Showing papers on "Meaning of life published in 2019"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare the meaning and the supposed origin of the Self between some of the most prominent psychologists and the main philosophical and religious/spiritual traditions, and delineate similarities and differences between the two different approaches highlighting the knowledge of who we really are.
Abstract: The aim of the present essay is to compare the meaning and the supposed origin of the Self, ontologically intended, between some of the most prominent psychologists and the main philosophical and religious/spiritual traditions.
This comparison allows to delineate similarities and differences between the two different approaches highlighting the knowledge of “Who we really are”, therefore allowing answers concerning the essential question “Who am I?” and consequently the purpose and meaning of life.
21 citations
04 May 2019
TL;DR: This paper explored the connection between wonder and meaning, in particular "the meaning of life", a connection that, despite strong intrinsic connections between the concepts of wonder and the (philosophical) se...
Abstract: This paper explores the connection between wonder and meaning, in particular ‘the meaning of life’, a connection that, despite strong intrinsic connections between wonder and the (philosophical) se...
20 citations
TL;DR: Nursing students in the experimental group showed a significant improvement in the simulated directed-learning with a life-education intervention on meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in the immediate and delayed effects that enhanced their physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion.
11 citations
TL;DR: An analysis of a notion of the meaning of life, according to which their lives have meaning if the authors spend them intentionally producing what has value for ourselves or others, and this offers some consolation for the unjustifiable inequalities.
Abstract: We present an analysis of a notion of the meaning of life, according to which our lives have meaning if we spend them intentionally producing what has value for ourselves or others. In this sense our lives can have meaning even if a science-inspired view of the world is correct, and they are only transient phenomena in a vast universe. Our lives are more or less meaningful in this sense due to the difference in value for ourselves and others we intentionally create while leading them. These inequalities are morally unjustifiable because they are ultimately due to factors beyond our responsibility and control. But from the point of view of eternity these differences in meaningfulness and value dwindle to insignificance, and this offers some consolation for the unjustifiable inequalities.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors make two claims about the meta-ethical question of how to understand what by definition is involved in making that sort of enquiry, and they argue that there is strong reason to reject this trend and instead for philosophers to retain the long-standing approach.
Abstract: Abstract In this article I critically discuss English-speaking philosophical literature addressing the question of what it essentially means to speak of “life’s meaning”. Instead of considering what might in fact confer meaning on life, I make two claims about the more abstract, meta-ethical question of how to understand what by definition is involved in making that sort of enquiry. One of my claims is that over the past five years there has been a noticeable trend among philosophers to try to change our understanding of what talk of “life’s meaning” connotes. For example, whereas most philosophers for a long while had held that such talk is about a kind of value possible in the life of human beings, recently some have argued that certain non-human parts of nature can exhibit meaningfulness, which, furthermore, is not necessarily something valuable. The second claim I advance is that there is strong reason to reject this trend, and instead for philosophers to retain the long-standing approach.
10 citations
01 Jan 2019
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explain how what we do matters from the cosmic perspective and provide examples of how human beings have transcended our limits, thereby giving human life some meaning from a cosmic perspective, and argue that human life could become even more meaningful by making some fundamental achievements, such as determining how life originated.
Abstract: In his book, The Human Predicament, David Benatar claims that our individual lives and human life, in general, do not make a difference beyond Earth and, therefore, are meaningless from the vast, cosmic perspective. In this paper, I will explain how what we do matters from the cosmic perspective. I will provide examples of how human beings have transcended our limits, thereby giving human life some meaning from the cosmic perspective. Also, I will argue that human life could become even more meaningful by making some fundamental achievements, such as determining how life originated.
10 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that the traditional question is simply a request for the information which constitutes a coherent answer to one or more of a certain set of questions regarding human existence that were salient to the asker.
Abstract: It is only in the last few decades that analytic philosophers in particular have begun to pay any serious attention to the topic of life’s meaning. Such philosophers, however, do not usually attempt to answer or analyse the traditional question ‘What is the meaning of life?’, but rather the subtly different question ‘What makes a life meaningful?’ and it is generally assumed that the latter can be discussed independently of the former. Nevertheless, this paper will argue that the two questions are indeed connected, and that identifying and expanding upon the most plausible analysis of the former will provide the resources necessary to determine the most plausible answer to the latter. Specifically, this paper will argue that the traditional question is simply a request for the information which constitutes a coherent answer to one or more of a certain set of questions regarding human existence that were salient to the asker. In simpler language, the meaning of life itself is the information a person needs to make sense of it. This analysis can then also be applied to individual lives, such that asking for the meaning of X’s life is an analogous request for the information necessary to make sense of that life in particular. Running with this concept of the ‘meaning’ of something as its ‘sense’, the paper then outlines an accompanying theory of ‘meaningfulness’ as ‘sensefulness’: a measure of the richness of certain aspects of the life, multiplied by their intelligibility.
9 citations
TL;DR: The moderating effects of personal and cultural values on the associations between the search for meaning and two kinds of civic engagement (i.e., pro-environmental engagement and political engagement) were investigated.
Abstract: Going beyond previous research suggesting that the search for meaning in life (hereafter “search for meaning”) is associated with civic engagement, this study investigated the moderating effects of personal and cultural values on the associations between the search for meaning and two kinds of civic engagement (i.e., pro-environmental engagement and political engagement). Based on the dataset of the sixth wave of the World Values Survey, multi-level analyses showed that the association between the search for meaning (in terms of thinking about meaning and purpose of life) and pro-environmental engagement was stronger when people held stronger values of openness to change (vs. conservation) and prioritized environmental wellness. The association between the search for meaning and political engagement was stronger when people endorsed stronger values of openness to change, showed a greater interest in politics and attributed greater importance to politics. At the society level, the association between the search for meaning and civic engagement was stronger in societies with a lower power distance. Implications for individual differences of the meaning search are discussed.
9 citations
8 citations
TL;DR: In his book, Philosophy's Cool Place, D. Z. Phillips poses a question that I would like to address in this article as discussed by the authors, which is: "if a philosopher gives a course on the meaning of life, can he tell his...
Abstract: In his book, Philosophy’s Cool Place, D. Z. Phillips poses a question that I would like to address in this article. He asks: “if a philosopher gives a course on the meaning of life, can he tell his...
TL;DR: The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia by Bernard Suits as mentioned in this paper is one of the most influential works in the philosophy of sport. In the book, Suits investigates two fundamental issues in general philosophy.
Abstract: The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia by Bernard Suits is one of the most influential works in the philosophy of sport. In the book, Suits investigates two fundamental issues in general philosoph...
TL;DR: In this paper, a reflection on our lived experience of being human, or of some prominent aspects of human, in light of rising demands to use already existing and soon to be developed technologies to fundamentally change what we are.
Abstract: This essay is a reflection on our lived experience of being human, or of some prominent aspects of being human, in light of rising demands to use already existing and soon to be developed technologies to fundamentally change what we are. The aspects the essay focuses on are, first, our existential vulnerability and, second, our desire to live a life that, in some way or another, matters and is in that sense meaningful .
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the ethical reasons that justify the medical duty to provide spiritual care to patients and conclude that Puchalski's arguments are grounded on an ethics of virtue and a realist anthropology, more than in mere positive effects or in patient's wishes.
Abstract: The relationship between spirituality and medicine is present from the very origins of Medicine. Its relevance has been rediscovered during the past decades. Numerous publications report positive health results when spiritual needs of patients are addressed. Authors like Edmund Pellegrino and Christina Puchalski have gained an acknowledged leadership in this field. The purpose of the article is to study Christina Puchalkis' contributions to the field, specifically through the identification and analysis of the ethical reasons that - according to Puchalski - justify the medical duty to provide spiritual care. As a result of our investigations, we propose to systematize the ethical reasons identified in Puchalski's writings in seven categories, that presuppose a broad definition of spirituality and a conception of "whole patient care". Our analysis shows that Puchalski's arguments are ultimately grounded on an ethics of virtue and a realist anthropology, more than in mere positive effects or in patient's wishes. Indeed, Puchaslki's anthropological conception recognized human dignity as an intrinsic value that must be always acknowledged, especially in the context of disease, where questions about the meaning of life, suffering, connection and transcendence inevitable arise. We conclude that Puchalski's ethical arguments are solid and suggest the challenge of including the spiritual dimension in the formation of health care professionals.
Book•
26 Sep 2019
TL;DR: In this paper, a systematic philosophical account of how being born shapes our condition as human beings is given, and the author explores how human existence is natal, that is, is shaped by the way that we are born.
Abstract: This book gives the first systematic philosophical account of how being born shapes our condition as human beings. Drawing on both feminist philosophy and the existentialist project of inquiring into the structure of meaningful human existence, the book explores how human existence is natal, that is, is shaped by the way that we are born. Taking natality into account transforms our view of human existence and illuminates how many of its aspects hang together and are connected with our birth. These aspects include dependency; the relationality of the self; vulnerability; reception and inheritance; embeddedness in social power; situatedness; and radical contingency. Considering natality also sheds new light on anxiety, mortality, and the temporality of human life. This book offers an original perspective on human existence which bears on many debates in feminist and continental philosophy and around death and the meaning of life.
27 Sep 2019
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify Professor Balogun's strongest argument against pursuing any knowledge for its own sake and argue that an appeal to meaningfulness constitutes a strong, competing reason to seek out some of it.
Abstract: In this article I critically discuss Professor Oladele Abiodun Balogun’s reflections on the proper final ends of doing philosophy and related sorts of abstract, speculative, or theoretical inquiry. Professor Balogun appears to argue that one should undertake philosophical studies only insofar as they are likely to make a practical difference to people’s lives, particularly by contributing to politico-economic development, or, in other words, that one should eschew seeking knowledge for its own sake. However, there is one line of thought from Professor Balogun, about philosophy being able to make life meaningful, that I argue ultimately––perhaps contrary to his intentions–– entails that it can be appropriate to some degree to pursue philosophy that is unlikely to ameliorate poverty and similar social ills. My central aims in this article are to identify Professor Balogun’s strongest argument against pursuing any knowledge for its own sake and to argue that an appeal to meaningfulness constitutes a strong, competing reason to seek out some of it.Keywords: Development, Higher Education, Knowledge for Its Own Sake, Meaning of Life, Meta-philosophy, Poverty, Social Relevance
TL;DR: In this paper, the concept of cosmic indifference is used to argue that the lives of many individuals are meaningful and that human life, in general, is somewhat meaningful, despite the indifference of the universe and that even if the universe cared about us, or had preferences for how we live our lives, that this likely would not enhance the quality of our lives.
Abstract: When pessimists claim that human life is meaningless, they often also assert that the universe is “blind to good and evil” and “indifferent to us”. How, if it all, is the indifference of the universe relevant to whether life is meaningful? To answer this question, and to know whether we should be concerned that the universe is indifferent, we need a clearer and deeper understanding of the concept of “cosmic indifference”, which I will seek to provide. I will argue that the lives of many individuals are meaningful and that human life, in general, is somewhat meaningful, despite the indifference of the universe. Furthermore, I will seek to demonstrate that even if the universe cared about us, or had preferences for how we live our lives, that this likely would not enhance the quality of our lives.
01 Jul 2019
Abstract: The question of the meaning of life is one of the most crucial questions that the human mind is able to produce. The way we respond to it determines the way we design and arrange our life and our culture. So, what exactly do we mean when we talk about the meaning of life? Behind this expression is hiding a set of very diverse philosophical ideas. Analytic philosophy can be the tool to bring these ideas to the surface, clarify their content and study the conceptual compatibility between each other. My reflection starts off with inserting all philosophically relevant historical answers to this question into five categories that serve as references for the whole context. A summarised conceptual and linguistic analysis is then applied to a number of concepts and issues connected to our topic, such as the concept of meaning itself, the moralistic fallacy, the eudemonistic issue etc. This allows to construct a semantic and conceptual network that brings a great deal of clarification and the possibility to find more precise common grounds for discussion about this highly abstract question. The results of this analysis are used to produce, as a personal outlook, the proposal of a new theory concluding that the demand for lifeʼs meaning should be placed in a non-religious, non-teleological and intersubjective narrative for normative purposes.
TL;DR: The top ten themes regarding beliefs about the meaning of life were obtained from archival research by Kinnier et al. as discussed by the authors from quotes of eminent people like Einstein, Gandhi, Nietzsche, and the Dalai Lama.
Abstract: The top ten themes regarding beliefs about the meaning of life were obtained from archival research by Kinnier et al. (J Humanist Psychol 48:196–202, 2003) from quotes of eminent people like Einstein, Gandhi, Nietzsche, and the Dalai Lama. These themes included the following: “To enjoy or experience life, enjoy the moment, the journey,” “to love, help, or serve others; to show or experience compassion,” “life is meaningless,” “to serve or worship God and/or prepare for the next (or after-) life,” “to become self-actualized,” and “life is absurd or a joke.” The present study compared American (N = 108) and Indian (N = 110) college students’ degree of agreement or disagreement with these themes. Both American and Indian participants reported the most agreement with these two themes: “Main aim of life is to love, help, or serve others; to show or experience compassion,” and “main aim of life is to enjoy or experience it.” Similarly, both American and Indian participants reported the least agreement with the following two themes: “Life is meaningless” and “life is absurd or a joke.”
10 Sep 2019
TL;DR: Haghighi et al. as mentioned in this paper conducted a study to determine the relationship between optimism, the meaning of life and coping strategies with the happiness of university students and concluded that optimistic, meaningfulness and problem-focused coping strategy lead to higher-level happiness in BA students.
Abstract: Introduction: Happiness is one of the most essential innate desires and psychological needs that due to their main impacts on optimization and promotion of health in every society, has continuously engaged human beings. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between optimism, the meaning of life and coping strategies with the happiness of university students. Methods: This research was a descriptive study and conducted in the framework of a correlational predictive design. The sample of research included one-hundred-fifty BA students of Islamic Azad university, Lahijan branch consisted of ninety-six female and fifty-four male studying during the 2014-2015 educational year. Who studied in the fields of humanities, basic sciences, agriculture, technological and engineering and were randomly selected using a non-probabilistic sampling method. Then Oxford's happiness scale, the scale of Lifetrend, the scale of life meaning and questionnaire of contrastive styles were applied. The results were analyzed using descriptive indices of mean, standard deviation, statistical methods of Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise regression. Results: The findings P<0.01 showed that the relationship between optimism, meaningfulness, and problem-focused coping strategies with happiness is positive and significant. But the relationship of the attempt to find meaning with happiness P>0.05 was not significant. The relationship of the emotion-focused coping strategy with happiness P<0.05 was negative and significant. The findings also showed that the variables of optimism and the problem-focused coping strategy explained forty-two percent of happiness. Conclusions: according to the findings of this research it can be concluded that optimistic, meaningfulness and problem-focused coping strategy lead to higher-level happiness in BA students. Please cite this article as follows: Hamzehpoor Haghighi T, and Asadi Majreh S. Correlatives of happiness in university students: optimism, meaning of life and coping strategies. Quarterly journal of social work. 2019; 8 (2); 05-12 D ow nl oa de d fr om s oc ia lw or km ag .ir a t 1 5: 30 + 04 30 o n S un da y M ar ch 2 9t h 20 20
TL;DR: The authors argue that Schelling´s affinity to esotericism enabled him to develop a form of pantheism, which is not tied to the familiar problematic aspects of traditional Christian and post-Christian narratives.
Abstract: Abstract F.W.J. Schelling argues in his middle period work Philosophical Inquiries into the Nature of Human Freedom that will should be understood as the most fundamental constitutive element of reality. Though it is often downplayed in recent scholarship, Schelling derived his most central ideas for this work more or less directly from the theosophy of Jacob Boehme. I will argue that far from peripheral and antiquated curiosity, Schelling´s esoteric influences constitute the very foundation of his middle period thought. Schelling´s affinity to esotericism enabled him to develop a form of pantheism, which is not tied to the familiar problematic aspects of traditional Christian and post-Christian narratives. In mainstream Christianity, the meaning of life is dependent on the almighty God´s will, for which nature is inherently meaningless material. For Schelling, by contrast, nature itself is constitutively willing and meaningful. Consequently, owing to his esoteric influences, Schelling provides an account of the meaning of life which diverges from the dominant idea of Western philosophical and theological tradition that the meaning of life consists in a ”true world” or ”destination” beyond immanent reality.
10 Nov 2019
TL;DR: The meaning of life is one of the most complex issues that have engaged the minds of many theorists as discussed by the authors, and it generally involves having a goal or a sense of a single goal in life.
Abstract: The meaning of life is one of the most complex issues that have engaged the minds of many theorists. The meaning of life generally involves having a goal or a sense of a single goal in life. Adolescents experience more conflict and psychological distresses compared with others and seek more to find meaning in their lives. Considering the importance of meaning of life in physical and psychological health of adolescents, this study aimed to review the components related to the meaning of life in adolescents. This study was a review that search was conducted in electronic databases such as Google Scholar SID (Scientific Information Database), Magiran, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid and Scopus. The related articles, which were concentrated about adolescents' health, were extracted from 1987 to 2016, and after reviewing the abstracts and full text of the articles ultimately, 42 articles were used for writing. The results showed that components such as mental health, identity styles, life expectancy, religion and social communication play an important role in achieving the meaning of life in adolescents. Considering that the concept of the meaning of life in adolescents is a multifaceted phenomenon that is influenced by several factors, it seems that in order to institutionalize the adolescent's meaning of life and improve their level of health, a multiple approach with the participation of the individual, family and social institutions are essential.
TL;DR: In this paper, the existential aspects of Suits' Utopia are explored and a philosophical analysis of the concept of "utopia" is provided, and two key distinctions in Suits's Utopias are analyzed.
Abstract: In this paper, we explore the existential aspects of Bernard Suits’ Utopia. We first provide a philosophical analysis of the concept of ‘utopia.’ Then, we analyze two key distinctions in Suits’ wor...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the meaning of life and propose an account of what a correct answer to the question is supposed to look like, based on the original function analysis of meaning.
Abstract: When it comes to a question as notoriously unclear as “What is the meaning of life?”, clarifying the question and its conceptual setting is a necessary step before attempting to answer the question. The analysis of the concept of “the meaning of life” is a twofold task; “the meaning” and “life” both need to be examined. In this paper, I primarily focus on “the meaning.” I argue that, although there is much disagreement and confusion in the literature about the meaning of “the meaning” as it is applied to life, there is one most plausible interpretation of this notion. In the end, even though I do not answer the question of the meaning of life, I propose an account of what a correct answer to the question is supposed to look like, based on my original function analysis of “the meaning.”Keywords: the meaning of life, meaningfulness, meaning in life.
Book•
19 Jun 2019
TL;DR: The popular view that the meaning of a life should be a project is assessed by examining a life that did have that shape as mentioned in this paper, and it is argued that living out one's life as a project undermines its coherence.
Abstract: The popular view that the meaning of a life should be a project is assessed by examining a life that did have that shape. John Stuart Mill’s utilitarian life project is described, and is argued to be a best representative of the class. Turning points and unusual features of Mill’s life are shown to be side effects or preconditions of having a very large project center stage in it. Life projects are motivated as satisfying a coherence requirement imposed on the valuable elements of a life. But Mill’s biography demonstrates that living out one’s life as a project undermines its coherence. The overunified life, it is concluded, is to be avoided, and the meaningfulness of a life is best reconceived so as to give it application in the lives of loosely organized agents.
21 Dec 2019
TL;DR: In this article, an analysis of the characters from Poor Folk, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov about death and otherness is presented, showing the evolution of characters of Dostoevsky's later works to a transcendental analysis of non-existential subjects and the themes of posthumous retribution and rebirth of the soul.
Abstract: Issues of otherness and the discovery of the meaning of life in the face of death, the central themes of Russian literature since its emergence, were especially relevant for the characters of Fyodor Dostoevsky. He revived the medieval idea of a mysterious combination of the human and the transcendental and demonstrated that the experience of death throughout life determines the nature of man’s activity: the meaning of life is acquired in the face of death. It is from these methodological positions that an analysis of the thanatological meanings of Dostoevsky’s texts should be carried out, as they function as the most important regulators of the worldviews and behaviour of his characters, whose psychological ideas regarding death play a significant role in the artistic system of his works. This article presents an analysis of the ideas of characters from Poor Folk, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov about death and otherness. An analysis of this thanatological discourse shows the evolution of the characters of Dostoevsky’s later works to a transcendental analysis of non-existential subjects and the themes of posthumous retribution and rebirth of the soul.
12 Jul 2019
TL;DR: The formation of a personality is the result of social adjustment as mentioned in this paper and the essence of individuality can be considered as a personal integrity, which is manifested in a certain attitude to the world.
Abstract: Relevance of research on the problem of a personality in social and cultural context in Ukraine is caused by civilizational and national conflicts in the functioning and development of new civilizations. Personality in the social and cultural space is defined as the epitome of the essential features of active people, personal independence, and awareness of moral and legal responsibility. The formation of a personality is the result of social adjustment. The essence of individuality can be considered as a personal integrity, which is manifested in a certain attitude to the world.
Book•
08 Oct 2019
TL;DR: Dawkins as mentioned in this paper marshals science, philosophy and comparative religion to interrogate the hypocrisies of all the religious systems and explain to readers of all ages how life emerged without a Creator, how evolution works and how our world came into being.
Abstract: Should we believe in God? In this new book, written for a new generation, the brilliant science writer and author of The God Delusion, explains why we shouldn't. Should we believe in God? Do we need God in order to explain the existence of the universe? Do we need God in order to be good? In twelve chapters that address some of the most profound questions human beings confront, Dawkins marshals science, philosophy and comparative religion to interrogate the hypocrisies of all the religious systems and explain to readers of all ages how life emerged without a Creator, how evolution works and how our world came into being. For anyone hoping to grapple with the meaning of life and what to believe, Outgrowing God is a challenging, thrilling and revelatory read. --------------------------------
TL;DR: Theology and Science 16:4 (2018), 447-461. as mentioned in this paper Theology and science 16:2 (2018), 447,461, 468,461.
Abstract: and Life Elsewhere in the Universe: A Study in Suitability” Theology and Science 16:4 (2018), 447–461. 3. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2000. 4. Ted Peters, God—The World’s Future: Systematic Theology for a Postmodern Age. 3rd ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015). 5. Davison, “Christian Systematic Theology.” 6. Christian Systematic Theology and Life Elsewhere in the Universe. 7. Roland Puccetti, Persons: A Study of Possible Moral Agents in the Universe (New York: Herder & Herder, 1969).