The Meaning of Life, Spring 2026

This is the course blog for Phil 3375, The Meaning of Life, at Southern Methodist University. Contact: jkazez@smu.edu

Monday, February 16, 2026

Review for Exam 1

PREVIEW

  • Wednesday: exam
  • Friday: our first presentation, also we will start talking about Nietzsche
  • Next week: need Nietzsche, The Gay Science
  • Week after that: we will start talking about meaning, you will need Tolstoy

_________________________

QUIZ

  • feedback page
  • most did well...could you do as well on other questions?
  • if you didn't do well...need to make better use of class blog
  • need to cover advice with specificity, not just express stoic outlook in a vague way
  • stay on topic, clarify, elaborate, give examples
_________________________

EXAM 1 REVIEW

Use the workbook, add a question, use Exam 1 review page

(1) Explaining arguments

  • Not just a controversial thing someone says--"virtue is the only thing that matters"
  • Reasoning FROM premises TO conclusion
  • Sometimes useful to set up in list form
            PREMISE 1
            PREMISE 2
            CONCLUSION

  • The conclusion is that happiness is not all that matters
  • Nozick says that over and over again in the readings
  • Should be able to state the two premises
  • OBJECTIONS
    • Should understand how the objections relate to the premises
    • Vitrano's escapism objection
    • What would be an objection to premise 1?
(3) Eudaimonia
  • Eudaimonism (Aristotle, Epictetus)
  • Happiness is the supreme good, but it is NOT a feeling
  • Better translation of "eudaimonia": human flourishing, doing well, the good life
  • Aristotle: you have it by living an active life of reason, with virtue & also having some external goods
  • Epictetus: you have it just by having virtue
  • Feeling good is merely a byproduct, not what it is to have eudaimonia

(4) Arguments in Aristotle -- the PDF is helpful!

(5) Aristotle challenge -- all those virtues 
  • Memorize a few in the list
(6) Epictetus challenge -- all that advice 
(7) Mill -- Utilitarianism vs. hedonism
  • Utilitarianism: we are morally obligated to maximize total happiness for all
  • Hedonism: what makes my life good is nothing but happiness
  • Evil happy people...

  • list of higher, lower pleasures
    • intellect, feelings, imagination, moral sentiments
    • mere sensation
  • How does he know that the first sent of pleasures are higher quality?
  • What is Mill saying about Socrates, the fool, the pig?
  • How would Vitrano see them?
(9) Tricky things in Vitrano -- life satisfaction post
  • why LS theory is better than pleasure theory
  • Haybron's objection to LS
  • Vitrano's reply to Haybron
(10) More Nozick points-- post
  • What else matters?
  • Nozick's life contour argument