What could be more central to philosophy than the meaning of life? Perfectly respectable philosophical discussions can look ridiculous compared to questions about the point and purpose of life. Until we have an answer to the ultimate question, both philosophical debates and those ordinary questions that make up everyday life, are just games. This book will help you make sense of the confusion. Starting by questioning the question and looking at the views of great philosophers on life's meaning, James Garvey embarks on a thrilling journey through Augustinian belief in God's Plan, other, non-Western gods and religious answers, absurdity, nihilism, optimistic naturalism, what science has to say, the meaning of death, and finally, immortality. You may not find the answer, but at least by the end you'll have a better understanding of the question.