Q0535
“Luck can intervene between a person and the living of the good…” — Martha Nussbaum (The Fragility of Goodness (1986))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Fragility of Goodness (1986). Theme: fate.
English
Luck can intervene between a person and the living of the good human life.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Fragility of Goodness (1986) and files it under Political Liberalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Martha Nussbaum
Martha Nussbaum (b. 1947) is an American philosopher whose work spans ancient Greek ethics, emotions, and contemporary political liberalism.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Epictetus and Seneca), fate is framed through Stoicism and Philosophy of Will. Some passages define fate; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through fate, virtue, happiness.
Concepts in this quote
- Fate
- Fate appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat fate as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
- Happiness
- Happiness—or flourishing—is a central aim in ethics: what makes a life go well, and whether pleasure alone is enough.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Martha Nussbaum. (n.d.). Luck can intervene between a person and the living of the good human life. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0535
MLA: Martha Nussbaum. “Luck can intervene between a person and the….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0535.
Chicago: Martha Nussbaum. “Luck can intervene between a person and the….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0535.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Luck can intervene between a person and the…”?
The passage is attributed to Martha Nussbaum, The Fragility of Goodness (1986). The archive attributes this English wording to The Fragility of Goodness (1986) and files it under Political Liberalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Martha Nussbaum mean by fate?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Epictetus and Seneca), fate is framed through Stoicism and Philosophy of Will. Some passages define fate; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through fate, virtue, happiness.