The question 'What is the meaning of life?' is one of the most fascinating, oldest and most difficult questions human beings have ever posed themselves. In an increasingly secularized culture, it remains a question to which we are ineluctably and powerfully drawn. Drawing skillfully on a wealth of thinkers, writers and scientists from Augustine, Descartes, Freud and Camus, to Spinoza, Pascal, Darwin, and Wittgenstein, _On the Meaning of Life_ breathes new vitality into one of the very biggest questions.

_Western Philosophy: An Anthology_ provides the most comprehensive and authoritative survey of the Western philosophical tradition from ancient Greece to the leading philosophers of today. Features substantial and carefully chosen excerpts from all the greats of philosophy, arranged thematically and chronologically Readings are introduced and linked together by a lucid philosophical commentary which guides the reader through the key arguments Embraces all the major subfields of philosophy: theory of knowledge and metaphysics, philosophy of mind, religion and science, moral philosophy, political (...) theory, and aesthetics Updated edition now includes additional contemporary readings in each section Augmented by two completely new sections on logic and language, and philosophy and the meaning of life. (shrink)

From ancient Greece to the leading philosophers of today, _Western Philosophy: An Anthology_ provides the most comprehensive and authoritative survey of the Western philosophical tradition. In 100 substantial and carefully chosen extracts, the volume covers all the main branches of philosophy - theory of knowledge and metaphysics, philosophy of mind, religion and science, moral philosophy, political theory and aesthetics. Chronologically and thematically arranged, the readings are introduced and linked together by a lucid philosophical commentary which guides the reader through the (...) key arguments. This outstanding text will support a wide variety of introductory courses in philosophy, as well as providing more advanced students with a handy collection of classic source materials. (shrink)

Leading philosophers reflect on what belief in God, or its absence, means for the subject and what difference it makes to the flow and perceived significance of someone’s life. A stimulating juxtaposition of views including the different perspectives of Christians, Buddhists, Jews, atheists and agnostics Contributors include Sir Anthony Kenny, Alvin Plantinga, John Haldane, Richard Norman, David Benatar and John Cottingham Enables the reader to see how crucial issues about the nature and significance of religious belief are dealt with from (...) widely differing philosophical and religious perspectives. (shrink)

Much more than just an anthology, this survey of humanity's search for the meaning of life includes the latest contributions to the debate, a judicious selection of key canonical essays, and insightful commentary by internationally respected philosophers.