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The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World
If consciousness is "the hard problem" in mindscience--explaining how the amazing private world of consciousness emerges fromneuronal activity--then "the really hard problem," writes Owen Flanagan inthis provocative book, is explaining how meaning is possible in the material world.How can we make sense of the magic and mystery of life naturalistically,
...morePaperback, 288 pages
Published
April 30th 2009
by MIT Press (MA)
(first published November 1st 2007)
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Greg
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MFSO
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A couple of things that have happened since I started to read this book.
1) In the newest issue of Harpers there were two interesting articles. One about the prosperity churches run by snake oil con-men like Creflo Dollar and Eddie Long. The second was about a few murders of prisoners that happened at Guantanamo and were then covered up to look like suicides. These happened under GW's watch, and have have the colluding cover-up being done by Obama's people, two fine upstanding Ch...more
1) In the newest issue of Harpers there were two interesting articles. One about the prosperity churches run by snake oil con-men like Creflo Dollar and Eddie Long. The second was about a few murders of prisoners that happened at Guantanamo and were then covered up to look like suicides. These happened under GW's watch, and have have the colluding cover-up being done by Obama's people, two fine upstanding Ch...more
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UPDATE (via something I wrote in a discussion forum a few weeks ago about the relationship between science and philosophy):
A major problem I have with science generally is the idea that science can only be in the business of descriptive ethics (explaining WHAT people deem to be morally right and wrong) and cannot (somehow) be in the business of making normative ethical claims (what SHOULD be considered morally right and wrong in any given area of ethical examination). I understand wh...more
A major problem I have with science generally is the idea that science can only be in the business of descriptive ethics (explaining WHAT people deem to be morally right and wrong) and cannot (somehow) be in the business of making normative ethical claims (what SHOULD be considered morally right and wrong in any given area of ethical examination). I understand wh...more
It was a good book and a poorly written book at the same time. I appreciated two main things: 1) how Flanagan logically addressed some all-time great questions like what is happiness? how can we find meaning in a life that will end so soon and completely? how can science and religion find some common ground? and 2) how Flanagan writes that we can tolerate religion as long as it stays in the realm of stories and away from claiming the authority of sacred texts. Some of Flanagan’s basic prin...more
He is a philosopher w/ complete agreement with neurobiology and insists that it not be compromised. Describes various arenas of 21st century life in which we act/live and seek significance. I liked his use of 'fluorishing' rather than 'happiness' for the Greek eudaimonia. Final chapter was more personal -- celtic/catholic/philospher. He inclines toward bland christianity or buddhism as providing possible meaning in this material world. Not a strong book, kinda meandering. Possibly that is a...more
Christina Stind
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Recommends it for:
Henrik Harksen
Recommended to Christina Stind by:
Søren Harnow Klausen
Owen Flanagan tries in The Really Hard Problem. Meaning in a material world to explain why you can find a meaning with life even though you believe in science. His starting point is what he calls eudamonia - that is to thrive and be happy even though you live in this world where you are a finite being that will die at some point.
He discusses why we should try to do good when you're only here for a short while - because you can make a difference: ”Even if I am an animal, even if at the end...more
He discusses why we should try to do good when you're only here for a short while - because you can make a difference: ”Even if I am an animal, even if at the end...more
I can´t imagine any other (neuro)philosopher capable of putting into fruitful diologue the West and East traditions in science and spirituality in order to know better the causes, nature and constituents of what is a good life (aka, neuroeudaimonics)
This book was recommended to me by Dan Dennett. Some intteresting ideas, but too difuse for my taste.
Flanagan frustrates me, rarely delights, and at times satisfies.
I can't do this one right now.
just not feeling it.
just not feeling it.
For any philosopher unsure of their stance on naturalism; whether it be not sure what kind of naturalism is right, what kinds of limits naturalism has, or what naturalism has been up to lately, read this book! Flanagan takes up the challenge of the Right-Sellarsian project of naturalizing meaning with abnormal aplomb. This charm, indeed, may be both the books greatest strength and its greatest weakness. One almost feels that naturalism can't be so devoid of meaning if it can be the inspiration f...more
Sarah Coughlon
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Marcus
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Owen Flanagan, Ph.D. (born 1949) is the James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University. Flanagan has done work in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of social science, ethics, contemporary ethical theory, moral psychology, as well as Buddhist and Hindu conceptions of the self.
Flanagan earned his Ph.D from Boston University a...more
More about Owen J. Flanagan...
Flanagan earned his Ph.D from Boston University a...more
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