Professor Gaita's book deals with the dual themes of true (absolute) goodness and remorse for evil deeds. Both concepts seem (if I understand the book correctly) to hinge upon the idea of individuality - the notion that each of us is a thinking, feeling, and rational being who experiences joy and pain and has their own unique perspective on their life and the world around them.



This is definitely a challenging book (probably the most challenging I've ever read). Gaita writes in a very scholarly fashion, and there will be times, most likely, where you'll need a dictionary to understand various words he uses. There are also passages where, quite frankly, his meaning would've been clearer if he had dumbed down the style in which he writes his sentences. Don't be surprised if you end up having to reread passages (or even entire chapters) one or more times before you truly grasp his meaning.



I think the excessively academic style of the text clouds the power of the book's overall message to some degree, but if you can get past that and see what he's trying to say, it's a very powerful book; and for that reason, I'm only taking off one star for the difficult prose.



Overall, I recommend this book, but be forewarned that it won't be easy reading and won't be a book that you can finish off in a day or two.