Description
Book SynopsisCan human life be meaningful? What does talk about life's meaning even mean? What is God's role, if any, in a meaningful life? These three questions frame this one-of-a-kind debate between two philosophers who have spent most of their professional lives thinking and writing about the topic of life's meaning.
In this wide-ranging scholarly conversation, Professors Thaddeus Metz and Joshua W. Seachris develop and defend their own unique answers to these questions, while responding to each other's objections in a lively dialog format. Seachris argues that the concept of life's meaning largely revolves around three interconnected ideasmattering, purpose, and sense-making; that a meaningful human life involves sufficiently manifesting all three; and that God would importantly enhance the meaningfulness of life on each of these three fronts. Metz instead holds that talk of life's meaning is about a variety of properties such as meriting pride, transcending one's animal self
Trade Review
From the Foreword:
"This is a compelling and illuminating debate, conducted with a collegial spirit, into some of the most fundamental of human concerns. I found myself agreeing with Seachris, then Metz, then Seachris, then Metz, and so forth. That’s a sign of a good debate. In the end, I was sure that I had learned a lot, and enjoyed the ride!"
John Martin Fischer, University of California, Riverside
Table of Contents1. Triadic Meaning and the Benefits of God 2. Making Life Meaningful Without God or a Soul 3. "Some" Meaning Without God or a Soul: A Reply to Metz 4. Considering the Benefits of God: A Reply to Seachris 5. God Is Still Better News for Meaning: A Second Reply to Metz 6. Types of Meaning and the Natural as Their Source: A Second Reply to Seachris
