Life and Meaning: A Philosophical Reader - Hardcover

This volume surveys a variety of philosophical views on what it is that makes an individual life or life in general worth living, valuable or meaningful. It contains pieces from the whole philosophical tradition, ranging from the Bible, Aristotle and Lucretius to Schopenhauer and Sartre. A number questions are reflected upon: Can religion provide an answer to death, suffering or the lack of purpose in life? Is it correct to regard the sanctity of life (including non-human life) as a fundamental principle? Is self-realization a coherent ideal? Does it mean being true to man's original nature or to his potential as a "rational animal". Should we live according to our desires and in pursuit of happiness? Should the appeal to a nature of essence of man be rejected as bad faith? The book is aimed in particular at undergraduate and postgraduate students of philosophy.