Philosophy in a Meaningless Life - by James Tartaglia (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Philosophy in a Meaningless Life provides an account of the nature of philosophy which is rooted in the question of the meaning of life. It makes a powerful and vivid case for believing that this question is neither obscure nor obsolete, but reflects a quintessentially human concern to which other traditional philosophical problems can be readily related; allowing them to be reconnected with natural interest, and providing a diagnosis of the typical lines of opposition across philosophy's debates.

James Tartaglia looks at the various ways philosophers have tried to avoid the conclusion that life is meaningless, and in the process have distanced philosophy from the concept of transcendence. Rejecting all of this, Tartaglia embraces nihilism ('we are here with nothing to do'), and uses transcendence both to provide a new solution to the problem of consciousness, and to explain away perplexities about time and universals. He concludes that with more self-awareness, philosophy can attain higher status within a culture increasingly in need of it.

Review Quotes

"Philosophy in a Meaningless Life is a superb and original work. James Tartaglia addresses head-on the question of the meaning of life - which he calls 'the keystone of philosophy' - and gives an uncompromising nihilist answer to it. But rather than turning to gloom and despair, he shows how nihilism is, in a certain sense, neither good nor bad; and that it can be used to address some central traditional questions of philosophy: about consciousness, time and universals. Elegantly written and very readable, this is a unique work of philosophy that deserves a wide readership." --Tim Crane, Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, UK

"Tartaglia's book is an intriguing contribution to the ongoing philosophical discussion regarding the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life and is written in a lucid and engaging style." - Notre Dame Philosophical Review

About the Author