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Wolf - Objectivism
26
Wolf - Happiness and Meaning
April 23, 2020
Theories of the Meaning of Life
We've encountered three general ways to respond to the question "what's living all about?"
Recap
Absurdism
There is no overall meaning to life - but that's nothing to get too upset about! Just go about your day!
Absurdism - there's no answer!
Objectivism
There is a right way to live.
Objectivism
According to Epicurus, the right way to live was to maximize peace and pleasure, while minimizing trouble and discomfort.
Susan Wolf has another proposal.
Subjectivism
Frankfurt argued that caring about things - actively choosing to make them important in our lives - is what makes for meaning. Meaning is wholly subjective.
Subjectivism - it's up to you!
We cannot settle what the right things to care about are - there is no way to convince someone who doesn't already care about something to care about it.
Some Issues with Subjectivism?
Problems
That's just incredible!
Incredible!
"A life dedicated to justice or beauty is obviously better than a life dedicated to not stepping on cracks in the sidewalk! That's what subjectivism suggests - so it's clearly wrong!
What about progress?
Progress?
Suppose you care about something now which you did not care about before. You might think that you've achieved something by doing so. But, if subjectivism is true, you haven't: any change is only a lateral move! To think that you're making any progress, subjectivism must be false.
How do we know what's going on?
Mind or Machine?
Subjectivism might presuppose a lot of "cognitive transparency": knowing when one of my dispositions or desires is motivated by what I care about, and when it's just a bare preference. But it's not clear to me that my mind and my motivations are that transparent!
This is just incoherent!
Incoherent!
Suppose you find a glaring flaw in subjectivism. Suppose the subjectivist is committed to a contradiction. Even then, they can respond: "I don't care about being logically consistent!"
Two Key Phrases
A meaningful life must include active engagement in/with projects of worth.
Two Key Phrases
Active Engagement
Active Engagement
Someone is actively engaged in some project is "gripped, excited, involved by it," and we tend to be actively engaged "by the things and people about which and whom we are passionate."
Active engagement need not be pleasant: you can be actively engaged in things which are painful or difficult or sad.
The opposite of active engagement is boredom and alienation.
Projects of Worth
What are the projects of worth?
Projects of Worth
Some Examples...
Wolf, Part 1
Some more examples...
Wolf, Part 2
... yet more examples, and a dodge
Wolf, Part 3
What are projects of worth?
Wolf gives us some non-controversial examples of things which are and things which are not meaningful. But she doesn't want to give a specific definition.
Summary
What good would that be, anyways? We're not trying to judge people here - it's to figure it out for yourself!
Two Challenges
The Absurdist Challenge
Nothing means anything - deal with it!
It depends on what you mean...
If the issue is that only permanent things matter, you've got the wrong priorities, because that's not true.
Response
If the issue is that whatever we happen to already care about doesn't provide me with meaning, we are just disagreeing about what it takes for life to be meaningful.
Wolf-Nagel Dispute
(As presented by Wolf, interpreted by me)
Nagel: Nothing you do matters and life is meaningless. But it's still in your interest to live a certain way."
Wolf: "It's in your interest to live a certain way. But that's all it takes for things to matter - so life is not meaningless!"
In other words...
"Meaning" according to Nagel: something which looks important "from the perspective of eternity".
"Meaning" according to Wolf: something which it is in your interest to pursue or chase after.
The Subjectivist Challenge
All there is to living meaningfully is feeling a particular way: feeling "fulfilled".
The Subjectivist Challenge
Taylor's Sisyphus Fulfilled
Sisyphus Fulfilled
Sisyphus has been condemned to a never-ending, mindless task. Every day, he pushes a heavy boulder up a mountain. Every night, while he sleeps, the stone rolls back down. He must start over every morning.
Sisyphus Fulfilled
Sisyphus' life is pretty lousy. It is also meaningless.
Why?
Sisyphus Fulfilled
One day, the gods have mercy on Sisyphus. "We can't overturn your sentence, Sisyphus," they apologize, "but we can give you this special, mind-altering potion, which you might like."
Sisyphus Fulfilled
The potion's effect is peculiar. Whoever drinks it suddenly gains a tremendous passion for rolling boulders up mountains. Rolling boulders up mountains not only makes them happy, but makes them feel fulfilled, and like they're living their best life.
Sisyphus Fulfilled
Sisyphus drinks the potion, and has a great time the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and so on.
Sisyphus Fulfilled
Let's compare Sisyphus Fulfilled with the Original Sisyphus. After drinking the potion...
... is he happier?
... is his life more meaningful?
... is he better off?
The Cult Member Fulfilled
The Cult Member Fulfilled
Sidney has fallen in with a fanatical cult. Every day, she spends her time doing mindless chores around the compound and working hard to bring in new recruits. She has no prospects for ever getting out of it.
The Cult Member Fulfilled
Sidney's life is pretty lousy. It is also meaningless.
Why?
The Cult Member Fulfilled
One day, the cult leaders have mercy on Sidney. "We can't let you leave, Sidney," they apologize, "but we can give you this special, mind-altering potion, which you might like."
The Cult Member Fulfilled
The potion's effect is peculiar. Whoever drinks it suddenly gains a tremendous passion for the everyday chores, work, and cult-related activities. This stuff not only makes them happy, but makes them feel fulfilled, and like they're living their best life.
The Cult Member Fulfilled
Sidney drinks the potion, and has a great time the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and so on.
The Cult Member Fulfilled
Let's compare Sidney Fulfilled with the Original Sidney. After drinking the potion...
... is she happier?
... is her life more meaningful?
... is she better off?
2020 Sisyphus Fulfilled
Everyone Fulfilled
Sierra lives like we all do. Every day (except weekends), she goes to her nice white-collar job and takes care of business, creating content, satisfying customers, and generating profits.
Everyone Fulfilled
Sierra gets two weeks' paid vacation, which is pretty great. But discounting that and weekends, you might think that her everyday life is lousy.
Why?
Everyone Fulfilled
One day, Sierra has a realization. "I can't get out of this life," she thinks, "but I can change my thinking, which I might like."
Everyone Fulfilled
Sierra commits herself to the lifestyle she's found herself in: she convinces herself that she has a tremendous passion for climbing the corporate ladder, for consuming material goods, for advertising and for happy customers. Her day job not only makes her happy, makes her feel fulfilled, and like she's living her best life.
Everyone Fulfilled
Sierra has a great time the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and so on.
Everyone Fulfilled
Let's compare Sierra Fulfilled with the Original Sierra. After drinking the potion...
... is she happier?
... is her life more meaningful?
... is she better off?
Wolf's Response
You can be wrong about what makes your life meaningful, even if it is fulfilling, when you are actively engaged with something which is not worth being engaged with!