Susan Wolf: The Meanings of Lives (Mortal Questions 6: Meaning of Life)

Susan Wolf argues that even if the answer to "what is the meaning of LIFE?" is settled (i.e., there isn't one unless God exists and maybe not even then), we can (and should) still distinguish between individual lives that are more or less meaningful, and offers an account of what explains this distinction.

[hellothere-goje]

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[silalm]

your Judas part is a misreading of the biblical text. God foresaw a Person to betray the Lord, does not mean that that person was selected or determined to do those act.

[patrick.carroll.cairns]

Why is a mosquito less than a human? The answer, according to my understanding, is consciousness. Consciousness is what is of ultimate value, and even among human beings, there are degrees of realisation as to what consciousness really is (it is everything, it is divine, it is immortal, it is ultimate reality). What makes a life meaningful therefore depends upon to what degree that life awakens that person to who they are (in essence). Judas' life, if it awakened his consciousness to a greater or lesser degree, had a meaningful life (the betrayal of Jesus is irrelevant). Even if a person's life does not result in an awakening (about the true nature of consciousness), as long as it moves the person closer to that realisation (they may die a complete atheist), that life was meaningful. It is plausible a person may live a life that moves them closer to that realisation without them realising it. Whether they realise it or not, that person will feel that their life was meaningful. Often, that realisation may not come until they are dying. A solitary monk in a monastery who meditates all day and a housewife and mother may have equally meaningful lives. Finding the path that maximises the progress of consciousness toward that first realisation cannot be classified as moral, immoral, good or bad, full of pleasure or pain. It can be all of these things. That is my understanding.