Author: Bradley Trevor Greive
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ISBN: 1449414079
Category: Humor
Page: 144
View: 6294
In his hilarious and uplifting style, bestselling author Grieve finally provides an answer to the meaning of life: Figure out what you love and do it. This is a witty, thought-provoking book that makes an ideal gift for anyone who's seeking their true purpose and wants to laugh along the way.
Author: Paul Thagard
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691154406
Category: Philosophy
Page: 296
View: 719
Why is life worth living? What makes actions right or wrong? What is reality and how do we know it? The Brain and the Meaning of Life draws on research in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience to answer some of the most pressing questions about life's nature and value. Paul Thagard argues that evidence requires the abandonment of many traditional ideas about the soul, free will, and immortality, and shows how brain science matters for fundamental issues about reality, morality, and the meaning of life. The ongoing Brain Revolution reveals how love, work, and play provide good reasons for living. Defending the superiority of evidence-based reasoning over religious faith and philosophical thought experiments, Thagard argues that minds are brains and that reality is what science can discover. Brains come to know reality through a combination of perception and reasoning. Just as important, our brains evaluate aspects of reality through emotions that can produce both good and bad decisions. Our cognitive and emotional abilities allow us to understand reality, decide effectively, act morally, and pursue the vital needs of love, work, and play. Wisdom consists of knowing what matters, why it matters, and how to achieve it. The Brain and the Meaning of Life shows how brain science helps to answer questions about the nature of mind and reality, while alleviating anxiety about the difficulty of life in a vast universe. The book integrates decades of multidisciplinary research, but its clear explanations and humor make it accessible to the general reader.
Author: Terry Eagleton
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 9780191579035
Category: Philosophy
Page: 128
View: 5554
We have all wondered about the meaning of life. But is there an answer? And do we even really know what we're asking? Terry Eagleton takes a stimulating and quirky look at this most compelling of questions: at the answers explored in philosophy and literature; at the crisis of meaning in modern times; and suggests his own solution to how we might rediscover meaning in our lives.Philosophical Approaches to Ultimate Meaning Through Nothing and Reflexivity
Author: Nicholas Waghorn
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472529855
Category: Philosophy
Page: 320
View: 8936
What is the meaning of life? Does anything really matter? In the past few decades these questions, perennially associated with philosophy in the popular consciousness, have rightly retaken their place as central topics in the academy. In this major contribution, Nicholas Waghorn provides a sustained and rigorous elucidation of what it would take for lives to have significance. Bracketing issues about ways our lives could have more or less meaning, the focus is rather on the idea of ultimate meaning, the issue of whether a life can attain meaning that cannot be called into question. Waghorn sheds light on this most fundamental of existential problems through a detailed yet comprehensive examination of the notion of nothing, embracing classic and cutting-edge literature from both the analytic and Continental traditions. Central figures such as Heidegger, Carnap, Wittgenstein, Nozick and Nagel are drawn upon to anchor the discussion in some of the most influential discussion of recent philosophical history. In the process of relating our ideas concerning nothing to the problem of life's meaning, Waghorn's book touches upon a number of fundamental themes, including reflexivity and its relation to our conceptual limits, whether religion has any role to play in the question of life's meaning, and the nature and constraints of philosophical methodology. A number of major philosophical traditions are addressed, including phenomenology, poststructuralism, and classical and paraconsistent logics. In addition to providing the most thorough current discussion of ultimate meaning, it will serve to introduce readers to philosophical debates concerning the notion of nothing, and the appendix engaging religion will be of value to both philosophers and theologians.What Is the Meaning of Life?
