Life’s meaning and transcendence
Sebastian Hüsch, Klaus Viertbauer
Religious Studies September 28, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s003441252610184x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the contemporary shift from the meaning of life to meaning in life transforms rather than rejects transcendence, replacing absolute transcendence with an immanent transcendence grounded in the inexhaustibility of lived experience. Contends that narrative identity is not primary, since events disclose a pre-reflective 'minimal self', and that, drawing on Taoist and Buddhist thought, particularly śūnyatā, meaning in life arises through participation in a relational reality rather than fulfilment of an externally given purpose. |
Abstract
Abstract This paper argues that the contemporary shift from the meaning of life to meaning in life reflects not a rejection of transcendence but a transformation in its structure. It distinguishes between absolute transcendence, which locates meaning within a comprehensive horizon beyond the situated subject, and immanent transcendence, which understands transcendence as the inexhaustibility of lived experience and interpretation. The former tends towards a third-person perspective and risks displacing the subject as the locus of meaning. The latter preserves the first-person perspective and grounds meaning in the subject’s relation to experiences, actions, and events that exceed its control. This shift also challenges the primacy of narrative identity: while narratives render actions intelligible, events reveal a more fundamental, pre-reflective dimension of subjectivity, identified here as the minimal self. Drawing on Taoist and Buddhist perspectives, particularly the concept of śūnyatā, the paper argues that meaning in life emerges through participation in a relational reality rather than through the fulfilment of an externally given purpose. Transcendence thus becomes an immanent feature of lived existence.