PP1ML: The Meaning of Life

Module code: PP1ML

Module provider: Philosophy; School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Credits: 20

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Mr Steven Wu , email: stevendeon.wu@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 11 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

What is the meaning of life? What is meaning in life? These are perhaps some of the most important philosophical question we can ask. Indeed, what are these questions really asking? In this module, we seek some answers. Along the way, we will consider a series of fascinating questions which promise to enlighten our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. Is death bad (or bad for the person who dies)? Is there any reason to fear death? What makes life worth living? Are we cosmically insignificant? Is a good life the same as a meaningful life? 

Students will gain an understanding of different perspectives on the meaning of life. A mix of lectures, class discussions, online content, assignments, feedback and structured reading will be used to enable you to reflectively and critically engage with these perspectives. 

In discussions and in your assignments, you will have the chance to develop, explain and defend your own understanding of the meaning of life. The ideas you engage with on this course provide an excellent introduction to many foundational issues across many topics in philosophy, as they include important topics in Ethics, Biomedical Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Political Philosophy, and many others. Moreover, the ideas you engage with in this course, and the reflective and critical thinking skills you develop in the process, will be important not just in your other modules, but throughout the rest of your life! 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Understand a variety of perspectives on the meaning of life, including perspectives from outside of philosophy and from different philosophical traditions. 
2. Understand a number of foundational topics in philosophy and particularly value theory. 
3. Be able to identify and critically engage with different perspectives on the meaning of life. 
4. Have developed your ability to organize material and articulate arguments effectively, both orally and in writing. 
5. Have developed your ability to work effectively in groups to research and present collective findings using appropriate technologies.  

Module content

This module addresses the issue of the meaning of life from several different perspectives. We will begin by considering some of the different ways we might interpret the question before moving on to consider a series of answers. Much of the discussion will be grounded in real world examples and ‘thought experiments’, focusing on questions such as whether death is bad and whether pleasure is the only thing that makes a life go well. 

The module also aims to: 

• Develop critical and reflective thinking skills. 
• Develop independent study skills such as use and selection of sources. 
• Develop an awareness of virtues of collaborating across disciplinary boundaries through encountering the ways that philosophical ideas play a role in many areas such as psychology and medicine, and the ways that input from other fields can help us make progress in answering philosophical questions.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Each week, there will be a two-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar. The lecture will primarily consist of a presentation from the module convenor, but may also include other activities such as quizzes, surveys, open discussion, and group work. The seminars will primarily involve group