Markus Rüther’s book “Meaning in Life”

Whe believes that he can find an everyday answer to the question of how to lead a successful life in a non-fiction book, which is generally not a new publication from academic philosophy, but rather the use of the steadily increasing range of advice, coaching and self-help literature. Markus Rüther has presented a book that combines both genres. Of course, this does not apply to the style, its rigor and precision, which identify him as a representative of contemporary analytic philosophy. This overlapping, hidden for long stretches in the definition cascades, only emerges openly at the end of the text in the form of an example.

Klaus and Maria are about to decide on a subject to study. That is why the two high school graduates have to make a choice between their artistic and scientific talents, according to the constellation constructed by the author. One decides to study art, the other to study medicine – in both cases “rationally underdetermined decision-making situations” in which, with regard to “which candidates for meaning they should realize”, no directive for action that can be proclaimed without a doubt could not be identified. It’s a good thing that the philosopher’s scrutiny can give the all-clear: Both could have opted for the respective alternative. Not because the duties of self-improvement can be exercised by promoting one’s own talents, but because the vocation to be an artist or a doctor can pave the way to a meaningful life.

The prognosis made in this way results from the ethical theory developed by Rüther, according to which meaning should be considered as a normatively independent and objectively definable dimension of a good life. The perspective of meaning cannot be reduced to the competing demands of morality and subjective well-being, which are also often put forward for a successful life.

Oriented towards the beautiful, true and good

In order to justify this autonomy of meaning, Rüther starts his argumentation with an assumption that should methodically guide his project to the end: “Only a theory that explains in an intuitively understandable way those aspects that the lives of Picasso, Making Einstein and Mother Teresa meaningful lives can claim to have developed a convincing theory of meaning.”

Finally, the following thesis emerges: A life can rise into the sphere of meaningful existence if it is dedicated to art, science or unselfish help and renounces immoral actions in an exemplary manner based on the above-mentioned representatives of a “superlatively meaningful life”. . The author identifies such activities as their “subject-transcendent” quality, which means their selfless orientation towards others.