Markets, Materialism and the search for meaning | Third Space
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Markets, Materialism and the search for meaning

For many, success in life is the acquisition of greater wealth, pleasure and power. Is there a better way?
Thu 9 Aug 2018
Max Jeganathan
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For many, success in life is the acquisition of greater wealth, pleasure and power. As Oscar Wilde famously said, "The god of this generation is wealth. To succeed, one must have wealth!" Yet, in spite of this seemingly universal quest for validation through wealth – and it’s apparent success as we grow wealthier than ever before - the markers of human flourishing seem to continue to go backwards. Why? Instead of living up to its promise as a source of fulfilment, identity and well-being, the never-ending drive to accumulate more has been revealed to be a hedonic treadmill on which people are expected to run faster and faster without getting anywhere. Is there a better way?

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Contributors

Sam Chan

Russ Matthews

Justine Toh

Robert Martin

Caroline Spencer

Andrew Laird

Amy Isham

Aaron Johnstone

Emma Wilkins

Natasha Moore 

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Meaning
Is there a meaning crisis?
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Max Jeganathan

Max Jeganathan is Senior Research Fellow at The Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) and an Associate Speaker for OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He has spoken in businesses, universities and political institutions, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore, advisers to Canada's National Parliament, Microsoft, Samsung, Goldman Sachs and Amazon. Born in Sri Lanka, Max’s family moved to Australia as refugees in the mid 1980s. He has worked as a lawyer and a policy adviser in the Australian National Parliament. Max was educated at the Australian National University and the University of Oxford. He is currently undertaking a PhD in Law on how technology relates to the ethical foundations of human dignity.