However, over the past four decades this icy pessimism about meaning in life has been thawing. To them, asking ‘What is the meaning of life?’ is like asking ‘How heavy is the color blue?’ Others thought that answering the question is in principle impossible, or that even if answerable, no one knows or ever will know the answer. A lot of those dismissive philosophers insisted that the question is nonsensical because ‘meaning’ typically refers to words and symbols, not to objects, activities, and lives. They argue, contrary to the skeptics of previous generations, that human lives can indeed be meaningful, although perhaps not in the ways that many people assume.įor most of the twentieth century, philosophers ignored or dismissed the question of life’s meaning, even though many lay people assume that philosophy is mostly about the meaning of life. So say a host of contemporary philosophers who have been studying meaning in life. But these commonplace answers are only partly right, and the questions are mostly wrong. The meaning of life, we’re told, is pursuing pleasure or happiness, or giving and receiving love, or finding your passion, or doing something great, or living out your purpose, or being involved with something greater than yourself. SUBSCRIBE NOW Happiness & Meaning Why You’re (Probably) Wrong About The Meaning of Life Lewis Vaughn asks what it’s all about.Īfter tragedy and heartbreak – after the war is lost, after the pandemic takes someone you love, after climate change destroys your home, after your life seems to be rendered nonsensical by illness, personal failure, or injustice – deep questions may linger like a bruise: What is the meaning of all this? Does life have any meaning or purpose at all? What is the meaning of my life?Įasy answers to such questions drop casually from the internet, books, and media.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |