Chapter 9 Essay Questions

  1. Does a human life have meaning only when it is part of God's plan? Is this view plausible? Critique it.
  2. Does death or the shortness of human life rob it of meaning? If so, how? If not, why?
  3. Internalists can be divided into two camps: those who believe that meaning is something they create (subjectivists) and those who think meaning is something they discover (objectivists). Which view do you think is more plausible? Why?
  4. Consider this argument against subjectivism: It's intuitively obvious that sometimes objective standards apply. If satisfying our strongest desires leads to obviously immoral or trivial acts, subjectivism is implausible. Things aren't meaningful just because we say they are. Is this a good argument? Why or why not?
  5. Is life meaningless because we and our world are so miniscule compared to the inconceivably vast cosmos, because life for us is so filled with misery and loss, or because there is no god or creator to give us a purpose or plan for living? Explain.
  6. Explain why many philosophers distinguish between a happy life, a moral life, and a meaningful life. Do you find these arguments convincing? Why or why not?
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