, the philosopher Dustin Peone offers reflections on ten literary classics set during plague times. From each work, he draws one central insight that is applicable to our situation today and all future pandemics. These insights are lessons in prudence, taught by the sages of the past. This is a book about how to pursue the good life during a pandemic and what it means to flourish in dark times, not just to survive.
Dr. Dustin Peone studied philosophy at Emory University. He is a fellow of the Institute for Vico Studies in Atlanta. Previously, he has taught philosophy and Core studies at Emory and Oglethorpe University. His previous books include Memory as Philosophy (ibidem, 2019), Shame, Fame, and the Technological Mentality (Lexington, 2021), and Making Philosophy Laugh (Cascade, 2023).