Philosophy 24

In this seminar we will take a philosophical look at some ancient questions about the meaning of life. What is it that makes life worth living, from the agent’s point of view? What is the relation between morality and the good life? (Can one live well, as an individual, only if one complies with moral requirements? Or does morality sometimes interfere with the conditions for living a meaningful life?) Can life have meaning if there are no objective values? What is the significance of our mortality for the question of life’s meaning? Finally, what is the relation of philosophy itself to the meaning of life? Is there any truth in the dictum that the unexamined life is not worth living?

Readings will be taken primarily from contemporary philosophical sources.