MORALITY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE
Micah Lott
mlott@uchicago.edu 312-731-2162
Phil 20010: Winter 2010
Harper 135, M/W 4:30-5:50pm
All of us want to live meaningful lives. And at some point, many people wonder
about the meaning of life itself. Moreover, we tend to feel that issues about life and meaning
are important ones. For example, if my friend tells me her life lacks all meaning, I will treat
this as a very serious (and troubling) comment. But what exactly do we mean by “the
meaning of life”? And how does that idea relate to finding meaning within our lives, or to
living a meaningful lives?
In addition to wanting to live meaningful lives, many of us want to live morally good
lives. That is, we want to be morally virtuous –to act justly toward others, to fulfill our
duties, to be generous and kind, etc. But how does the notion of a meaningful life relate to
the notion of a morally good life? For example, is it possible to live a life that is morally
good but not meaningful, or vice-versa?
This course examines the notion of “meaning” as it relates to human life, paying
particular attention to the connections between living a meaningful life and living a morally
good life. The main sources for this course will be philosophical texts, but we will also
explore our topic using film (Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors) and imaginative
literature (Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road).
The first part of the course seeks to clarify the notion of “meaning” as it relates to
human life. What is required to have meaning in life? To what extent is meaning a
“subjective” or “objective” notion –that is, how far is the meaningfulness of my life
determined by what I think or feel about it? The second part of the course further develops
these reflections by focusing on the idea that human life is absurd. The third part of the
course examines various possible connections between meaning and morality. For example,
does a meaningful life require at least some degree of moral virtue? Or do meaning and
morality come apart, such that even a morally reprehensible life could be meaningful? The
fourth part focuses on the relationships between meaning, morality and God. It has seemed
to many people that in order for life to be meaningful, there must be a God. We will
consider several accounts of how God might secure meaning in life, as well as criticisms of
the idea that God can explain life’s meaning. In the fifth and final part of the course, we will
read Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road. This work brings together many of the topics
discussed in the course. We will read the novel with these topics in mind, asking how the
novel expands or challenges our understanding of life and meaning.
1
TEXTS
John Cottingham On The Meaning of Life
Albert Camus The Myth of Sisyphus
Harry Frankfurt Taking Ourselves Seriously and Getting it Right
Cormac McCarthy The Road
All other readings will be made available through e-reserve on the Chalk website.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES
-First paper (5-7 pages; double-spaced): Due 6th week. 30% of final grade.
-Second paper (8-10 pages; double-spaced): Due 11th week. 50% of final grade.
-Two one-page papers summarizing and commenting upon an argument from the reading
for that day. These papers must be submitted to the Chalk site by 5pm the day before the class
in which the reading will be discussed. Each worth 10% of final grade.
-This course will be discussion-based. All students are expected to read the texts and attend
class prepared to analyze and discuss them.
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
1
Introduction
1/4
Selection from My
Confession by Leo Tolstoy
A classic
autobiographical
account of asking about
the meaning of life.
PART I: DEFINING THE ISSUES(S)
2
1/6
Getting clear on the
question(s) about life and
meaning
John Cottingham,
On the Meaning of Life
Part I
2
What questions about
meaning does it make
sense to ask? Different
things we can mean by
“meaning” in this
context.
3
1/11
Different modes of
meaning(fullness)
Robert Nozick
“Philosophy and the
Meaning of Life”, 571- 585
from Philosophical
Explanations
Rudolf Wohlgenment
“Has the Question about
the Meaning of Life any
Meaning?”
How best to
understand question of
“the meaning of life”?
Distinguishing between
various kinds of
meaning. Exploring the
place of death in our
reflections on life’s
meaning
PART II: ABSURDITY AND MEANINGLESSNESS
4
The challenges to meaning
1/13
5
Life as absurd
1/20
6
Continued
1/25
7
Another view of absurdity
and meaninglessness
1/27
John Cottingham
On the Meaning of Life, Part
II
Albert Camus
The Myth of Sisyphus
Part I: Absurd Reasoning
Albert Camus
The Myth of Sisyphus
Part I continued
Thomas Nagel
“The Absurd”
and
“Birth, Death and the
Meaning of Life” in The
View from Nowwhere
8
2/1
Absurdity and a fulfilling life
Joel Feinberg
“Absurd Self-Fulfillment”
3
What would make us
think that life is
without meaning?
Discussion of modern
science and Darwin.
Camus argues that life
is absurd.
More on Camus’
interpretation of
absurdity and his
response.
A life is absurd, for
Nagel, when its
meaninglessness from
the objective
standpoint is
juxtaposed to the
importance ascribed to
it from the subjective
standpoint. Human
life as absurd.
Feinberg discusses and
criticizes both Camus
and Nagel.
PART III: MEANING AND MORALITY
9
2/3
Meaning, Morality and
Objective Value
John Cottingham
On the Meaning of Life
Part I (redux)
Susan Wolf
“Happiness and Meaning:
Two Aspects of the Good
Life”
10
Continued
2/8
Robert Nozick: “The
Experience Machine”
Richard Kraut “Two
Conceptions of
Happiness”
11
Meaning and morality as
distinct and separable;
2/10 Meaning and the Subjectivity
of Values
Harry Frankfurt
selections from “Reply to
Wolf”;
Lecture I: “Taking
Ourselves Seriously”
12
Continued
Frankfurt
Lecture II: “Getting it
Right
The meaning of life and
moral theory
David Wiggins
“Truth, Invention and the
Meaning of Life”
2/15
13
2/17
Cottingham argues that
a truly meaningful life
must have some moral
virtue.
Wolf holds that
meaning depends on
our response to
objective values,
including ethical values:
“Meaning arises when
subjective attraction
meets objective
attractiveness” -SW
14
Continued
2/22
Meaning and morality in film
Wiggins continued
Woody Allen
Crimes and Misdemeanors
4
Frankfurt disagrees
with Wolf’s account of
meaning. A thoroughly
immoral life (e.g.
Hitler) may neverthelss
be full of meaning.
Frankfurt holds that
meaning and value
arise from within us –
from the structures of
our volition, and
especially the things we
happen to care about.
How would an
adequate theory of
morality deal with the
meaning of life? Why
have many moral
theories failed to
address this question?
Connections between
the meaning of life and
objectivity in ethics.
Could an immoral life
be a good life?
Note: We will schedule a
special time to view the
film as a class.
Is there such a thing as
“cosmic justice” –and
if not, what does that
show about meaning
and/or morality?
PART IV: GOD, MEANING AND MORALITY
15
God as necessary for
meaning
John Cottingham Part III
(64-104)
16
3/1
Another approach to God
and meaning
17
A challenge to God’s role in
grounding meaning
Philip Quinn
“How Christianity Secures
Life’s Meaning”
T. Metz
“Could God’s Purpose
Secure Life’s Meaning?”
2/24
3/3
Robert Nozick
“God’s Plan” and
following, 585-619 from
Philosophical Explanations
Cottingham argues that
in order for life to be
meaningful there must
be certain forms of
value and standards of
action; God is the
ground of value.
Quinn develops a
Christian account of
meaning in life.
Metz argues that there
is a problem with
appealing to God’s
purposes to explain
meaning in life.
PART V: MEANING/MORALITY IN LITERATURE: MCCARTHY’S THE ROAD
18
3/8
Meaning and morality as
themes of imaginative
literature
Cormac McCarthy
The Road
19
Continued
The Road
3/10
5
How does the story
expand or challenge
the views of the other
readings and class
discussions?
Continued