The Meaning of Life in the 21st Century

The Meaning of Life in the 21st Century PDF Author: Don Hanlon Johnson Ph. D.
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595451888
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
A collection of twenty cutting-edge essays on issues raised by biotechnology's increasing impact on humans and nature, The Meaning of Life in the 21st Century provides a forward-looking discussion by a wide array of prominent experts on where today's scientific discoveries are taking humankind. The theme is that there are expanded perspectives for retaining unique meanings of being human in the 21st century. This collection is the result of a 2005 conference organized by the Yoko Civilization Research Institute of Japan. Organized into themes by Dr. Don Hanlon Johnson, these essays present deeply informed, sometimes conflicting views of complex issues, which, in the contemporary world, are inescapably global, including: Science and religion in a pivotal age Science, experience, and values Stem cells, embryos, and the meaning of embodiment Enhancement and transformative practices Religion and ecology: a growing alliance Bringing a diversity of prominent thinkers from several continents to the scientific, sociopolitical, and religious issues at the forefront of contemporary challenges, this collection makes clear that the world is now a community which faces these issues together. This serious, thoughtful book, rich in dialogue, provides hope for new perspectives for developing a positive, sustainable future.

The Meaning of Life in the 21st Century

The Meaning of Life in the 21st Century PDF Author: Don Hanlon Johnson Ph. D.
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595451888
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Get Book Here

Book Description
A collection of twenty cutting-edge essays on issues raised by biotechnology's increasing impact on humans and nature, The Meaning of Life in the 21st Century provides a forward-looking discussion by a wide array of prominent experts on where today's scientific discoveries are taking humankind. The theme is that there are expanded perspectives for retaining unique meanings of being human in the 21st century. This collection is the result of a 2005 conference organized by the Yoko Civilization Research Institute of Japan. Organized into themes by Dr. Don Hanlon Johnson, these essays present deeply informed, sometimes conflicting views of complex issues, which, in the contemporary world, are inescapably global, including: Science and religion in a pivotal age Science, experience, and values Stem cells, embryos, and the meaning of embodiment Enhancement and transformative practices Religion and ecology: a growing alliance Bringing a diversity of prominent thinkers from several continents to the scientific, sociopolitical, and religious issues at the forefront of contemporary challenges, this collection makes clear that the world is now a community which faces these issues together. This serious, thoughtful book, rich in dialogue, provides hope for new perspectives for developing a positive, sustainable future.

Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century

Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century PDF Author: Jeanne E. Arnold
Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
ISBN: 1938770900
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 181

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Book Description
Winner of the 2014 John Collier Jr. Award Winner of the Jo Anne Stolaroff Cotsen Prize Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century cross-cuts the ranks of important books on social history, consumerism, contemporary culture, the meaning of material culture, domestic architecture, and household ethnoarchaeology. It is a distant cousin of Material World and Hungry Planet in content and style, but represents a blend of rigorous science and photography that these books can claim. Using archaeological approaches to human material culture, this volume offers unprecedented access to the middle-class American home through the kaleidoscopic lens of no-limits photography and many kinds of never-before acquired data about how people actually live their lives at home. Based on a rigorous, nine-year project at UCLA, this book has appeal not only to scientists but also to all people who share intense curiosity about what goes on at home in their neighborhoods. Many who read the book will see their own lives mirrored in these pages and can reflect on how other people cope with their mountains of possessions and other daily challenges. Readers abroad will be equally fascinated by the contrasts between their own kinds of materialism and the typical American experience. The book will interest a range of designers, builders, and architects as well as scholars and students who research various facets of U.S. and global consumerism, cultural history, and economic history.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

21 Lessons for the 21st Century PDF Author: Yuval Noah Harari
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0593132815
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the world’s most innovative thinkers explores what it means to be human in an age of bewilderment. “Fascinating . . . a crucial global conversation about how to take on the problems of the twenty-first century.”—Bill Gates, The New York Times Book Review A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR How can we protect ourselves from nuclear war or ecological catastrophe? What do we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? How should we prepare our children for the future? 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today’s most urgent issues as we move into the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive. In twenty-one accessible chapters that are both provocative and profound, Harari untangles political, technological, social, and existential issues and offers advice on how to prepare for a very different future from the world we now live in: How can we retain freedom of choice when Big Data is watching us? What will the future workforce look like, and how should we ready ourselves for it? Why is liberal democracy in crisis? Harari’s unique ability to make sense of where we have come from and where we are going has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. Here he invites us to consider values, meaning, and personal engagement in a world full of noise and uncertainty. When we are deluged with irrelevant information, clarity is power. Presenting complex contemporary challenges clearly and accessibly, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is essential reading.

The Meaning Of The 21st Century

The Meaning Of The 21st Century PDF Author: James Martin
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1448127580
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 363

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Book Description
James Martin, one of the world's most widely respected authorities on the impact of technology on society, argues that we are living at a turning point in human history. 'We are travelling at breakneck speed into an era of extremes - extremes of wealth and poverty, extremes in technology, extremes in globalization. If we are to survive, we must learn how to manage them all.' Although we face huge challenges and conflicts, Martin argues that it is in the scientific breakthroughs of the new century that we will find new hope. In a clear, penetrating and insightful style he addresses the key questions of our age and proposes an interconnected set of solutions to its problems.

