Stock image for illustration purposes only - book cover, edition or condition may vary.
Life, Death, and Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions
David (Ed) Benatar
€ 112.07
FREE Delivery in Ireland
Description for Life, Death, and Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions
Paperback. Editor(s): Benatar, David. Num Pages: 530 pages. BIC Classification: HPCB; HPCF3; HPJ. Category: (U) Tertiary Education (US: College). Dimension: 229 x 152. .
Do our lives have meaning? Should we create more people? Is death bad? Should we commit suicide? Would it be better to be immortal? Should we be optimistic or pessimistic? Since Life, Death, and Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions first appeared, David Benatar's distinctive anthology designed to introduce students to the key existential questions of philosophy has won a devoted following among users in a variety of upper-level and even introductory courses. While many philosophers in the continental tradition -those known as existentialists -have engaged these issues at length and often with great popular appeal, English-speaking philosophers have had relatively little to say on these important questions. Yet, the methodology they bring to philosophical questions can, and occasionally has, been applied usefully to existential questions. This volume draws together a representative sample of primarily English-speaking philosophers' reflections on life's big questions, divided into six sections, covering (1) the meaning of life, (2) creating people, (3) death, (4) suicide, (5) immortality, and (6) optimism and pessimism. These key readings are supplemented with helpful introductions, study questions, and suggestions for further reading, making the material accessible and interesting for students. In short, the book provides a singular introduction to the way that philosophy has dealt with the big questions of life that we are all tempted to ask.
Product Details
Publisher
Rowman & Littlefield
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2016
Condition
New
Weight
764g
Number of Pages
484
Place of Publication
Lanham, MD, United States
ISBN
9781442258334
SKU
V9781442258334
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 15 to 20 working days
Ref
99-12
About David (Ed) Benatar
David Benatar is professor of philosophy at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Reviews for Life, Death, and Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions
The selection of papers is excellent....Benatar has done a first rate job in fulfilling, and when necessary balancing, all those requirements and has produced an exceptionally good, interesting and informative collection of papers. Students and educated laypersons who read through the anthology will become familiar with some of the best and most representative works in the field which include many of the most central and important arguments on the issues discussed....This collection should prove to be an important contribution to the development of the discussion on Analytic Existentialism.
Metapsychology Online
The book is aimed at philosophy students, and is engaging.
Paradigm Explorer
Students and educated laypersons who read through the anthology will become familiar with some of the best and most representative works in the field which include many of the most central and important arguments on the issues discussed. While the articles are interesting and of a very high academic level, they are not too technical, too long, or otherwise difficult for students or the educated public to follow. Although there are already some anthologies that discuss the meaning of life, none relate the topic to questions of immortality, death, suicide, or the benefit of coming into existence as this one does.
Iddo Landau
Metapsychology Online
David Benatar has done a superb job in bringing together this fine collection, now in its third, expanded and revised, edition. Life, Death and Meaning is quite simply the best anthology of writings on `analytic existentialism' available. It has a place on every serious philosophy student's bookshelf.
Geoffrey Scarre, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University
Metapsychology Online
The book is aimed at philosophy students, and is engaging.
Paradigm Explorer
Students and educated laypersons who read through the anthology will become familiar with some of the best and most representative works in the field which include many of the most central and important arguments on the issues discussed. While the articles are interesting and of a very high academic level, they are not too technical, too long, or otherwise difficult for students or the educated public to follow. Although there are already some anthologies that discuss the meaning of life, none relate the topic to questions of immortality, death, suicide, or the benefit of coming into existence as this one does.
Iddo Landau
Metapsychology Online
David Benatar has done a superb job in bringing together this fine collection, now in its third, expanded and revised, edition. Life, Death and Meaning is quite simply the best anthology of writings on `analytic existentialism' available. It has a place on every serious philosophy student's bookshelf.
Geoffrey Scarre, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University