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Philosophers’ Views on Katie Carr

In a review of Hornby’s How to be Good for The New York Times, focusing on narrator

Katie Carr, Socrates, Aristotle, Kant, Mill and Epictetus would all critique her character qualities

but for various reasons. Socrates feels that human beings do not willingly choose to act in evil

ways. Socrates writes “It is clear that those who do not know things to be bad do not desire what

is bad, but they desire those things that they believe to be good but that are in fact bad. It follows

that those who have no knowledge of these things and believe them to be good clearly desire

good things.” (67) Katie Carr, goes against Socrates’ ideas entirely.

Throughout the novel, the narrator knows what is right and wrong but still chooses to

make bad decisions, for example her affair. Even after feeling extreme guilt, she continues to see

her paramour, Stephen. When Stephen asks Katie why she feels bad she replies with “Sleeping

with you when I’ve got a husband and two kids.” (Hornby 28) Clearly, she knows seeing

Stephen is wrong yet she still continues. Socrates believes that human beings only act in an evil

manner, unknowingly but in the case of Katie, Socrates beliefs are not applied. Therefore,

Socrates would most likely write a negative review of the novel and would most certainly

critique Katie’s character. Socrates believes that acting wrongly leads to unhappiness. Socrates

points out that “No one wants what is bad, unless he wants to be such.” (67) However, Katie

wanted to cheat on her husband despite knowing it would make her more miserable.

Socrates believes “We should not then think so much of the majority will say about us.”

Katie is also guilty of this. In the beginning of the novel she felt she had reasons justifying her

infidelity. This quickly changed when her brother, whom she thought would accept her

wrongdoing, critiqued her.

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Even the way she acts in her profession goes against Socrates’ philosophy. Socrates

rhetorically asks “Could you tell me the achievement of what goal service to doctors tends? Is it

not, do you think, to achieving health?” (17) As a doctor, Katie cares about keeping her job more

than the health of her patients as if that was her main goal she would have had GoodNews heal

her patients seeking for his treatment.

Aristotle would express much criticism for the way Katie Carr tried to achieve happiness.

Aristotle writes “The happy man will have the attribute of permanence… and he will remain

happy throughout his life. For he will always or to the highest degree both do and contemplate

what is in conformity with virtue.” (25) Happiness is continuously living a virtuous life and

finding the right way to act in all situations. Katie’s attempt in being happy goes against

Aristotle’s beliefs.

Aristotle believes that happiness does include a successful life but it will not solely rely

on pleasure, wealth and honor. Aristotle says “Happiness, as we have said, requires completeness

in virtue as well as a complete lifetime.” (23) Katie tries to be happy by merely relying on

pleasure, wealth and honor and that’s why, according to Aristotle, she is not happy. She gives

into temptation to have an affair, she is often annoyed with how her husband is not the

breadwinner in the family and she thinks that since she is a doctor, she is good.

In the novel, Katie just wanted to be happy. Aristotle writes “What is always chosen as an

end in itself and never as a means to something else is called final in an unqualified sense. This

description seems to apply to happiness above all else: for we always choose happiness as an end

in itself and never for the sake of something else.” (15) Her desire to be happy goes along with

Aristotle’s philosophy but the way she tried to achieve this happiness does not. Aristotle says

“Happiness is of all things the one most desirable, and it is not counted as one good thing among
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many others.” (15) Katie is not able to be happy because she lacks the virtues necessary for

happiness. Aristotle believes that she could be happy if she began to practice the virtues of self-

control, honesty and generosity but if she does not practice these virtues she will never find

happiness.

Kant would see Katie as not being truly free. Kant writes “In fact, we find that the more a

cultivated reason devotes itself to the aim of enjoying life and happiness, the further does man

get away from true contentment.” (8) Kant believes that the only way to be free is to give

yourself laws. Katie does not do this as she often acts recklessly.

According to Kant, “To secure one’s own happiness is a duty; for discontent with one’s

condition under many pressing cares and amid unsatisfied wants might easily become a great

temptation to transgress one’s duties.” (12) Furthermore, Kant agrees with Katie’s desire for

happiness but disagrees with how she goes about to achieve it.