Author: Osho
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 9781429937580
Category: Body, Mind & Spirit
Page: 224
View: 995
"I myself am a question. I know not who I am. What to do? Where to go?" --Osho The Osho Life Essentials series focuses on the most important questions in the life of the individual. Each volume contains timeless and always-contemporary investigations and discussions into questions vital to our personal search for meaning and purpose, focusing on questions specific to our inner life and quality of existence. The first title in this dynamic and exciting new series, Destiny, Freedom, and the Soul: What Is the Meaning of Life? explores deeply human questions, such as: Is there really such a thing as "soul," and if so, what is it? Where does the concept of karma fit in? Does my life have a special meaning or purpose? Destiny, Freedom, and the Soul includes an original talk by Osho on DVD. This visual component enables the reader to experience the direct wisdom and humor of Osho straight from the source.
Author: Julian Young
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135020906
Category: Philosophy
Page: 246
View: 5634
What is the meaning of life? In today's secular, post-religious scientific world, this question has become a serious preoccupation. But it also has a long history: many major philosophers have thought deeply about it, as Julian Young so vividly illustrates in this thought-provoking second edition of The Death of God and the Meaning of Life. Three new chapters explore Søren Kierkegaard’s attempts to preserve a Christian answer to the question of the meaning of life, Karl Marx's attempt to translate this answer into naturalistic and atheistic terms, and Sigmund Freud’s deep pessimism about the possibility of any version of such an answer. Part 1 presents an historical overview of philosophers from Plato to Marx who have believed in a meaning of life, either in some supposed ‘other’ world or in the future of this world. Part 2 assesses what happened when the traditional structures that give life meaning began to erode. With nothing to take their place, these structures gave way to the threat of nihilism, to the appearance that life is meaningless. Young looks at the responses to this threat in chapters on Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, Foucault and Derrida. Fully revised and updated throughout, this highly engaging exploration of fundamental issues will captivate anyone who’s ever asked themselves where life’s meaning (if there is one) really lies. It also makes a perfect historical introduction to philosophy, particularly to the continental tradition.
Author: Jacob Needleman
Publisher: Crown Business
ISBN: 9780385262422
Category: Business & Economics
Page: 321
View: 5054
If we understood the true role of money in our lives, writes philosopher Jacob Needleman, we would not think simply in terms of spending it or saving it. Money exerts a deep emotional influence on who we are and what we tell ourselves we can never have. Our long unwillingness to understand the emotional and spiritual effects of money on us is at the heart of why we have come to know the price of everything, and the value of nothing. Money has everything to do with the pursuit of an idealistic life, while at the same time, it is at the root of our daily frustrations. On a social level, money has a profound impact on the price of progress. Needleman shows how money slowly began to haunt us, from the invention of coins in Biblical times (when money was created to rescue the community good, not for self gain), through its hypnotic appeal in our money-obsessed era. This is a remarkable book that combines myth and psychology, the poetry of the Sufis and the wisdom of King Solomon, along with Jacob Needleman's searching of his own soul and his culture to explain how money can become a unique means of self-knowledge. As part of the Currency paperback line, it includes a "User's Guide" an introduction and discussion guide created for the paperback by the author -- to help readers make practical use of the book's ideas.How Evolutionary Theory Undermines Everything You Thought You Knew
Author: Steve Stewart-Williams
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139490990
Category: Science
Page: N.A
View: 6497
If you accept evolutionary theory, can you also believe in God? Are human beings superior to other animals, or is this just a human prejudice? Does Darwin have implications for heated issues like euthanasia and animal rights? Does evolution tell us the purpose of life, or does it imply that life has no ultimate purpose? Does evolution tell us what is morally right and wrong, or does it imply that ultimately 'nothing' is right or wrong? In this fascinating and intriguing book, Steve Stewart-Williams addresses these and other fundamental philosophical questions raised by evolutionary theory and the exciting new field of evolutionary psychology. Drawing on biology, psychology and philosophy, he argues that Darwinian science supports a view of a godless universe devoid of ultimate purpose or moral structure, but that we can still live a good life and a happy life within the confines of this view.Philosophers Take on Hollywood
Author: Kimberly A. Blessing,Paul Tudico
Publisher: Open Court
ISBN: 0812698746
Category: Philosophy
Page: 300
View: 2497
"The meaning of life is the most urgent of questions," said the existentiallist thinker Albert Camus. And no less a philosopher than Woody Allen has wondered:"How is it possible to find meaning in a finite world, given my waist and shirt size?" "Movies and the Meaning of Life" looks at popular and cult movies, examining their assumptions and insights on meaning-of-life questions: What is reality and how can I know it? (The Truman Show, Contact, Waking Life); How do I find myself and my true identity? (Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, Boys Don't Cry, Memento); How do I find meaning from my interactions with others? (Pulp Fiction, Shadowlands, Chasing Amy); What is the chief purpose in life? (American Beauty, Life is Beautiful, The Shawshank Redemption); and How ought I live my life? (Pleasantville, Spiderman, Minority Report, Groundhog Day).
