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Essay Available:
Pages:
4 pages/≈1100 words
Sources:
1 Source
Style:
APA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Term Paper
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 17.28
Topic:

“The Meaning of Lives” by Susan Wolf. Her View on the Meaning of Life

Term Paper Instructions:

In this paper, you will argue that you would, or would not, want to live forever. In doing so, discuss Susan Wolf’s analysis of the meaning of life, argue for your position, and then provide a criticism and response.
For many of you, this is your first philosophy class. To give direction to your writing, this paper will be highly structured. I’ll give you the outline of a great philosophy paper, and you fill it in with content. Assume that your reader knows nothing about philosophy. Write in a way that would make sense to a friend or roommate. Your paper should be concise and on point. Once you’ve written a draft, read each sentence in isolation and ask yourself “what does this contribute to the argument as a whole?” Maybe the sentence is already perfect, but more often than not a sentence can be tightened up or deleted entirely.
1. In the first paragraph, introduce the issue and state your thesis, all in four sentences or less. Space is limited, so you’ll have to get to the point quickly!
2. In the second paragraph, describe Wolf’s view on the meaning of life. Be sure to explain what she means by the meaning of life, where she believes meaning comes from, and why she holds this view.
3. In the third paragraph, argue that you would, or would not, want to live forever. In your argument, explicitly consider the implications of Wolf’s view.
4. In the fourth paragraph, give a criticism of your argument and then respond to it.
5. In the fifth paragraph, provide a brief conclusion.
In making your arguments, it will be useful to refer to “The Meaning of Lives” by Susan Wolf, lecture notes, and online slides.
Paper specifications:
• Your essay should be 1,000-1,400 words (about 4 pages double spaced).
• Submit your paper through iLearn by 11:55pm on Oct 1.
• The file format must be a pdf or a word doc. Pages files and Google doc files will not be accepted.
• Include in-text citations and a works cited page using MLA or APA formatting.
• Do not use outside sources.
• Late papers will be penalized 1/2 point per day, rounded up.

Term Paper Sample Content Preview:

Paper 1
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Paper 1
Meaning of Life
The prospect of living forever has puzzled almost every human being, where some are fascinated by the idea of immortality, and others think that this is not a good idea. The idea of living forever has moved from folklore, literature, Greek mythology and fiction movies to the laboratory, where scientists around the world are working hard to create immortal species. Susan Wolf provides a detailed explanation of the meaning of life. Based on the arguments supporting living forever and the counterarguments presented in the paper, living forever makes life more meaningful.
Susan Wolf View on the Meaning of Life
According to Wolf, life is meaningful when “subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness (Wolf, 2010, p. 26). Subjective attraction means deeply caring about something or things, while objective attractiveness refers to the value something has for which an individual cares about. According to Wolf (2010), living a meaningful life entails engaging in actions that are neither motivated by one’s self-interest and welfare, nor by the demands of morality. Concisely, she suggests that a meaningful life involves a person doing things that they love but not for their happiness or out of a compulsory duty. Doing some things do not require an objective perspective and instead, what compels a person to do such things is an imagined or perceived value that lies outside oneself. This means that one can act for the wellbeing of others (Wolf, 2010). Wolf presumes that without love for the things that lie outside oneself, or in other words absence of active engagement with such things, the lives of humans are meaningless. Nevertheless, she indicates that not everything done by an individual for love makes their lives meaningful. Some things done by people for love are worthless and should not be done at all. Wolf believes that sometimes people see value in something that does not have any and love the things that they should not. Therefore, according to Wolf (2010), life is meaningful only when one engages with what deserves the love and attention they bestow on it (Wolf, 2010). She states, “Meaningfulness arises from loving objects worthy of love and engaging with them in a positive way (Wolf, 2010, p. 8).”
According to the above argument by Wolf, life's meaningfulness is neither entirely subjective nor is it exclusively objective (Wolf, 2010). Wolf simply suggests that for one’s life to have a meaning, the subjective and objective components must come together. For instance, fulfillment is, even though being subjective, more than just pleasure. She indicates that fulfillment is a type of pleasure that results from the engagement with what is considered to be objectively good. Thus, she goes on and points out that things that offer an individual with an opportunity to realize their potential, develop their power, or achieve excellence are examples of things that make them fittingly fulfilled (Wolf, 2010). However, she emphasizes that there are other things that do not meet these criteria but are also fittingly fulfilling. What is apparent in this argument is the object being insufficient in giving an individ...
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