Consequentialism, Welfarism, and Meaning in Life

Chad Stevenson

doi:10.1111/papq.12474

Consequentialism, Welfarism, and Meaning in Life

Chad Stevenson^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research School of Humanities & the Arts

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

What, if anything, makes a life meaningful? Consequentialist theories about meaning in life maintain that the consequences of that life confer meaning upon it. This article advances one such theory: welfarism about meaning in life. According to this view, a life is conferred meaning if, and only if, and then only insofar as, it promotes or protects the well-being of other welfare subjects. The purpose of this article is to show why welfarism about meaning in life is the most plausible theory about meaning in life.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	447-604
Number of pages	22
Journal	Pacific Philosophical Quarterly
Volume	105
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/papq.12474
Publication status	Published - 2024

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10.1111/papq.12474

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/papq.12474

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title = "Consequentialism, Welfarism, and Meaning in Life",

abstract = "What, if anything, makes a life meaningful? Consequentialist theories about meaning in life maintain that the consequences of that life confer meaning upon it. This article advances one such theory: welfarism about meaning in life. According to this view, a life is conferred meaning if, and only if, and then only insofar as, it promotes or protects the well-being of other welfare subjects. The purpose of this article is to show why welfarism about meaning in life is the most plausible theory about meaning in life.",

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Consequentialism, Welfarism, and Meaning in Life

Abstract

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