1st Edition
What is this thing called The Meaning of Life?
What are we asking when we ask, "What is the meaning of life?"? Can there be meaning without God? Is a happy life a meaningful life? Can an immoral life be meaningful? Does our suffering have meaning? Does death threaten meaning?
What is this thing called The Meaning of Life? provides an engaging and stimulating introduction to philosophical thinking about life’s meaning. Goetz and Seachris provide the reader with accessible examples, before looking at the main theoretical approaches to meaning and key philosophers associated with them. Topics covered include:
- What does the question, "What is the meaning of life?", even mean?
- Does life have a purpose?
- What is valuable?
- Do we matter?
- Does life (or my life) make any sense?
- Is there any meaning in suffering?
- Does death threaten meaning?
- Would immortality be good or bad news for us?
With boxed summaries of key concepts and noteworthy examples, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading included within each chapter, this book is the ideal introduction to life’s meaning for philosophy students coming to the subject for the first time.
Preface
1. The meaning of life’s meaning
2. Meaning and purpose
3. Meaning and significance I: Value
4. Meaning and significance II: Mattering
5. Meaning and sense-making
6. Meaning and evil
7. Meaning, death, and immortality.
Appendix I: (One type of) mid- or quarter-life crisis
Appendix II: Buddhism and the Meaning of Life
Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
Index
Biography
Stewart Goetz is Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Ursinus College, USA.
Joshua W. Seachris is Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy and Program Director at the Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame, USA.
"Goetz and Seachris have written an outstanding, systematic, engaging book on the meaning of life. There is no better guide to this important area of inquiry, one of great importance both within and outside academic life." - Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College, USA
"This is a readable and stimulating introduction to life’s greatest question. It is a text book but not just a text book, for it breaks new ground in being structured around an original and impressively thorough survey of the meaning of meaning. It will appeal to both academics and general readers." - Stephen Leach, Keele University, UK
