John Lachs: "Why Is Good Enough Not Good Enough for Us?"
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Watch video of Vanderbilt University Centennial Professor of Philosophy John Lachs on Feb. 23 kick-off a new series of talks that aims to make philosophy acc...
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This is only peripherally related to the material we covered in class this semester, but I think this lecture is a great example of the genius of John Lachs. It is often said that "perfect is the enemy of the good." However, I never really understood the true power of this statement until I became familiar with Lachs. Here he eloquently describes the philosophical basis of this argument. I think that if we understood why “good enough” is the best alternative to the futile pursuit of “perfection,” we as a society would make progress faster than if we continue to waste energy striving for the elusive and unachievable notion of perfection. I believe that we are only here on earth for a finite amount of time and that time should be used wisely. If we apply this philosophy to every area of our life the time savings could be incredible.
Lachs combines elements of pragmatism, stoicism, humanism, and anti-essentialism to create a sane and sensible life-philosophy. Platonic perfectionism is not a recipe for happiness on this earth.
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