To the Bone

Sidney Callahan begins her fifth book with these celebrated lines from William Blake’s “Auguries of Innocence”:

Man was made for Joy and Woe;
And when this we rightly know
Thro’ the world we safely go.

The purpose of woe—or suffering, to use a more modern word—has never been an idle question. It touches us personally; it has occupied philosophers throughout history. ...

The remainder of this article is only available to paid subscribers.

Print subscribers to Commonweal are entitled to free access to all premium online content. Click here to purchase a print subscription, or if you’re already a print subscriber, register now for premium access.

Online-only subscriptions provide access to all premium online articles for just $34/year. Click here to subscribe.

Registered users, please log in below: