Exploring the Meaning of Life

Exploring the Meaning of Life

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  • Author: Joshua W. Seachris
  • Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  • ISBN: 0470658789
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 512

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 section


Discovering the Meaning of Life

Discovering the Meaning of Life

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  • Author: Josh Walter
  • Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
  • ISBN: 166290570X
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 269

Have you ever asked yourself what the purpose of your life is? Do you feel like life is meaningless because you have not encountered a convincing answer to that question? Well, you are not alone. Many philosophers have argued that a clear answer to the problem of meaning is forever lost, and that there is no rational way to secure purpose. If a solution could be discovered, it would only be a very subjective one. We may construct one for ourselves, according to this line of thinking, but an objective purpose can never be found. I wrote this book because I strongly disagree with this contention. If you are interested in this adventurous question, you will find in these pages a novel approach to the problem, and I argue that through philosophical inquiry, we indeed can uncover an objective meaning to our lives. This book is a step-by-step guide to walk you through the tough questions in the philosophy of meaning and to bring you closer to your destiny. Our purpose is relevant for all of us. And perhaps the solution touches deeper than you might have ever dared to imagine.


What's It All About?

What's It All About?

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  • Author: Julian Baggini
  • Publisher: Granta Publications
  • ISBN: 1847089208
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 179

“Secular-minded readers seeking an alternative to The Purpose-Driven Life have an excellent starting point here.”—Publishers Weekly For readers who are serious about confronting the big issues in life—but are turned off by books which deal with them through religion, spirituality, or psychobabble, this is an honest, intelligent discussion by a philosopher that doesn't hide from the difficulties or make undeliverable promises. It aims to help the reader 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. “Useful and provocative.”—The Wall Street Journal “Looking for a clear guide to what contemporary philosophy has to say about the meaning of life? Baggini takes us through all the plausible answers, weaving together Kierkegaard, John Stuart Mill, Monty Python, and Funkadelic in an entertaining but always carefully reasoned discussion.”—Peter Singer, author of How Are We To Live “The question of the meaning of life has long been a byword for pretentious rambling. It takes some nerve to tackle it in a brisk and no-nonsense fashion.”—New Statesman


The Psychology of Meaning in Life

The Psychology of Meaning in Life

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  • Author: Tatjana Schnell
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISBN: 1000072851
  • Category : Psychology
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 187

This book offers an inspiring exploration of current findings from the psychology of meaning in life, analysing cutting-edge research to propose practical, evidence-based applications. Schnell draws on psychological, philosophical and cognitive perspectives to explore basic concepts of meaning and introduce a multidimensional model of meaning in life. Written in an accessible style, this book covers a range of topics including the distinction between meaning and happiness, the impact of meaning on health and longevity, meaning in the workplace, and meaning-centred interventions. Each chapter ends with exercises to encourage self-reflection and measurement tools are presented throughout, including the author’s original Sources of Meaning and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (SoMe), to inspire the reader to consider the role of meaning in their own life. The Psychology of Meaning in Life is essential reading for students and practitioners of psychology, sociology, counselling, coaching and related disciplines, and for general readers interested in exploring the role of meaning in life.


Exploring Existential Meaning

Exploring Existential Meaning

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  • Author: Gary T. Reker
  • Publisher: SAGE
  • ISBN: 076190994X
  • Category : Psychology
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 239

With this work, the editors present a forum for an array of international viewpoints and recent research that address the notion of optimal human growth.


The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life

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  • Author: Nathanael Novosel
  • Publisher:
  • ISBN: 9781948220002
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 360

"What is the meaning of life?" Throughout history, people have spent much of their lives trying to explain how the world works and why. Initially, they seek to live better lives and thrive. Ultimately, they seek to find purpose and significance in their existence. Experience the scientific and philosophical journey billions of years in the making to answer the question that all living beings capable of rational thought will ask themselves: why are we here? Over the course of that journey, you will come to understand how humans determine their meaning and, with some of your own analysis, discover your own purpose along the way.


Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life

Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life

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  • Author: James Hollis
  • Publisher: Penguin
  • ISBN: 1101216697
  • Category : Self-Help
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 376

What does it really mean to be a grown up in today’s world? We assume that once we “get it together” with the right job, marry the right person, have children, and buy a home, all is settled and well. But adulthood presents varying levels of growth, and is rarely the respite of stability we expected. Turbulent emotional shifts can take place anywhere between the age of thirty-five and seventy when we question the choices we’ve made, realize our limitations, and feel stuck—commonly known as the “midlife crisis.” Jungian psycho-analyst James Hollis believes it is only in the second half of life that we can truly come to know who we are and thus create a life that has meaning. In Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life, Hollis explores the ways we can grow and evolve to fully become ourselves when the traditional roles of adulthood aren’t quite working for us, revealing a new way of uncovering and embracing our authentic selves. Offering wisdom to anyone facing a career that no longer seems fulfilling, a long-term relationship that has shifted, or family transitions that raise issues of aging and mortality, Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life provides a reassuring message and a crucial bridge across this critical passage of adult development.


Movies and the Meaning of Life

Movies and the Meaning of Life

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  • Author: Kimberly A. Blessing
  • Publisher: Open Court
  • ISBN: 0812698746
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 322

"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).


Wellbeing, Recovery and Mental Health

Wellbeing, Recovery and Mental Health

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  • Author: Mike Slade
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  • ISBN: 1316839567
  • Category : Psychology
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 357

This book brings together two bodies of knowledge - wellbeing and recovery. Wellbeing and 'positive' approaches are increasingly influencing many areas of society. Recovery in mental illness has a growing empirical evidence base. For the first time, overlaps and cross-fertilisation opportunities between the two bodies of knowledge are identified. International experts present innovations taking place within the mental health system, which include wellbeing-informed new therapies, e-health approaches and peer-led recovery communities. State-of-the-art applications of wellbeing to the wider community are also described, across education, employment, parenting and city planning. This book will be of interest to anyone connected with the mental health system, especially people using and working in services, and clinical and administrators leaders, and those interested in using research from the mental health system in the wider community.


Meaning in Life and Why It Matters

Meaning in Life and Why It Matters

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  • Author: Susan Wolf
  • Publisher: Princeton University Press
  • ISBN: 0691154503
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 161

A fresh reflection on what makes life meaningful Most people, including philosophers, tend to classify human motives as falling into one of two categories: the egoistic or the altruistic, the self-interested or the moral. According to Susan Wolf, however, much of what motivates us does not comfortably fit into this scheme. Often we act neither for our own sake nor out of duty or an impersonal concern for the world. Rather, we act out of love for objects that we rightly perceive as worthy of love—and it is these actions that give meaning to our lives. Wolf makes a compelling case that, along with happiness and morality, this kind of meaningfulness constitutes a distinctive dimension of a good life. Written in a lively and engaging style, and full of provocative examples, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters is a profound and original reflection on a subject of permanent human concern.