PHV327 The Purpose of Life in Philosophical Texts - Reading

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Josef Petrželka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Josef Petrželka, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
PHBP Proseminar && SOUHLAS
  • ability to read philosophical texts in English with comprehension
  • the ability to acquire texts to work with
  • willingness to actively participate in classroom discussions on the issues outlined in the course objectives
    • Course Enrolment Limitations
    The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

    The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
    Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
    fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
    there are 6 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
    Course objectives
    The aim of the course is to clarify the philosophical context of the question of the meaning of life and to assess the relationship of selected philosophical texts to this question with the intention of framing it historically. In doing so, the course will focus on the following questions and an assessment of how to answer them:

  • How exactly can one grasp the question of the meaning of life?

  • What are the strategies for answering in our texts?

  • Can we speak of a search for the meaning of life already in the earliest European philosophy?

    • Learning outcomes
    Upon completion of the course the student will be able to:
    - distinguish the possible meanings of the question of the meaning of life;
    - place it in a historical-philosophical context;
    - interpret philosophical texts related to this question with understanding.
    Syllabus
    • 1. Introductory organizational lesson - introduction to the work, division of topics.

      2. Introductory systematic review:

      -- a. Wendel O‘Brien. “The Meaning of Life: Early Continental and Analytic Perspectives.” The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, https://iep.utm.edu/mean-ear/.

      -- b. Metz, Thaddeus, "The Meaning of Life", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2023/entries/life-meaning/.

      3. The question after the meaning of life and philosophy? For and against:

      -- a. Wolf, Susan. ‘The Meanings of Lives’, in Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, ed. J. Perry, M. Bratman and J. Fischer, 7th edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. S. 837–849.

      -- b. Leach, Stephen – Tartaglia, James. The meaning of life and the great philosophers. London: Routledge, 2018. Postscript: The blue flower, s. 274–283.

      4. Historical origins of the term and of the explicit reflection on the meaning of life:

      -- a. Leach, Stephen – Tartaglia, James. The meaning of life and the great philosophers. London: Routledge, 2018. Preface, s. x-xii.

      -- b. Landau, Iddo. Why has the question of the meaning of life arisen in the last two and a half centuries. Philosophy Today. Summer 1997; 41, 2. P. 263–269.

      -- c. Tolstoj, Lev Nikolajevič. Zpověď. (Ev.. „Hlavní podmínky štěstí“, „Láska a smysl života“). In Tolstoj, Lev Nikolajevič. Myšlenky. Praha: Melantrich, 1973. S. 7–47. (Ev.. 48–56.)

      5. Socrates and the meaning of life?

      -- a. Plato. Apology of Socrates.

      -- b. Plato. Phaedo 57a–69e + 107a–118a.

      -- c. Ev. Grayling, A. C. „Socrates and the meaning of life.“ In Leach, Stephen – Tartaglia, James. The meaning of life and the great philosophers. London: Routledge, 2018. S. 27–32.

      5. Marcus Aurelius and the meaning of life?

      -- a. Marcus Aurelius. Meditations. Book II–IV.

      6. Boëthius and the meaning of life?

      -- a. Boëthius. Consolation of Philosophy. Book III.

      7. Happiness and the meaning of life?

      -- a. La Mettrie, Julien Offray. Anti-Seneka.

      -- b. Ev. Pichová, Dagmar. Émilie Du Châtelet, Rozprava o štěstí. Praha: Dybbuk, 2016.

      8. Analytic philosophy and the meaning of life - B. Russell:

      -- a. Russell, Bertrand. Free Man’s Worship. In Russell, Bertrand. Mysticism and Logic. London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1986. S. 9–19.

      -- b. Ev. Russell, Bertrand. The Conquest of Happiness, 1930. Chap. VI „Envy“ (p. 83–95), XV „Impersonal interests“ (p. 219–229), XVII „The happy man“ (příp. + Introduction D. C. Dennetta z r. 2013). On-line https://russell-j.com/beginner/COH-TEXT.HTM.

      9. God and the meaning of life:

      -- a. William Lane Craig. The Absurdity of Life without God. https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/popular-writings/existence-nature-ofgod/the-absurdity-of-life-without-god

      -- b. Ayer, Alfred Jules. The Claims of Philosophy. In The Meaning of Life. Ed. E. D. Klemke and Steven Cahn. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, Chapter 16, s. 199–202.

      -- c. Tartaglia, James. „Ayer and the meaning of life.“ In Leach, Stephen – Tartaglia, James. The meaning of life and the great philosophers. London: Routledge, 2018. S. 237–244.

      10. Patočka and the meaning of history and life:

      -- a. Patočka, Jan. Kacířské eseje o filosofii dějin. 6. vyd. In Péče o duši III (SS-3/PD-III), Praha 2002, s. 11–144. 3. Mají dějiny smysl? S. 61–83.

      11. Possibly other texts based on suggestions from learners.
    Literature
      required literature
    • c. Tolstoj, Lev Nikolajevič. Zpověď. (Příp. „Hlavní podmínky štěstí“, „Láska a smysl života“). In Tolstoj, Lev Nikolajevič. Myšlenky. Praha: Melantrich, 1973. S. 7–47. (Příp. 48–56.)
    • b. Leach, Stephen – Tartaglia, James. The meaning of life and the great philosophers. London: Routledge, 2018.
    • b. Metz, Thaddeus, "The Meaning of Life", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), URL = .
    • a. Wendel O‘Brien. “The Meaning of Life: Early Continental and Analytic Perspectives.” The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, https://iep.utm.edu/mean-ear/, 20. 8. 2024.
    • PATOČKA, Jan. Kacířské eseje o filosofii dějin. 3., opr. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2007, 135 s. ISBN 9788072982752. info
    • PLATÓN. Euthyfrón ; Obrana Sókrata ; Kritón. Translated by František Novotný. 5. opr. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2005, 111 s. ISBN 8072981404. info
    • PLATÓN. Faidón. Translated by František Novotný. 6., opr. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2005, 107 s. ISBN 8072981587. info
    • BOËTHIUS, Anitius Manlius Torquatu. Filosofie utěšitelka. Translated by Josef Hrůša. Vyd. 1. V Olomouci: Votobia, 1995, 217 s. ISBN 80-7198-021-8. info
    • MARCUS AURELIUS, Antoninus. Hovory k sobě. Translated by Rudolf Kuthan. Vyd. 6. Praha: Svoboda, 1975, 194 s. info
    • LA METTRIE, Julien Offray de. Výbor z díla. Edited by Julien Offray de La Mettrie, Translated by Alena Šabatková. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, nakladatelství Československé akademie věd, 1966, 158 s. URL info
    • RUSSELL, Bertrand. Mysticism and logic and other essays. Longmans: Green and Co, 1918, vii, 234. info
    Teaching methods
    Reading of texts, discussion, classroom management by learners.
    Assessment methods
    Conditions for granting credit:

    1. multiple activity in class (one unexcused absence is allowed),

    2. didactic guidance of one lesson (individually or in pairs) - selection of passages to read and topics for discussion, preparation of questions on the text.
    Náhradní absolvování
    The course cannot be taken as an alternative.
    Language of instruction
    Czech
    Study support
    https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/phil/jaro2026/PHV327/index.qwarp
    Further Comments
    The course is taught annually.
    The course is taught every week.
    The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2025.
    • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2026, recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2026/PHV327