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introduction THE MEANINGS OF (SOCIAL) LIFE On the Origins of a Cultural Sociology M odern men and women go about their lives without really knowing why. Why do we work for such a long time every day? Why do we finish one war only to fight another? Why are we so obsessed with technology? Why do we live in an age of scandal?
For some of the essays in this issue focus primarily on meaning in life—that is to say, they are focussed upon the question ‘how do I make my life worth living?’ Others are focussed primarily upon the meaning of life—that is to say, they are focussed upon the question ‘what are we here to do?’
Ferry argues that in their place, love is the only ideal that has transformed human lives in significant and unrecognisable ways, by permeating both the private and public spheres. He holds that love has become the central value in society, the new principle of meaning and the good life.
This article critically evaluates the notion of the meaning of life. I suggest that life's meaning has to do with a personal, subjective interpretation, and that religion is an essentially intersubjective interpretation that consists of systematic anthropomorphism.
In this article I critically discuss English-speaking philosophical literature addressing the question of what it essentially means to speak of "life's meaning".
This paper will focus on the first type of argument about the formal concept of meaning. I claim that existential meaning is a valuable connection between a life and something valuable. I draw this concept mainly from the work of Robert Nozick, who claims meaning arises as a person seeks to connect to external values.
INTRODUCTION xiii Wolf’s two essays on meaning in life are followed by four critical but constructive commentaries. John Koethe and Robert Adams are largely sympathetic to Wolf’s project, and seek to clarify the subjective and objective elements of mean-ing in life. Nomy Arpaly and Jonathan Haidt express some
