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Morality and a Meaningful Life

Thomas, Laurence (2005) Morality and a Meaningful Life. [Preprint]

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Abstract

This essay aims to capture the intuition that the moral person is, in virtue of being such, favored over the immoral person to lead a meaningful life. It is argued that the reason for this is that the moral person is open to affirmation from others in a way that the immoral person is not. Central to the argument is that idea of psychological health. Being affirmed by others is a fundamental aspect of being psychologically health. Thus, being moral and being psychologically healthy are said to dovetail with respect to leading a meaningful life. The argument regarding psychological health draws upon, and extends, P. F. Strawson’s seminal essay “Freedom and Resentment”. Also in this regard, Wittgenstein’s argument against the possibility of a private language is extended to social behavior generally.

Item Type:Preprint
Keywords:P. F. Strawon, Wittgenstein, affirmation. meaningful life
Subjects:Philosophy > Ethics
ID Code:4541
Deposited By: Thomas, Professor Laurence
Deposited On:18 Sep 2005
Last Modified:11 Mar 2011 08:56

References in Article

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“The Meanings of Life,” in David Schmidtz (ed.), Robert Nozick (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002)

Thaddeus Metz in “The Concept of a Meaningful Life,” American Philosophical Quarterly 38 (2001)

P. F. Strawson, "Freedom and Resentment,” Proceedings of the British Academy 48 (1962).

Neera K. Badhwar (ed), Friendship: A Philosophical Reader (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993)

Jean-Christophe Merle and Bernard N. Schumacher (eds), L’amitié (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2005)

Bernard Boxill, “How Injustice Pays,” Philosophy and Public

Affairs 9 (1980)

Philippa Foot, “Moral Belief,” Virtues and Vices (New York: Oxford University California Press, 2002)

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