The Meaning Of Lives Susan Wolf Summary

In the excerpt from “The Meaning of Lives”, Susan Wolf presents a series of arguments explaining what it means for a life to have meaning. In this paper, I will consider her theory in relation to a specific example where someone has a choice between a meaningful life with difficulties and a simple, content life that is, according to Wolf, not meaningful.

Let us imagine an opportunity given to a man called Galen, a former mechanical engineer who lives a remote life with his family on a small farm far from any civilization. He is offered the opportunity to live a relatively luxurious life in return for leading the construction of a new weapon that is a technological marvel far beyond anything else in existence. Though his life may improve as a result, Galen is aware that this weapon will be the source of pain and suffering for countless others. Additionally, the technology developed in the process may also be used for positive developments to increase the quality of life for people in the future.
Although happy, he seeks no improvements to his way of life and prefers to keep to himself. Alternatively, the opportunity presented to Galen (B) could be attributed as meaningful. While his work may be initially used for destruction, it has the potential to provide significant benefits to the world in the future. In comparison, the scientist Wernher von Braun worked in Nazi Germany’s rocket development program before being assimilated into the United States after the war. Braun then proceeded to work as the chief architect behind the Saturn V rocket, which brought the Apollo spaceship to the moon and allowed the satellites for our technology we rely on to exist. In much of the same way, I believe Wolf would consider Galen’s work, while initially harmful, to be a positive development in the future. In turn, this would make his life have