Hassidic Idealism and the Meaning of Life

In this chapter, I distinguish different meanings of the word “meaning.” I argue that the truth of theism isn’t a necessary condition for our living meaningful lives (if what we mean by “meaning” is a certain sort of value). By contrast, I argue that the truth of a very specific form of theism (which I call “Hassidic Idealism”) is a necessary condition for our living meaningful lives (if what we mean by “meaning” is a certain sort of significance). If Hassidic Idealism is true, then our entire lives, from moment to moment, and in every situation, take on a particular form of cosmic significance. This in turn entails that our lives are, at least potentially, much more valuable under the assumption of Hassidic idealism.