Thousands of years ago our ancestors looked up into the starts and questioned their place in the universe. A Question we are still very familiar with and tend to think about very often. Despite all these technological advancements since the start of civilization, we are still burdened by the basic existential question about the meaning of life. We, as humans, have always desired to perceive our lives to be meaningful. we believe we live more than to merely exist. Considering that our time in this world, as an individual, is finite; it seems as we are afraid that eventually everything that was once ‘us’ will cease to exist. According to theories, people seek out a sense of enduring meaning which makes them feel more than mortal. This meaning comes from purpose. purpose gives one something to live for. It is less of what one wants and more of what one contributes to the world. The purpose is what lets one be part of something that transcends biological existence. For many, this may come from leaving a lasting legacy, by having children or creating works that outlast their own lives. for some, purpose comes from religion, with the belief that religion is a mean of transcending death and attaining an immortal spirit.
However, many would argue against this. Many philosophers nowadays think of the question about the meaning of life to be confused or misguided. The question itself is considered too abstract to be answered. What makes it so hard to answer is also that it is not clear what kind of answer is being looked for. The theory of nihilism states that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and skepticism that condemns existence. The German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), is most often associated with nihilism. In Will to Power, he writes, “Every belief, every considering something true, is necessarily false because there is simply no true world.” For Nietzsche, there is no objective order or structure in the world except what we give it. Another approach that counters my argument of purpose being the meaning of life is the theory of Objectivism. Philosopher, Ayn Rand's theory, objectivism begins by embracing the fact that existence exists. To exist means to be something. The law of identity says that one is identical to itself, therefore a fact is a fact; independent of any consciousness and must remain immutable. In Rand's philosophy, reality, which does exist, has no alternatives and nothing can transcend it. This counters my argument as to embrace objectivism is to reject all notions of the supernatural.
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Although everyone answers their meaning of life based on what they go through and what they believe in, one thing common is the central motivating aims of one's life. How one contributes and feels needed. Without purpose, or something worthwhile to do, people flounder. The purpose is the ‘why’ that drives you forward, as Smith says in her ted talk. Meaning through purpose can be found internal to life, In the many activities that one takes part in, in their life. It can be the job that makes them happy or a loved one like a sibling or offspring that drives one to do better each day. In this internal view of life, it is the satisfaction and happiness we gain that justifies life and gives it ‘meaning’. This meaning is best found in activities that benefit us and also others, the community or the earth as a whole. An example of this is the theory of existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through personal responsibility and free will. Existentialism is the search and journey for true self and true personal meaning in life.
Purpose also gives meaning to life externally, external as in a realm out of the life we have at this moment. And external life commonly makes the claim that there is supernatural power, evaluating how
we decide to live out life and act towards others, leading life after death where we will be assigned some reward or punishment. The meaning of this external interpretation is to fulfill our purpose, which is to meet the expectations of God or a supreme being. A lot of philosophical theories we learned about in the course support the idea of an external purpose. For example, Aristotle's cosmological argument states that God does indeed exist, because nothing would exist without a supernatural cause. Interesting anatomy to contrast the internal and external purposes of life is to imagine walking down a busy street. Your purpose can be to just get somewhere else, for example, you may think there is a better place off in the distance. In this case, the meaning of your journey down the road is external to the experience of the journey itself. On the other hand, you might be intensely interested in what your surroundings hold. It may be the people around you, gardens or establishments, etc. You may stop along the way, to study and learn more about the surrounding, with little reason other than the pleasure they give you. In this case, the meaning of your journey is more than getting somewhere else, it is finding what gives you happiness and contempt.
Furthermore, the purpose you serve in your life is what you leave as your mark behind. What you do and how you act is what, (literally), defines you as a person. Whatever your purpose may be, it is less about what you want and more about what you can do to serve others. This is important because one cannot live just by oneself. Humans are social beings and without interactions and relationships, it is impossible to survive. Only by contributing and serving others can one create relationships and love, necessary for a healthy mental state and a meaning full life.
In conclusion, even though, the debate about the meaning of life has been the topic of discussion for a long time, the answer to this question comes from what one decides to live for. Whether this may be how one attains spiritual contempt and satisfaction or how one contributes around themselves to serve others and spread love. One’s purpose is what lets one be part of something that transcends biological existence
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