The Quest for Meaning
1st Edition
Published on 11. February 1988
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-0-631-15333-7 (ISBN)
Description
Most discussions of medical and practical ethics have avoided direct confrontation with the query: what is the value and meaning of human life? The book addresses these issues directly, examining the variety of philosophical questions in the area, their meaningfulness and the paradoxes suggested by answers to those questions. Each chapter is an attempt to identify and correct the biases and confusions in such discussions. Specific areas considered are: relations to animals; the status of the human species; utilitarian and non-utilitarian arguments; religious answers to the question "why is life sacred and worthwhile?"; the meaning of death; the influence of science.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Hoboken
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 215 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
312 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-631-15333-7 (9780631153337)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Oswald Hanfling is the author of Logical Positivism (1981), The Quest for Meaning (1987), and Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy (1989).
Content
1. Making sense of the questions ; 2. The Meaning of death ; 3. Religious and scientific perspectives ; 4. The Ozymandias perspective; Inevitable decay ; 5. "Meaning of Life" and meaningful lives ; 6. Being and consciousness, in the abstract ; 7. The good life ; 8. Animals ; 9. Comparison of animals with people ; 10. Utilitarianism on animals ; 11. Naturalist arguments ; 12. Non-utilitarian arguments ; 13. Special status arguments.