Original scientific paper

The Meaning of Life

Boran Berčić

Abstract

The author argues that the question about the meaning of life should primarily be understood as the question about the logical structure of the reasons for acting. That is, the question about the meaning of life is primarily a quest for rational reconstruction of our practical reason. The fact that many of our actions may be justified within the framework of instrumental rationality naturally suggests that at the end of the chain of justification there must be ultimate reason/s for acting. Usual candidates are happiness, objective purpose, care for others, etc. Author rejects all of these answers and argues that the framework of instrumental rationality is ill understood in this context, because many things that we do in our lives do not have only instrumental value but intrinsic value as well. That is, the author rejects the idea that there must be a single reason for acting and finally argues in favour of value pluralism.

Keywords

Meaning of life; instrumental racionalism; intrinsic value; acting; logic of questions

Hrčak ID:

4596

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/4596

Publication date:

3.4.2006.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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