Author: Stephen Leach,James Tartaglia
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315385929
Category: Philosophy
Page: 302
View: 2461
The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers reveals how great philosophers of the past sought to answer the question of the meaning of life. This edited collection includes thirty-five chapters which each focus on a major philosophical figure, from Confucius to Rorty, and that imaginatively engage with the topic from their perspective. This volume also contains a Postscript on the historical origins and original significance of the phrase ‘the meaning of life’. Written by leading experts in the field, such as A.C. Grayling, Thaddeus Metz and John Cottingham, this unique and engaging book explores the relevance of the history of philosophy to contemporary debates. It will prove essential reading for students and scholars studying the history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, ethics, metaphysics or comparative philosophy.
Author: Daniel Klein
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
ISBN: 1780747861
Category: Philosophy
Page: 256
View: 2594
Fifty years ago, Daniel Klein began studying philosophy at Harvard University, hoping to find an answer to that most burning of questions: what is the best way to live my life? He thought the great philosophers would be able to give him some ideas, or at least some clues. But, aside from the occasional hint, all he got were more questions, ones which philosophers thought needed answering first. They included ‘what is the meaning of meaning?’ and ‘how can we know what is true?’ Now in his seventies and looking back on his life, Klein brings us a personal commentary on the great philosophical pronouncements he’s collected over the years. Told with the same brilliantly dry sense of humor that made Travels with Epicurus so popular, Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life is an eminently readable series of thoughts on wise words.How We Create the Meaning of Life
Author: Paul Froese
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199948909
Category: SOCIAL SCIENCE
Page: 256
View: 5389
"On Purpose is a sociological conversation about the meaning of life. The moral of the book is not that life has some ultimate meaning or no meaning at all, but rather that a purpose-driven life was always a collective project"--
Author: Roy F. Baumeister
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 9780898625318
Category: Psychology
Page: 426
View: 7090
Who among us has not at some point asked, what is the meaning of life?' In this extraordinary book, an eminent social scientist looks at the big picture and explores what empirical studies from diverse fields tell us about the human condition. MEANINGS OF LIFE draws together evidence from psychology, history, anthropology, and sociology, integrating copious research findings into a clear and conclusive discussion of how people attempt to make sense of their lives. In a lively and accessible style, emphasizing facts over theories, Baumeister explores why people desire meaning in their lives, how these meanings function, what forms they take, and what happens when life loses meaning. It is the most comprehensive examination of the topic to date.
Author: John Cottingham
Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp
ISBN: 9780203164242
Category: Philosophy
Page: 144
View: 9811
The question 'What is the meaning of life?' is one of the most fascinating, oldest and most difficult questions human beings have ever posed themselves. In an increasingly secularized culture, it remains a question to which we are ineluctably and powerfully drawn. Drawing skillfully on a wealth of thinkers, writers and scientists from Augustine, Descartes, Freud and Camus, to Spinoza, Pascal, Darwin, and Wittgenstein, On the Meaning of Life breathes new vitality into one of the very biggest questions.
