The Heart of the Matter: a Case for Meaning in a Material World

Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl said, "Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life." Yet some contemporary voices claim that increased knowledge of the material world must diminish our sense of meaning. Physicist Steven Weinberg said, "The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless." Many people hold the material and meaningful perspectives separate in their minds, in a state of uneasy truce. The Heart of the Matter: A Case for Meaning in a Material World tells us that this split vision is not necessary, and shows us how the two views can be harmonized to give depth to our picture of the world. It looks at current scientific observations from astronomy, biology and physics, as well as insights from mathematics, philosophy, psychology and religion. We are left with a sense of wonder at both the mechanics and the values of the world, the "how" and the "why" of events. This book will appeal to everyone fascinated by how our world works, and especially to those who wonder how such marvelous mechanisms can leave room for the values and purpose that give meaning to our lives, and to our world.