Existentialism
Mar 07, 2006Being and Nothingness, the for-itself and the in-itself, bad faith, and the existential predicament; these Existentialist concepts were central to the philosophical scene in Europe and America aft
Philosophers and the Meaning of Life
Mohit Mookim
13 June 2018
What's the meaning of life?
There have been moments in philosophy that placed a deal of emphasis on questions like this. We can think of French existentialists like Sartre and Camus that seem to be very sensitive to concerns about the futility of existence.
Currently, academic philosophers in the English speaking world are not prone to take this question seriously on its own terms. At least this is what Professor of Philosophy Kieran Setiya argues in this Aeon article.
Many philosophers nowadays think of the question as confused or misguided. Or they try to explain what individuals can do to make their lives meaningful. But that does not, for Setiya, offer the same existential solace as explaining what makes life itself valuable.
Why has this question been overlooked by contemporary Western philosophers, and how can we make any headway on this behemoth endeavor of finding an answer?
Check out Professor Setiya's article: https://aeon.co/ideas/philosophers-should-be-keener-to-talk-about-the-meaning-of-life
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Related Shows
Existentialism
Mar 07, 2006Being and Nothingness, the for-itself and the in-itself, bad faith, and the existential predicament; these Existentialist concepts were central to the philosophical scene in Europe and America aft
Camus and the Absurd
Oct 22, 2017Albert Camus is most famous for his existential works of fiction including The Stranger as well as his philosophical essay The Myth of Sisyphus.
Nihilism and Meaning
Jan 24, 2010The ancients believed in an enchanted universe – a universe suffused with meaning and purpose.
Meaning of Life
May 18, 2004Does life have a meaning? If we were created by a powerful God, would that give our lives meaning? Who gave God's existence meaning?
Finding Meaning in a Material World
Aug 04, 2013All there is in the world is physical stuff. That is the fundamental assumption of the materialist standpoint, and the picture given to us by science.
Simone de Beauvoir
Mar 06, 2016Simone de Beauvoir is often cast as only a novelist or a mere echo of Jean-Paul Sartre.
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Comments (2)
Harold G. Neuman
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 -- 2:26 PM
I hope I am able to navigateI hope I am able to navigate the CAPTCHA test for this one. It gets more difficult with the passing of time. I am not a robot, though I understand there are many. So, we'll see. The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers. And ordinary people. Whether or not life is meaningful is not so hard, as I have illustrated before this post. But, here it is, more succinctly put than in my previous ruminations, and reduced to something more quintessential than meaning, this being happiness. Now, you can ruminate all you wish, but here it is:
HAPPINESS IS KNOWING WHO YOU ARE; WHERE YOU ARE; AND, WHAT TO DO. This, my philosophical brethren, is equivalent to meaning, by any measure you choose to assign. Check it out, and go back to go, do not collect 200 dollars...
MJA
Saturday, June 23, 2018 -- 8:45 PM
The meaning of life is toThe meaning of life is to live. =