Author: Karl Britton
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521095938
Category: Life
Page: 218
View: 1766
An Anthology and Guide
Author: Joshua W. Seachris
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470658789
Category: Philosophy
Page: 491
View: 5129
Much more than just an anthology, this survey of humanity's search for the meaning of life includes the latest contributions to the debate, a judicious selection of key canonical essays, and insightful commentary by internationally respected philosophers. Cutting-edge viewpoint features the most recent contributions to the debate Extensive general introduction offers unprecedented context Leading contemporary philosophers provide insightful introductions to each sectionPhilosophy And The Meaning Of Life
Author: Julian Baggini
Publisher: Granta Books
ISBN: 1847089208
Category: Philosophy
Page: N.A
View: 2300
This book is aimed at the reader who is serious about confronting the big issues in life but is turned off by books which deal with them through religion, spirituality or 'psycho-babble'. It is for people who want an honest, intelligent discussion which doesn't hide from the difficulties or make undeliverable promises. It aims to help the reader to understand the overlooked issues behind the obvious questions and shows how philosophy does not so much answer them as help provide us with the resources to answer them for ourselves.A Journey Into the Wisdom of Life
Author: Nicolae Tanase
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781521375471
Category: Body, Mind & Spirit
Page: 822
View: 3815
Over the course of two years (2015-2017) I asked about a thousand renowned people one question: what is the meaning of life?This book is an anthology of about 600 answers on the meaning of life.Among the contributors you will find renowned spiritual teachers, scientists, psychologists, doctors, professors, academics, musicians, artists, authors, buddhists, christians, muslims, daoists, writers, yogis, dancers, teachers, businessmen, philosophers, shamans, healers, sociologists, indigenous people, students, laymen, activists, priests, ministers, chefs, economists, children, etc., etc.This book may be read over a period of two years. Read one "Meaning of Life" a day and live the day with it. Make your day most meaningful with it.All contributions are put in chronological order. The more you read the more interesting it becomes. The more you read the more insightful YOU become. This book is a journey. A journey into meaningfulness...Enjoy and live a "meaning full" life!Towards a Philosophy of Zen Buddhism
Author: Joshua Carl Davis
Publisher: N.A
ISBN: 9780982883709
Category: Philosophy
Page: 312
View: 3993
"This book is about the meaning of life, but it addresses it in a particular way, by looking at the related question: What is the nature of reality?" Thus Davis begins upon a fascinating exploration of the history of philosophy and metaphysics, from the Presocratics to the Vienna Circle. Along the way, Davis proposes a highly original system of metaphysics called apprehension theory, and shows how it can be used to resolve classic problems in metaphysics such as the mind-body problem and the problem of free will. Davis also describes how apprehension theory relates to the new science of evolutionary psychology. Throughout the work, Davis makes important connections between Eastern and Western philosophy. Ultimately, Davis views apprehension theory as a form of Zen philosophy. An accessible, insightful, and highly original work, "Metaphysics and the Meaning of Life" is a must read for anyone interested in philosophy and metaphysics.
Author: David Seaman
Publisher: New World Library
ISBN: 9781577318019
Category: Self-Help
Page: 240
View: 4046
The Real Meaning of Life wasn’t written by an expert. It isn’t the culmination of painstaking self-study or a sudden breakthrough. Instead, this fascinating book collects the insights of everyday people who responded to NYU freshman David Seaman’s simple query, “What is the meaning of life?” To his surprise, he received a flood of responses. Some suggested things like “bikinis and beer,” but Seaman found that most were much more thoughtful — so much so that he created a website and now this book to collect the best of them. From thousands of respondents — including Buddhists, born-again Christians, atheists, waitresses, students, and recovering heart attack patients — come incredibly diverse nuggets of wisdom that can be aphoristic (“Be grease, not glue”), philosophical (“There is no point to life, and that is exactly what makes it so special”), or whimsical (“Me, I'm going snowboarding”).