Stephen Leach - The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers

The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers reveals how great philosophers of the past sought to answer the question of the meaning of life. This edited collection includes thirty-five chapters which each focus on a major philosophical figure, from Confucius to Rorty, and that imaginatively engage with the topic from their perspective.This volume also contains a Postscript on the historical origins and original significance of the phrase the meaning of life.

Written by leading experts in the field, such as A.C. Grayling, Thaddeus Metz and John Cottingham, this unique and engaging book explores the relevance of the history of philosophy to contemporary debates. It will prove essential reading for students and scholars studying the history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, ethics, metaphysics or comparative philosophy.

Stephen Leach is Honorary Senior Fellow at Keele University, UK. He is the author of The Foundations of History: Collingwoods Analysis of Historical Explanation (2009).

James Tartaglia is Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University, UK. He is the author of Philosophy in a Meaningless Life (2016).

The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers

Edited by Stephen Leach and James Tartaglia

First published 2018

by Routledge

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2018 selection and editorial matter, Stephen Leach and James Tartaglia; individual chapters, the contributors

The right of Stephen Leach and James Tartaglia to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Names: Leach, Stephen D., editor.

Title: The meaning of life and the great philosophers / edited by Stephen Leach and James Tartaglia.

Description: 1 [edition]. | New York : Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017060531 | ISBN 9781138220935 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138220959 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315385945 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Life. | Meaning (Philosophy) | Philosophers.

Classification: LCC BD431 .M46884 2018 | DDC 128--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017060531

ISBN: 978-1-138-22093-5 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-138-22095-9 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-38594-5 (ebk)

Raymond Angelo Belliotti, Distinguished Teaching Professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, USA

Mark Bernier, Visiting Assistant Professor at Azusa Pacific University, Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame, USA

Joseph S. Catalano, Professor Emeritus, Kean University of New Jersey, USA

Arindam Chakrabarti, Lenney Distinguished Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

Bridget Clarke, Professor of Philosophy, University of Montana, USA

David E. Cooper, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Durham University, UK

John Cottingham, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Reading, UK, Professorial Research Fellow, Heythrop College, University of London, UK, Honorary Fellow, St Johns College, University of Oxford, UK

Will Desmond, Lecturer, Department of Ancient Classics, Maynooth University, Ireland

Nader El-Bizri, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Civilization Studies Program, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Edward Feser, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Pasadena City College, USA

Terry F. Godlove, Professor of Philosophy, Hofstra University, NewYork, USA

Pedro Blas Gonzlez, Professor of Philosophy, Barry University, USA

A.C. Grayling, Master of New College of the Humanities, London, UK, Supernumerary Fellow of St Annes College, University of Oxford, UK

Reza Hosseini, Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Samuel Imbo, Professor of Philosophy, Hamline University, USA

Alfred L. Ivry, Professor Emeritus of Jewish and Islamic Philosophy, NewYork University, USA

Monte Ransome Johnson, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego, USA

Richard Kim, Postdoctoral Fellow, Saint Louis University, USA

Stephen Leach, Honorary Senior Fellow, Keele University, UK

Genevieve Lloyd, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales, Australia

A.A. Long, Professor of Classics, Professor Emeritus of Literature, Affiliated Professor of Philosophy and Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley, USA

William McBride, Arthur G. Hansen Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University, USA

Lissa McCullough, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Dominguez Hills, USA

Alan Malachowski, Research Fellow of the Centre of Applied Ethics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Thaddeus Metz, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Wendell OBrien, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Moreland State University, USA

Joshua W. Seachris, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USA

Mark Siderits, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Illinois State University, USA

David Skrbina, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Michigan-Dearborn, USA

Svavar Hrafn Svavarsson, Associate Professor, University of Iceland

Frans Svensson, Senior Lecturer, Ume University, Sweden

James Tartaglia, Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy, Keele University, UK

Jonathan Webber, Professor of Philosophy, Cardiff University, UK, Visiting Fellow at the University of Bristol, UK

Amy E. Wendling, Professor of Philosophy, Creighton University, USA

Robert Wicks, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Catherine Wilson, Anniversary Professor of Philosophy, University of York, UK

What is the meaning of life? A great many people ask that question at some point during their lives. By visiting the website ExcellenceReporter.com, you can discover what over 800 thoughtful individuals, from all walks of contemporary life, think the meaning of life is. But although many different kinds of people are interested, and may bring valuable insights to the matter, if there is one particular walk of life from which you would expect to hear some especially strong answers, it is philosophy. It is a philosophical question, after all, so if there is any point to having philosophical traditions in our world, it is surely to shed light on questions like this.