本书是关于宋代文化史与政治史的综合研究，尤其注重二者之间的互动关系。以研究的重心而论，文化史在儒学的复兴及其演进，政治史则在改革活动中所显现的权力结构与动作方式。但在实际的历史过程中，这两个系列的发展根本是交织在一起而不可能清楚分开的，二者统摄在士大夫的整体活动之中。宋代士阶层不但是文化主体，而且也是一定程度的政治主体，至少他们在政治上所表现的主动性超过了以前的汉，唐和后面的元，明，清。这是宋代在中国史上的一个非常显著的特色，过去的史学界对此也已或隐或显地有所察识。但是根据比较严格的史学观点，我们仅仅满足于从直觉或整体印象所获得的抽象论断。怎样将这一论断建立在可以客观检证的历史事实之上，才是专业史学的本格任务。所以宋代士大夫的思维结构与行动模式在这部研究中占据了轴心的位置，本书副题主要即取义于此。

Harvard government professor Sandel (Public Philosophy) dazzles in this sweeping survey of hot topics—the recent government bailouts, the draft, surrogate pregnancies, same-sex marriage, immigration reform and reparations for slavery—that situates various sides in the debates in the context of timeless philosophical questions and movements. Sandel takes utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative and Rawls's theory of justice out of the classroom, dusts them off and reveals how crucial these theories have been in the construction of Western societies—and how they inform almost every issue at the center of our modern-day polis. The content is dense but elegantly presented, and Sandel has a rare gift for making complex issues comprehensible, even entertaining (see his sections entitled Shakespeare versus the Simpsons and What Ethics Can Learn from Jack Benny and Miss Manners), without compromising their gravity. With exegeses of Winnie the Pooh, transcripts of Bill Clinton's impeachment hearing and the works of almost every major political philosopher, Sandel reveals how even our most knee-jerk responses bespeak our personal conceptions of the rights and obligations of the individual and society at large. Erudite, conversational and deeply humane, this is truly transformative reading.

尽管古往今来被称为哲学家的思想者千差万别，还是有可能在相隔几世纪之间找到一小群情貌略微相似的人，其共同点就是忠于“哲学”一词希腊文的原意——“爱”“智慧”。他们的共同爱好，就是就人生最大的痛苦的根源向我们说一些宽慰而切合实际的话；他们的共同精神就是不向世俗低头，坚持独立思考。徳波顿以其特有的英国式笔调引领我们进行了一次轻松的哲学之旅，典雅漂亮，帮助我们走近苏格拉底、伊壁鸠鲁、蒙田、尼采、叔本华等大师的精神世界，使我们发现，人生的悲苦、困顿和欲望引起的烦恼在他们的智慧中都可以找到慰藉。