The Meaning of Existence: Towards a New Ontological Realism

The new book by one of the most important figures in new realism. In "The Meaning of Existence," Markus Gabriel argues against the idea that the world is a self-forged construct, a kind of collective hallucination mediated by the history of humanity's cultural development. Joining a debate pioneered by Maurizio Ferraris, the German author argues in favor of a new ontological realism, a kind of return to truth, in which facts exist without their content being determined from the outset. Bridging two distinct traditions, analytic philosophy and continental philosophy, drawing on authors such as Gottlob Frege and Friedrich Schelling, Markus Gabriel discusses contemporary philosophers such as Jürgen Habermas and Quentin Meillassoux, and reinvigorates German idealism in a clear and accessible style.