"What is the meaning of life?" Now there's a question that has intrigued philosophers in ancient times to the spiritual seekers of our times. One thing can be said for sure: there is no easy answer given the complexity of the human adventure, Divine action in history, and the mysterious universe.
Jonathan Haidt, who teaches psychology at the University of Virginia, takes on the challenge of answering it and proves himself to be a polymath who enjoys puzzles and conundrums of this sort. His quest is given added value by his research on morality, the moral emotions, positive psychology, religion and politics.
In ten chapters, Haidt covers a lot of ground beginning with the self that is rife with divisions: mind vs. body, left vs. right, new vs. old, and controlled vs. automatic. He uses the metaphor of a rider on the back of an elephant to convey the difficulties we encounter thanks to our divided minds.
Haidt cranks up the volume with essays on the uses of meditation, cognitive therapy, and Prozac to change our minds. Since our lives are the creation of our minds, it is possible to be animated by love and reciprocity, two virtues which are "the basic currency of social life." Judgmentalism and hypocrisy are forces which tear at the ideals and the cohesive fabric of community.
Midway through the book, Haidt hits high stride with a fascinating examination of the yin and the yang of happiness. Next up is a look at love and attachments; the uses of adversity; the felicity of virtue; and divinity with or without God. There is also a thought-provoking section on the role of religion in the search for the meaning of life.
Where does Haidt wind up in his happiness hypothesis? He finds wisdom and insights in Eastern collectivism and Western individualism. He pulls down the walls between the political ideals of liberals and conservatives. Instead of an either/or world, happiness puts our tent up in a both/and world of many possibilities.
