The purpose of life : an Eastern philosophical vision / Carlo Filice.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Filice, Carlo.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Life.

Philosophy, Asian.

Physical Description:

vii, 146 pages ; 23 cm

Other Title:

Eastern philosophical vision

Place of Publication:

Lanham [Md.] : University Press of America, 2011.

Summary:

"Suppose that this world is not an accident, but an expression of a divine super-mind. What might motivate a divine super-mind to express itself? This book boldly contends that divine motives are guided by values that exist objectively. We exist to realize and enhance such values. This text defends a cosmic vision that has been prominent in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years--a vision often embraced within the New Age movement. However, its defense here is strictly philosophical. Filice argues that even as characters in an imaginative divine game we still carry independent value, that a world governed by such values should be a fair world, and that earthly moral goals cannot be our only ambition. 'The Purpose of Life' maintains that any divine being(s) involved must be in perpetual process, that humans must not be the only embodied subjects that matter, and that each of us is destined to live many lives. Easy-to-read, the book's 73 mini-chapters are specificaly tailored to fit the stop-and-go rhythm of daily life"--Publisher's description, back cover.

Contents:

1 Why? 1

2 Basic questions and basic answers 3

3 The scientific no-purpose view 5

4 The possible meaning of it all 7

5 Divine motives 9

6 Value as the key to it all 11

7 The gods must recognize value 13

8 Freedom is not arbitrariness 15

9 Worlds as entertainment value 17

10 Entertainment value leads to other forms of value 19

11 Gods, imagined worlds, and participation 21

12 Value is not merely in the eye of the beholder 23

13 The gods must affirm the value of an inner life 25

14 Feeling makes value 27

15 Feeling makes value. Part two 29

16 Feeling makes value. Part three 31

17 Can we really imagine god-beings? 33

18 Gods, longings, and action 35

19 The life of an active god 37

20 The gods as temporal beings 39

21 Imagining a god and its temporal element. Part two 41

22 Imagining a god and its temporal element. Part three 43

23 A god needs worlds 45

24 A god needs worlds. Part two 47

25 More divine imaginings: variety 49

26 More divine imaginings: surprise 51

27 A first summary: we are here because we enhance value 53

28 We are here because we enhance value. Part two 55

29 The value of products 57

30 The value of products. Part two 59

31 Real versus phony accomplishing 61

32 Agency 63

33 Agency and advanced free will 65

34 Reflection and multiple value standards 67

35 Autonomy and the role of culture 69

36 Autonomy and the sacred individual 71

37 Sacred individuals 73

38 Sacred individuals. Part two 75

39 Human sacredness and divine sacredness 77

40 Unfinished gods 79

41 Human sacredness and animal sacredness 81

42 Human sacredness and animal sacredness. Part two 83

43 Sacredness and duties of moral agents 85

44 Sacredness and institutional duties of moral agents 87

45 Sacredness and the just society 89

46 Sacredness and the just society. Part two 91

47 Sacredness and the just society. Part three 93

48 Sacredness and the just society. Part four 95

49 If value drives this world, why is it such a mixed bag? 97

50 Why a finite life? 99

51 Why a finite life? Part two 101

52 Combining finiteness and immortality 103

53 Combining finiteness and immortality. Part two 105

54 Why is this finite life so fragile and precarious? 107

55 Why is life seemingly unfair? 109

56 Why is life seemingly unfair? Part two 111

57 Is a multiple-lives scheme itself fair? 113

58 Is a multiple-lives scheme itself fair? Part two 115

59 Is a multiple-lives scheme the best one? 117

60 Child tragedies and one-life compensatory schemes 119

61 Is a multiple-lives scheme the best one? Part two 121

62 Is a multiple-lives scheme the best one? Part three 123

63 Is moral accomplishment the unique human purpose? 125

64 Moral accomplishments and many lives: the multiple chances issue 127

65 Moral accomplishments and many lives: fair and genuine testing 129

66 We are here for more than moral purposes 131

67 Our uniquely human purpose 133

68 The end-game 135

69 The horrors 137

70 Massive harm to innocents caused by humans 139

71 Massive harm to innocents caused by humans. Part two 141

72 Natural massive harm to innocents 143

73 Epilogue 145.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page [147]).

ISBN:

9780761855828

0761855823

OCLC:

733232777