Jay Trott

Are meaning and purpose still possible in life? The age of philosophy and its pursuit of the good of happiness came to an end with nihilism. The philosophers equated the good with intellect, which led to divided descriptions of this value. Philosophy is divided by divided loves–Plato's love of pure intellect and Aristotle's love of nature and constructs of value–which is why it led to nihilism in the end. But it is possible to go beyond the ravages of nihilism by setting aside...

What is the secret to happiness? King Solomon was one of the greatest superachievers of all time and fabulously wealthy. He also had a reputation as the wisest man in the world. But at the end of his life he was so unhappy that he felt moved to cry out «all is vanity» and wish he had never been born. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon brilliantly diagnoses the causes of our continuing unhappiness and boils down the secret of peace and contentment to a few essential ingredients. The Great Reduction...