‘The Meaning of Life’ by Terry Eagleton is a philosophical and humorous inquiry for the meaning of human life.
Chapter 1 ‘Question and Answers’ explains why we have a question for our life and the meaning of life, and what is the structure of the question and human existence, introducing historically how philosophers and religions think about them and answer, why TV evangelists and sports attract people.
Chapter 2 ‘The Problem of Meaning’ describes theological and abstract arguments about ‘meaning(s)’. And the Eagleton considers what is meaning(s) and why we ask and want to know meaning of life.
Chapter 3 ‘The Eclipse of Meaning’ wrote spreading philosophical and scientific questions about meaning of life to the people and decline of religious meaning and value supported by God in modern ages. ’inherent’ and ‘ascribed’
Chapter 4 ‘Is Life What You Make It?’ introduces Aristotle’s view of happiness and pleasure, Nietzsche’s concepts of power and will, Marx’s materialism and ‘self-realisation’, and Freud’s desire and Thanatos. Then Eagleton states his one conclusion of the meaning of life. It’s fulfilment of one another or social fulfilment. ‘The fulfilment of each becomes the ground for the fulfilment of the other. When we realize our natures in this way, we are at our best. This is partly because to fulfil oneself in ways which allow others to do so as well rules out murder, exploitation, torture, selfishness, and the like.’
Then Eagleton give a case of a jazz band as an example of good life. ‘There is no conflict here between freedom and the ‘good of the whole’.’ ‘Though each performer contributes to ‘the greater good of the whole’.’
This book is humorous tricky book and essential descriptions are few. It’s just only an introduction to obtain the meaning of life.
The Meaning of Life (A Very Short Introduction)
Terry Eagleton
Oxford University Press, Oxford, June 30 2007
pages £7.99 $11.95
ISBN: 978-0-19-953217-9
Contents:
List of illustrations
Preface
1. Questions and Answers
2. The Problem of Meaning
3. The Eclipse of Meaning
4. Is Life What You Make It?
Further Reading
Index
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