3 Matching Annotations
  1. Dec 2021
    1. In her book Meaning in Life and Why it Matters (2010), the US philosopher Susan Wolf has argued, against Taylor, that even if Sisyphus is feeling fulfilled, owing to the nature of the activity in which he is engaged, his feeling fulfilled is not reasonable. She argues that the object of an agent’s feeling of fulfilment is represented in the mind of the agent as being something that is objectively good. In the case of Sisyphus, even if he is fulfilled, he misrepresents the source of his fulfilment as good. So Wolf argues that the meaningfulness of an activity or goal is a function not only of one’s being fulfilled in engaging in it/pursuing it, but the feeling of fulfilment also needs to be a fitting response to the activity or goal. And it is only a fitting response if the activity or goal is objectively pursuit-worthy. What would render an activity or goal objectively pursuit-worthy? Objective pursuit-worthiness is in part owing to the value of the end or activity coming from outside of oneself. Wolf admits that determining objective pursuit-worthiness is not easy, and involves a process of discovery. A possibility not explicitly endorsed by Wolf (but not rejected by her, either) is that an activity or goal is objectively pursuit-worthy if engaging in that activity is conducive to the cultivation of virtues. My suggestion is that, so long as an activity is generally conducive to developing character traits and intellectual traits that will enhance and not impede the flourishing of both an agent and those with whom they interact, it is objectively pursuit-worthy.

      Intellectual and character growth holistically, in a positive manner. That is the objective worthiness of any task. These goals, must be outlined in any activity undertaken, and their worth must be scaled according to our own standards. Because time is limited, it serves us well to maximise the objective worthiness that we extract from any task/activity/job/career. Thus time frames must also be defined. A multifaceted growth mindset requires a constant reexamination of all these aspect- i.e.- objective worthiness and time frame. An unexamined life is not worth living, and this shall be applied ona daily basis. One must recognise where they lose time, fill those holes, and proceed to extract some meaning from it.

  2. May 2020
  3. Aug 2018