2003•Oxford University Press eBooksRequires access

4. Meaning and purpose

Julián Baggini

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Abstract

‘Meaning and purpose’ considers the idea of life having a meaning or purpose using the concepts of goal-setting, hedonism, and death. It is not true that life's meaning and purpose are pre-packaged together with religion. Atheists live good and bad lives, just as do priests, popes, and rabbis. Atheists from Arundhati Roy and Milan Kundera to Francois Mitterand and Richard Feynman to Marie Curie are argued to be leading, or have led, meaningful lives — concrete proof that a life without belief in God is not a life without direction or significanceThese people show that meaningful atheist lives are more than theoretical possibilities.

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What this paper is about

‘Meaning and purpose’ considers the idea of life having a meaning or purpose using the concepts of goal-setting, hedonism, and death. It is not true that life's meaning and purpose are pre-packaged together with religion. Atheists live good and bad lives, just as do priests, popes, and rabbis. Atheists from Arundhati Roy and Milan Kundera to Francois Mitterand and Richard Feynman to Marie Curie are argued to be leading, or have led, meaningful lives — concrete proof that a life without belief in God is not a life without direction or significanceThese people show that meaningful atheist lives are more than theoretical possibilities.

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Available abstract

‘Meaning and purpose’ considers the idea of life having a meaning or purpose using the concepts of goal-setting, hedonism, and death. It is not true that life's meaning and purpose are pre-packaged together with religion. Atheists live good and bad lives, just as do priests, popes, and rabbis. Atheists from Arundhati Roy and Milan Kundera to Francois Mitterand and Richard Feynman to Marie Curie are argued to be leading, or have led, meaningful lives — concrete proof that a life without belief in God is not a life without direction or significanceThese people show that meaningful atheist lives are more than theoretical possibilities.

Key concepts: Meaning (existential), Meaning of life, Hedonism, Meaningful life, Epistemology, Aesthetics, Sociology, Philosophy

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