Kant would disagree with Katie cheating on her husband because Kant strongly believes

that there is no circumstance that justifies immoral actions. Kant declares “Unless we want to

deny the concept of morality all truth and all reference to a possible object, we cannot but admit

that the moral law is of such widespread significance that it must hold not merely for men but for

all rational beings generally, and that it must be valid not merely under contingent conditions and

with exceptions but must be absolutely necessary.” (20) Although Katie was unhappy with the

way her husband was treating her, Kant would frown upon her affair. Adultery is immoral and

according to Kant there is not a time where an immoral act can be justified.

Further emphasizing this Kant says “A good will is good because of what if effects or

accomplishes, nor because of its fitness to attain some proposed end; it is good only through its
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willing, it is good in itself.” (7) Kant would not only disagree with Katie’s infidelity but how she

thinks she is a better person than her husband because she is a doctor. Katie tells herself that she

is a doctor to help people but actually being a doctor is what makes her feel good about herself.

Based on John Stuart Mill’s philosophy, he would disagree with Katie for even asking for

a divorce. Based off his principle of utilitarianism, Mill believes that “A sacrifice which does not

increase or tend to increase the sum total of happiness, it considers as wasted. The only self-

renunciation which it applauds is devotion to the happiness, or to some of the means of

happiness, of others, either of mankind collectively or of individuals within the limits imposed

by the collective interests of mankind.” (17) Katie’s desire for a divorce is wrong as it will take

away the happiness of her family, the majority in this situation.

Even after not divorcing, her decision to have an affair had a huge effect on her husband

and children. Her affair brought sorrow to both Tom and Molly, especially Molly, who favors

her father over Katie. Mill acknowledges that it takes a selfless human being to act under the way

utilitarianism dictates and writes “Though it is only in a very imperfect state of the world’s

arrangements that anyone can best serve the happiness of others by the absolute sacrifice of his

own, yet, so long as the world is in that imperfect state, I fully acknowledge that the readiness to

make such a sacrifice is the highest virtue which can be found in a man.” (16) However, Mill

would be hugely dissatisfied with Katie’s choice as the circumstances required her to sacrifice

for her own children and she could not do that displaying how selfish she is.

Mill would appreciate the way Katie’s affair made her husband change. Mill writes

“Poverty, in any sense implying suffering, may be completely extinguished by the wisdom of

society, combined with the good sense and providence of individuals.” (15) The transformed

David was a utilitarian. For example, how he wanted all of his neighbors to take in a homeless
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person. Mill says “All the grand sources, in short, of human suffering are in a great degree, many

of them almost entirely, conquerable by human care and effort.” (15) Katie’s affair caused David

to live under the principles of utilitarianism which had a huge impact on Katie, Tom and Molly.

The sudden emphasis of helping everyone scared Tom so much that he began to steal. Under

these circumstances Mill would approve of David’s actions as he is making his family suffer to

benefit the majority.

Epictetus would consider Katie’s affair and desire to divorce cowardly. Epictetus writes

“If you see a beautiful boy or woman, you will find the capacity of self-control. If hardship

comes to you, you will find endurance.” (14) Katie lacked self-control and succumbed to the

hardships of her marriage. Based off Epictetus beliefs, Katie chose to be a victim in the situation.

Epictetus believes “Another person will not do you harm unless you wish it; you will be harmed

at just that time at which you take yourself to be harmed.” (21) Moreover, Epictetus believes one

can only be harmed if they allow themselves to be harmed. Epictetus feels that energy should

only be used to change things that are in our control. Katie should have been proactive rather

than victimizing herself. Epictetus writes “Everything has two handles, one by which it may be

carried and the other not.” (26) When a loved one acts wrong, that loved one cannot just be

dropped but rather has to be valued as a loved one. Therefore, Epictetus would be against Katie

wanting to leave her husband forever because that is the easy way out.

Epictetus writes “‘I am richer than you; therefore my property is superior to yours,’ or ‘I

am more eloquent than you; therefore my speaking is superior to yours.’ But you are identical

neither with your property nor with your speaking.” (26) Throughout the entire novel, Katie feels

she is superior because of her profession as a doctor. This behavior contradicts with Epictetus’

beliefs as according to him all human beings are identical.

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Works Cited

Aristotle, and Martin Ostwald. Nicomachean Ethics. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1962.

Epictetus, and Nicholas P. White. Handbook of Epictetus. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 1983.

Hornby, Nick. How to Be Good. New York, Riverhead Books, 2001.

Kant, Immanuel, and James W. Ellington. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.

Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 1981.

Mill, John Stuart, and George Sher. Utilitarianism. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2001.

Plato. Plato - Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. New York, NY: LG

Classics, 2002.