According to Wolf’s Fitting Fulfillment theory, meaning “arises when subjective attraction meets objective attractiveness” (Wolf 9). While Wolf emphasizes the necessity of objective values in living a meaningful life, she does not provide a systematic framework in which objective values are defined and can be used to evaluate individual lives. Jonathan Haidt, one of the commentators of Wolf’s work, offers the concepts of “vital engagement” and “hive psychology” that are meant to solve the problem of objective meaning raised by Wolf. In response to Haidt, Wolf does not agree that objective values are superfluous or dangerous but instead refines her argument regarding the guiding role of objective attractiveness in human lives. While Haidt seems
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Wolf re-emphasizes that no one has the authority to declare what has objective value. Instead, “the question of what projects and activities are objectively worthwhile is open to anyone and everyone to ask and try to answer” (Wolf 124). While Wolf has made the argument that the goldfish-loving lady does not lead a meaningful life, her opinion is still subjective even though it evokes objective values. Wolf even proceeds to claim that there exists an interdependent relationship between subjective interest and objective value and that “almost anything people find valuable (stably and in significant numbers), is valuable” (Wolf 128). This relationship also provides us with guidance on how to identify objective values and how objective values emerge. Objective values can emerge from “brute attraction or interest interacting with drives to excellence, creativity, and sociability” (Wolf 130). For example, lawn-mowing racing can be considered as a “brute attraction”. However, if someone can transform the initial interest of lawn-mowing racing to an abundance of activity that explores human potential and cultivates sense of community, then there can be objective values in lawn-mowing racing. While Wolf admits that there are various ways through which objective values can emerge, the implied criteria for objective values, “excellence, creativity, and sociability” are still “politically liberal bourgeois American”. Wolf has not sufficiently address Haidt’s concern that the default value system underlying her lectures is extremely narrow. After all, Wolf clarifies that objective values are not supposed to be used to rank individual lives according to their degrees of meaningfulness. Instead, objective values, or the idea of objective values, ought to help us become more mindful with the
Wolf re-emphasizes that no one has the authority to declare what has objective value. Instead, “the question of what projects and activities are objectively worthwhile is open to anyone and everyone to ask and try to answer” (Wolf 124). While Wolf has made the argument that the goldfish-loving lady does not lead a meaningful life, her opinion is still subjective even though it evokes objective values. Wolf even proceeds to claim that there exists an interdependent relationship between subjective interest and objective value and that “almost anything people find valuable (stably and in significant numbers), is valuable” (Wolf 128). This relationship also provides us with guidance on how to identify objective values and how objective values emerge. Objective values can emerge from “brute attraction or interest interacting with drives to excellence, creativity, and sociability” (Wolf 130). For example, lawn-mowing racing can be considered as a “brute attraction”. However, if someone can transform the initial interest of lawn-mowing racing to an abundance of activity that explores human potential and cultivates sense of community, then there can be objective values in lawn-mowing racing. While Wolf admits that there are various ways through which objective values can emerge, the implied criteria for objective values, “excellence, creativity, and sociability” are still “politically liberal bourgeois American”. Wolf has not sufficiently address Haidt’s concern that the default value system underlying her lectures is extremely narrow. After all, Wolf clarifies that objective values are not supposed to be used to rank individual lives according to their degrees of meaningfulness. Instead, objective values, or the idea of objective values, ought to help us become more mindful with the