Exploring the Meaning of Life

Exploring the Meaning of Life PDF Author: Joshua W. Seachris
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470658789
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 512

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Book Description
Much more than just an anthology, this survey of humanity's search for the meaning of life includes the latest contributions to the debate, a judicious selection of key canonical essays, and insightful commentary by internationally respected philosophers. Cutting-edge viewpoint features the most recent contributions to the debate Extensive general introduction offers unprecedented context Leading contemporary philosophers provide insightful introductions to each section

Beyond God

Beyond God PDF Author: Emmanuel Papadakis
Publisher: Iff Books
ISBN: 1780998910
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 157

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Book Description
Beyond God is the product of a scientist’s decade-long journey through Eastern and Western philosophy and religion inspired by the dramatic changes in modern science. Beginning from the perspective of secular Western atheism and believing the world is largely as we see it, the author considers the nature of reality more deeply: what science really tells us, what that means for religion and philosophy, and what that implies for how we choose to live. The result is an exploration of the key ideas in religion and philosophy that are compatible with recent scientific developments, which form the basis for a synthesis of Eastern and Western thought on the path to happiness. Beyond God considers the purpose of existence, what science really means for our view of the ‘meaning of life’, and how we should live it. ,

Meaning in Life and Why It Matters

Meaning in Life and Why It Matters PDF Author: Susan Wolf
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691154503
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
A fresh reflection on what makes life meaningful Most people, including philosophers, tend to classify human motives as falling into one of two categories: the egoistic or the altruistic, the self-interested or the moral. According to Susan Wolf, however, much of what motivates us does not comfortably fit into this scheme. Often we act neither for our own sake nor out of duty or an impersonal concern for the world. Rather, we act out of love for objects that we rightly perceive as worthy of love—and it is these actions that give meaning to our lives. Wolf makes a compelling case that, along with happiness and morality, this kind of meaningfulness constitutes a distinctive dimension of a good life. Written in a lively and engaging style, and full of provocative examples, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters is a profound and original reflection on a subject of permanent human concern.

Man Made God

Man Made God PDF Author: Luc Ferry
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226244857
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
What happens when the meaning of life based on a divine revelation no longer makes sense? Does the quest for transcendence end in the pursuit of material success and self-absorption? Luc Ferry argues that modernity and the emergence of secular humanism in Europe since the eighteenth century have not killed the search for meaning and the sacred, or even the idea of God, but rather have transformed both through a dual process: the humanization of the divine and the divinization of the human. Ferry sees evidence for the first of these in the Catholic Church's attempts to counter the growing rejection of dogmatism and to translate the religious tradition into contemporary language. The second he traces to the birth of modern love and humanitarianism, both of which demand a concern for others and even self-sacrifice in defense of values that transcend life itself. Ferry concludes with a powerful statement in favor of what he calls "transcendental humanism"—a concept that for the first time in human history gives us access to a genuine spirituality rooted in human beings instead of the divine.

Sick Souls, Healthy Minds

Sick Souls, Healthy Minds PDF Author: John Kaag
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691192162
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
James believed that philosophy was meant to articulate, and help answer, a single existential question, one which lent itself to the title of one of his most famous essays: "Is life worth living?" Through examination of an array of existentially loaded topics covered in his works-truth, God, evil, suffering, death, and the meaning of life-James concluded that it is up to us to make life worth living. He said that our beliefs, the truths that guide our lives, matter-their value and veracity turn on the way they play out practically for ourselves and our communities. For James, philosophy was about making life meaningful, and for some of us, liveable. This is the core of his "pragmatic maxim," that truth should be judged on the bases of its practical consequences. Kaag shows how James put this maxim into use in his philosophy and his life and how we can do so in our own. .

A Significant Life

A Significant Life PDF Author: Todd May
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022623570X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
“A tour de force. It is a thoughtful, subtle, beautifully written discussion of what it takes to live a meaningful life.” —Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice Throughout history most of us have looked to faith, relationships, or deeds to give our lives purpose. But in A Significant Life, philosopher Todd May offers an exhilarating new way of thinking about meaning, one deeply attuned to life as it actually is: a work in progress, a journey—and often a narrative. Offering moving accounts of his own life alongside rich engagements with philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, he shows us where to find the significance of our lives: in the way we live them. May starts by looking at the fundamental fact that life unfolds over time, and as it does so, it begins to develop certain qualities, certain themes. Our lives can be marked by intensity, curiosity, perseverance, or many other qualities that become guiding narrative values. These values lend meanings to our lives that are distinct from—but also interact with—the universal values we are taught to cultivate, such as goodness or happiness. Offering a fascinating examination of a broad range of figures—from music icon Jimi Hendrix to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to The Portrait of a Lady’s Ralph Touchett to Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler—May shows that narrative values offer a rich variety of criteria by which to assess a life, specific to each of us and yet widely available. They offer us a way of reading ourselves, who we are, and who we might like to be.