The Possibility of Meaning in Human Evolution
Science undermines the certitude of non-naturalistic answers to the question of whether human life has meaning. I explore whether evolution can provide a naturalistic basis for existential meaning. Using the work of philosopher Daniel Dennett and scientist Ursula Goodenough, I argue that evolution i...
| Auteur principal: | |
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| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | En cours de chargement...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publié: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2000
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| Dans: |
Zygon
Année: 2000, Volume: 35, Numéro: 4, Pages: 861-880 |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
Self-consciousness
B Science B Biology B life forms B Language B Intentionality B Évolution B Emergence B Species B Significance B Existence B Symbole B emergent functions B Consciousness B Religion B Purpose B Reductionism B ORGANISMS B Value B Life B Worldview B Naturalism B Philosophy B Meaning B Existentialism |
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Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Résumé: | Science undermines the certitude of non-naturalistic answers to the question of whether human life has meaning. I explore whether evolution can provide a naturalistic basis for existential meaning. Using the work of philosopher Daniel Dennett and scientist Ursula Goodenough, I argue that evolution is the locus of the possibility of meaning because it has produced intentionality, the matrix of consciousness. I conclude that the question of the meaning of human life is an existentialist one: existential meaning is a product of the individual and collective tasks human beings undertake. |
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| ISSN: | 1467-9744 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Zygon
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/1467-9744.00317 |