Introduction

This introduction provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book develops a more plausible account of what makes a life worth living. It provides a theory of worth and shows where such a concept fits in the taxonomy of the axiology of lives–the theory of the value of lives. The book evaluates four historically precedented tests for what makes a life worth living: The Suicide Test, The Recurrence Test, The Extra Life Test, and The Preferring Not to Have Been Test. It provides an analysis of worth, defending an objective list theory (OLT) of the worth of a life: the most worthwhile lives are those high in various objective goods. The book shows the advantages an objective list theory of worth has over similar theories of well-being. It also defends mental statism about well-being–the theory that the sole bearers of intrinsic prudential value are conscious mental states.