Is Life Worth Living?

Is Life Worth Living? by William H. Mallock confronts the perennial question of purpose with razor-sharp Victorian wit and philosophical clarity. Mallock examines the claims of pessimists who argue that life lacks value and mounts a careful, often ironic defense of why ordinary human pursuits—friendship, art, work, and intellectual curiosity—can make existence worthwhile. The essay moves between moral argument, social critique, and practical reflection without resorting to abstruse jargon, offering readable, persuasive prose aimed at ordinary readers as well as students of ethics. Written in the 1870s amid rapid scientific, industrial, and religious change in Victorian England and dedicated to John Ruskin, the book engages contemporary debates about progress, meaning, and the good life. Mallock’s approach blends cultural commentary with philosophical argument, weighing suffering and mortality against the everyday sources of value that sustain people. Ideal for listeners of philosophy and intellectual history, Is Life Worth Living? is a concise, thought-provoking audiobook for anyone seeking a clear, historical perspective on questions of meaning, consolation, and the practical reasons people give for living.