The Quest for Meaning explores the deep-seated human need to create a life that is meaningful. In an effort to understand this need, author William Cooney examines the works of philosophers from Plato to Sartre as well as the insights of artists, poets, writers, psychologists, and film-makers. He discusses the nature of humanness, creation, freedom, and choice, all of which are facets of a meaningful life. Cooney also addresses postmodernism, arguing that it does not offer real guidance for those seeking a life of significance. Maintaining that some ways of creating meaning are preferable to others, he concludes that it is up to each individual to craft a meaningful life and that this process must take place within a context of giving and receiving.

William Cooney is a professor of philosophy at Hodges University and an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. He is past recipient of Teacher of the Year (Burlington Northern Faculty Excellence Award: Briar Cliff University) and Distinguished Scholarship Awards (Briar Cliff University and Marquette University). His other books include Reflections on Gabriel Marcel (ed.), Ten Great Thinkers, From Plato to Piaget, and The Quest for Meaning. His articles appear in such professional journals as Dialogue, Journal for Applied Ethics, The Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics, and The Encyclopedia of Death and Dying.