The Death of God and the Meaning of Life
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Author Description
What is the meaning of life? In the post-modern, post-religious scientific world, this question is becoming a preoccupation. But it also has a long history: many major figures in philosophy had something to say on the subject, as Julian Young so vividly illustrates in this thought-provoking book. Part One of the book presents an historical overview of philosophers from Plato to Hegel and Marx who have believed in some sort of meaning of life, either in some supposed 'other' world or in the future of this world. Part Two looks at what happened when the traditional structures that provided life with meaning ceased to be believed. With nothing to take their place, these structures gave way to the threat of nihilism, to the appearance that life is meaningless. Julian Young looks at the responses to this threat in the work of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, Foucault and Derrida. This compelling and highly engaging exploration of fundamental values will captivate anyone who's ever asked themselves where life's meaning (if there is one) really lies. It also makes a perfect historical introduction to philosophy.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the crisis of meaning in a post-religious, post-modern world by tracing the historical evolution of existential thought. Author Julian Young, a scholar of continental philosophy, examines how the collapse of traditional metaphysical structures has forced humanity to confront the threat of nihilism. By analyzing the works of major thinkers from Plato to the post-structuralists, Young provides a framework for understanding how the concept of a meaningful life has shifted from external, transcendent sources to the internal, subjective experience of the individual.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological survey of philosophical perspectives on life's meaning from Plato through Hegel and Marx.
- An analysis of the transition from traditional, belief-based structures to the modern threat of nihilism.
- Detailed examinations of existential responses to meaninglessness in the works of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus.
- A critical look at the influence of post-structuralist thinkers like Foucault and Derrida on the contemporary understanding of values.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts frequently cite this work as a highly accessible and structured introduction to the history of existential philosophy. Readers often note that the prose remains clear and engaging, making complex metaphysical arguments approachable for those without an extensive academic background in the field.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2004-01-01
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis Group
ISBN-10:
0203480864
ISBN-13:
9780203480861
Philosophy
Ethics
nihilism
Existentialism
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