اگر چیزى هست که زندگى را معنادار مى کند، آن چیست؟ این پرسش آشکارا مهم است، اما توجه چندان زیادِ نظریه پردازان هنجارى را جلب نکرده است. اگرچه آثار فلسفى درباره معناى زندگى به نسبت کم است، بیش از آن است که اکثر خوانندگان احتمالاً مى دانند. و این آثار به حدّى است که تأمّل درباره وضعیت کنونى آن ها و نیز جایگاهى را که لازم است بدان دست یابند، مفید مى سازد. در این مقاله، من بخش خاصى از آثار جدید درباره معناى زندگى را مرور مى کنم. اولاً، به آثارى مى پردازم که حیات معنادار را مطلوب ترین صورت زندگى انسان مى شمارند.1 من آثارى که حیات معنادار را صرفاً یک ویژگى توصیفى به حساب مى آورند یا معناى هر چیزى را به صورت فرا فردى مانند نژاد انسانى یا عالم مورد بحث قرار مى دهند، کنار مى گذارم.2 به علاوه، آثار فلسفى انگلیسى ـ آمریکایى را در نظر خواهم گرفت و به بصیرت هایى که در آثار ادبى، روان شناختى، دینى و یا حتى فلسفه اروپاى متصل پیدا مى شود، کارى ندارم.3 و نیز مواردى را که انحصاراً به مسائل کاربردى پرداخته اند، کنار خواهم گذاشت تا جایى براى پرداختن به آثارى که رویکرد کاملاً فلسفى دارند باز باشد.4 بالاخره، به آثارى توجه دارم که از سال 1980 به بعد منتشر شده اند.5
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