The Significance Impulse
On the Unimportance of Our Cosmic Unimportance
Published on 13. January 2025
Book
Hardback
136 pages
978-0-19-775475-7 (ISBN)
Description
Why should we strive to be important? Does it make our lives go better if we are especially significant? The Significance Impulse argues that the common impulse to seek exceptionally high levels of significance is misguided.
Although many people strive to be extraordinarily significant, ultimately cosmic importance is out of reach for us. Even if we do matter somewhat in our communities, we cannot reach cosmic-grade significance. We do not have the size, duration, or power that would allow us to be that important. Even the value that we do contribute to the universe, our loving and rationality and pain and pleasure, are in short supply. What is more, being exceptionally significant would not be to our personal benefit, as it does not advance our well-being, our meaning in life, or any other of our interests.
In this book, Joshua Glasgow argues that we have ample reason to embrace our modest levels of mattering. If we do not matter very much, then we are liberated to go about our lives without worry to the same extent. As such, we should feel good about our unexceptional lives. This book is a celebration of being ordinary.
Although many people strive to be extraordinarily significant, ultimately cosmic importance is out of reach for us. Even if we do matter somewhat in our communities, we cannot reach cosmic-grade significance. We do not have the size, duration, or power that would allow us to be that important. Even the value that we do contribute to the universe, our loving and rationality and pain and pleasure, are in short supply. What is more, being exceptionally significant would not be to our personal benefit, as it does not advance our well-being, our meaning in life, or any other of our interests.
In this book, Joshua Glasgow argues that we have ample reason to embrace our modest levels of mattering. If we do not matter very much, then we are liberated to go about our lives without worry to the same extent. As such, we should feel good about our unexceptional lives. This book is a celebration of being ordinary.
Reviews / Votes
The Significance Impulse is sharp, entertaining, and original, offering an informed and iconoclastic perspective on nihilism, objectivity, and the meaning of life. It will appeal to anyone who has asked not only, 'Do I really matter?' but also, 'If I don't, what next?' * Simon Keller, Victoria University of Wellington * Josh Glasgow's The Significance Impulse is a must-read for those working on value, well-being, or the meaning of life. It's beautifully written and the first-ever book by a philosopher dedicated to the topic of being important. It argues convincingly that our being exceptionally important would not be to our benefit and that we should, therefore, embrace being ordinary. * Douglas W. Portmore, School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, Arizona State University * With clear prose and enticing examples, Joshua Glasgow argues that being highly significant or important is neither possible nor advantageous; letting go of the urge to be highly important can improve life considerably. This book may benefit many people's lives. * Iddo Landau, author of Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World * The Significance Impulse is a terrific, concise book for both the serious student of philosophy and the general reader who enjoys the opinion pages of the newspaper. * C. A. Riley II, CHOICE *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 201 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-775475-7 (9780197754757)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2024
OUP eBook
€21.99
Available for download
E-Book
09/2024
OUP eBook
€21.99
Available for download
Person
Joshua Glasgow works on a wide range of topics in moral and political philosophy, philosophy of race, and value theory. Currently Professor of Philosophy at Sonoma State University, he has also taught at Victoria University of Wellington, University of California Berkeley, and Occidental College. This is his first book about being important. Other books with Oxford University Press include The Solace: Finding Value in Death through Gratitude for Life and Four Views on Race (co-authored).
Content
1: The Splinter and the Dove
2: Value Rare and High
3: The SageAcs Argument
4: Living Your Best Life
5: Meaning
6: The Significance of Insignificance
References
2: Value Rare and High
3: The SageAcs Argument
4: Living Your Best Life
5: Meaning
6: The Significance of Insignificance
References