The Meaning of Life from Sacred and Secular Perspectives - by Charles C Taliaferro & Paul Reasoner (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book explores the meaning of life from multiple philosophical and religious perspectives.

Book Synopsis

This book argues that the search for life's meaning is vital in terms of one's personal identity, developing a sense of what really matters to you and others.

The book seeks to enlarge one's understanding of the possible meanings of life on a large scale, as well as explore the many meanings in life for individuals. Drawing on ancient and contemporary sources, the book provides a guide for exploring the most promising perspectives on life's meaning, philosophically and religiously. Its purpose is to aid readers in making up their own minds in discovering meaning in life.

Review Quotes

Among non-philosophers it is commonly thought that the defining philosophical issue must be the question of the meaning of life. This lively and creative discussion introduces the reader to the recent revival of philosophical interest in these matters, and offers a rich account of the potential contribution of religious traditions to our assessment of the meaning of human endeavours. This is an accessible, probing and thought-provoking engagement with fundamental questions of life.
Mark Wynn, Oriel College, University of Oxford, UK

In this engaging and expansive work, Charles Taliaferro and Paul Reasoner return philosophy to its roots: a love of wisdom that embraces reason, imagination, and the full depth of human experience. With clarity and generosity, they explore a wide range of sources-from the world's major religious traditions to evolutionary biology and contemporary philosophy. The Meaning of Life from Sacred and Secular Perspectives is a wise and inviting companion for anyone drawn to life's deepest questions. Rare in its depth and openness, this book challenges readers without prescribing answers-and offers encouragement along the way.
Victoria Harrison, Professor of Philosophy, University of Macau, SAR

The meaning of life is the question which should underlie any philosophy, but it is also the topic which nearly all academic philosophers studiously avoid. Taliaferro and Reasoner step into the breach admirably. Their treatment, while eminently readable, is seriously philosophical. It combines judicious analyses of the most significant accounts of the meaning of life, religious and non-religious, western and non-western, with well-judged reflection on how each of us, as reflective individuals, might best approach this most important question of all.
Anthony O'Hear, Professor of Philosophy, University of Buckingham, UK

About the Author

Charles Taliaferro is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Emeritus Overby Distinguished Professor at St. Olaf College.
Paul Reasoner is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Bethel University.