I think about this question a lot as well. Here are some pieces I’ve personally found particularly helpful in thinking about it:
Sharon Street, “Nothing ‘Really’ Matters, But That’s Not What Matters”: link
This is several levels deep in a conversation, but you might be able to read it on its own and get the gist, then go back and read some of the other stuff if you feel like it.
There is a book version, but I haven’t read it yet
Search terms that might help if you want to look for what philosophers have said about this:
meaning in/of life
moral epistemology
metaethics
terminal/final goals/ends
Some philosophers with relevant work:
Derek Parfit
Sharon Street
Christine Korsgaard
Bernard Williams
There is a ton of philosophical work on these sorts of things obviously, but I only wanted to directly mention stuff I’ve actually read.
If I had to summarize my current views on this (still very much in flux, and not something I necessarily live up to), I might say something like this:
Pick final goals that will be good both for you and for others. As Susan Wolf says, meaning comes from where “subjective valuing meets objective value,” and as Jonathan Haidt says, “happiness comes from between.” Some of this should be projects that will be fun/fulfilling for you and also produce value for others, some of this should be relationships (friendships, family, romantic, etc). But be prepared for those goals to update. I like romeostevensit’s phrasing elsethread: “goals are lighthouses not final destinations.” As Nate Soares says, “you don’t get to know what you’re fighting for”: what you’re fighting for will change over time, and that’s not a bad thing. Can’t remember the source for this (probably either the Sequences or Replacing Guilt somewhere), but the human mind will often transform an instrumental goal into a terminal goal. Unlike Eliezer, I think this really does signal a blurriness in the boundary between instrumental and terminal goals. Even terminal goals can be evaluated in light of other goals we have (making them at least a little bit instrumental), and if an instrumental goal becomes ingrained enough, we may start to care about it for its own sake. And when picking goals, start from where you are, start with what you already find yourself to care about, and go from there. The well-known metaphor of Neurath’s Boat goes like this: “We are like sailors who on the open sea must reconstruct their ship but are never able to start afresh from the bottom. Where a beam is taken away a new one must at once be put there, and for this the rest of the ship is used as support. In this way, by using the old beams and driftwood the ship can be shaped entirely anew, but only by gradual reconstruction.” See also Eliezer, “Created already in motion”. So start from what you already care about, and aim to have that evolve in a more consistent direction. Aim for goals that will be good for both you and others, but take care of the essentials for yourself first (as Jordan Peterson says, “Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world”). In order to help the world, you have to make yourself formidable (think virtue ethics). Furthermore, as Agnes Callard points out (link), the meaning in life can’t solely be to make others happy. The buck has to stop somewhere—“At some point, someone has to actually do the happying.” So again, look for places where you can do things that make you happy while also creating value for others.
I don’t claim this is at all airtight, or complete (as I said, still very much in flux), but it’s what I’ve come to after thinking about this for the last several years.
Thanks for all the links! It will take some time to read through them, but it’s good to have them all in one place:)
I especially appreciate you writing out your current views explicitly. Your view seems to boil down into useful heuristics/ strategies, but it doesn’t explain why they’re good. For example
Following these strategies for setting goals, I’ve noticed myself and those close to me being happier, and I haven’t burnt out doing this so it’s more sustainable.
I think about this question a lot as well. Here are some pieces I’ve personally found particularly helpful in thinking about it:
Sharon Street, “Nothing ‘Really’ Matters, But That’s Not What Matters”: link
This is several levels deep in a conversation, but you might be able to read it on its own and get the gist, then go back and read some of the other stuff if you feel like it.
Nate Soares’ “Replacing Guilt” series: http://mindingourway.com/guilt/
Includes much more metaethics than it might sound like it should.
Especially relevant: “You don’t get to know what you’re fighting for”; everything in the “Drop your Obligations” section
(Book) Jonathan Haidt: The Happiness Hypothesis: link
Checks ancient wisdom about how to live against the modern psych literature.
Susan Wolf on meaning in life: link
There is a book version, but I haven’t read it yet
Search terms that might help if you want to look for what philosophers have said about this:
meaning in/of life
moral epistemology
metaethics
terminal/final goals/ends
Some philosophers with relevant work:
Derek Parfit
Sharon Street
Christine Korsgaard
Bernard Williams
There is a ton of philosophical work on these sorts of things obviously, but I only wanted to directly mention stuff I’ve actually read.
If I had to summarize my current views on this (still very much in flux, and not something I necessarily live up to), I might say something like this:
I don’t claim this is at all airtight, or complete (as I said, still very much in flux), but it’s what I’ve come to after thinking about this for the last several years.
Thanks for all the links! It will take some time to read through them, but it’s good to have them all in one place:)
I especially appreciate you writing out your current views explicitly. Your view seems to boil down into useful heuristics/ strategies, but it doesn’t explain why they’re good. For example