The World of Meaning

The meaning of life is something that has puzzled humanity for centuries and continues to inspire contemplation and discussion. Near the end of the nineteenth century, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche predicted that the West's obsession with viewing the world through a scientific lens would eventually lead to the "death of God"--the realization that our religious traditions would not hold up under scientific scrutiny and, therefore, would become unbelievable. This in turn, Nietzsche believed, would lead to nihilism and a loss of purpose. After all, without the existence of a transcendent reality, what is the point? Why continue living? Or better yet, if there is no God, why not do whatever we want whenever we want? In a million years, what will it matter?

The World of Meaning attempts to answer these questions by exploring the claim that humans essentially live in two worlds--the scientific world of objects and the conceptual world of meaning-- and although the objective world may be easier to measure scientifically, it appears that the world of meaning is our primary reality. Through the study of philosophy, science, and mythology, The World of Meaning attempts to prove the existence of this conceptual world and provide us with a blueprint for rediscovering the transcendent as well as the purpose of our lives.