The Value and Meaning of Life

Description

In this book Christopher Belshaw draws on earlier work concerning death, identity, animals, immortality, and extinction, and builds a large-scale argument dealing with questions of both value and meaning. Rejecting suggestions that life is sacred or intrinsically valuable, he argues instead that its value varies, and varies considerably, both within and between different kinds of things. So in some cases we might have reason to improve or save a life, while in others that reason will be lacking. What about starting lives? The book’s central section takes this as its focus, and asks whether we ever have reason to start lives, just for the sake of the one whose life it is. Not only is it denied that there is any such reason, but some sympathy is afforded to the anti-natalist contention that there is always reason against. The final chapters deal with meaning. There is support here for the sober and familiar view that meaning derives from an enthusiasm for, and some success with, the pursuit of worthwhile projects. Now suppose we are immortal. Or suppose, in contrast, that we face imminent extinction. Would either of these threaten meaning? The claim is made that the force of such threats is often exaggerated. The Value and Meaning of Life is essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy, ethics, and religion, and will be of interest to all those concerned with how to live, and how to think about the lives of others. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Sanctity Life Sanctity Equal worth Religion Quality Summary Notes Chapter 2 Terms Goodness Life Summary Notes Chapter 3 Value Words Things Kinds Sanctity and intrinsic value Value and goodness Summary Notes Chapter 4 Lives Improving Saving Competing claims Summary Notes Chapter 5 The Asymmetry The Asymmetry Some distinctions Other views Other asymmetries Against the Asymmetry Chappell Explaining the Asymmetry Summary Notes Chapter 6 Choosing Choices and principles Choosing and starting Beneficence Summary Notes Chapter 7 Anti-natalism A weaker case Interim A stronger case Summary Notes Chapter 8 Meaning Preliminaries Wolf – Local meaning Nagel – Global meaning A middle way God Does meaning matter? Summary Notes Chapter 9 Immortality Preliminaries Approximations The immortality problem Solutions Summary Notes Chapter 10 Extinction Species Extinction Our extinction The goodness of extinction Summary Notes Appendix 1: Dworkin and reconciliation Notes Appendix 2: The experience machine Notes Appendix 3: How bad is death? Notes Appendix 4: Values and reasons Notes Appendix 5: XR/CV Notes Bibliography Index