LOVE IN LIFE: A NEHAMASIAN ALTERNATIVE TO WOLF'S HYBRID VIEW OF MEANING IN LIFE

Abstract

This essay examines the distinct features of one’s life that make it meaningful, taking Susan Wolf’s hybrid view of meaning in life as a starting point. In the first part of this essay, I argue that Wolf’s conception of meaningfulness grounded in ‘subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness’ overlooks important sources of meaning in our lives, while also collapsing into the very notions of welfare she hopes to avoid. In the second part, I propose an alternative conception of meaning as endless loving that highlights the process of continual engagement in a dynamic relationship. This view, I maintain, not only addresses the critiques of Wolf presented in the first part, but also raises new implications for how we can add meaning to our lives.