Iddo Landau opens Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World with a thought on Hamlet’s famous question, “To be, or not to be,” wondering why he failed to raise a third possibility, “that of improving the way things are.” The University of Haifa philosophy professor hasn’t written a handbook for social change as much as a refutation of the apathy that can arise from anxiety over the possibility that individual lives are ultimately meaningless. Landau maintains that life isn’t perfect, most of us will never accomplish all our goals, everything we know might one day be proven wrong, most of us will be forgotten within a generation of our death—and yet, don’t despair. By holding an overly pessimistic view of human potential (the flipside of painting the world in rose colors), we limit our ability to find or create meaning. Unlike many of his academic colleagues, content to play games with words, Landau returns philosophy to its ancient premise of helping us achieve more fulfilling lives.
