The question of what life is all about has been thought about for thousands of years. Philosophers through history have shared different opinions and theories on what makes life meaningful and what our purpose is as human beings. While we may never find one definite answer, looking at the philosophical perspectives on life’s meaning can provide insight into how we might live a meaningful life.
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Existentialist View
Existentialism proposes that life has no built-in meaning or purpose. Instead, meaning must be created by each person. Famous existentialist philosophers include Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Some key ideas in existentialism:
- Human beings start out in a meaningless world. There are no predefined meanings or values.
- Total freedom: Humans have the freedom and responsibility to create their own meaning in the world through their choices and actions.
- Subjectivity: Meaning is subjective, not objective. Individuals can construct whatever meaning they want for their lives.
- Living authentically: Existentialists emphasize living passionately and truthfully, in line with one’s self. This means recognizing one’s freedom and taking responsibility for giving life meaning.
The existentialist view is that each of us can create purpose by pursuing projects and relationships that personally matter to us. Even though life has no built-in meaning, we have the power to make it meaningful.
Naturalist View
Naturalism proposes that life arises from natural processes and we can find its meaning through science and reason. Naturalists reject supernatural explanations and believe in a strictly material, scientific view.
Some key ideas in naturalism:
- The universe runs according to natural laws which we can study and understand through empirical research.
- Everything that exists is made up of matter and energy. Nothing supernatural exists.
- Human beings are part of the natural world, products of biological evolution. Like all species, our purpose is to spread our genes.
- Morality comes from human nature and facts about the world, not supernatural commands. Ethics can be logically studied as a natural phenomenon.
For naturalists, we find meaning in life by studying nature, including human nature and the natural environment. Understanding our evolutionary history, abilities, and limitations as humans, and our place in the larger ecosystems of Earth can provide insight into how we should live meaningfully. Using science to improve human life is central.
Humanistic View
Humanism focuses on human agency, experience, and interests. It rejects the need for religious, supernatural, or transcendent justifications for moral principles or life’s meaning.
Some key ideas in humanism:
- Humans have the ability to decide meaning and purpose for ourselves. We have free will and can choose how to live.
- Experience and reason should guide us. Humanists reject revelations, divine authority, or religious dogma.
- Meaning comes from satisfying human needs and interests. These include knowledge, justice, creativity, love, etc.
- Ethics emphasizes human well-being. Rules should promote fulfillment, not obedience to divine commands.
For humanists, sources of meaning include advancing knowledge through science, pursuing justice and reducing suffering, having rewarding relationships, and expressing ourselves creatively. Developing our human abilities and taking part in culture allows us to live meaningfully, not obeying some external religious system.
Logotherapeutic View
Logotherapy, founded by Viktor Frankl, holds that searching for meaning is the main human motivation. Without meaning, people despair.
Some key ideas in logotherapy:
- The “will to meaning” is central. We long to make sense of life and have purpose. Frustration of this drive leads to existential distress.
- Meaning can be discovered, not created. We find unique meaning in life by dedicating ourselves to a worthy cause or to loving others.
- Meaning exists even in suffering. We can choose our attitude toward unavoidable suffering and give it meaning by showing courage and dignity.
Logotherapy proposes that we satisfy our search for meaning by pursuing creativity, experiential values (relationships), and attitudinal values (finding purpose in hardship). Living in service of a higher purpose provides meaning and fulfillment.
Religious View
Religious traditions explain life’s meaning based on beliefs about God, divinity, or metaphysical realities. Specific beliefs vary, but some common ideas:
- Divine purpose: God/gods created humanity with a specific purpose or role to fulfill on Earth. This provides meaning to life.
- Following divine will: Meaning comes from obeying the commands of God or religious teachings. Moral codes outline what purposes humans should pursue.
- Realizing one’s true nature: Religions aim to help people recognize their divine essence or non-material soul. This brings meaning through spiritual enlightenment.
- Preparing for afterlife: Earthly life is temporary while the afterlife is eternal. Meaning comes from preparing one’s soul for what comes after death.
While religions may differ on metaphysical specifics, most share the idea that spiritual realities beyond the material world give the ultimate context for meaningful human lives. Devoting oneself to the divine brings purpose and meaning.
Absurdist View
Absurdism recognizes the conflict between our desire to find meaning and the inability to find any built-in meaning in human life or the universe itself. Absurdism agrees with existentialists that life has no meaning but sees this as deeply unsatisfying or even frightening.
Some key ideas in absurdism:
- Realizing life has no clear purpose results in feelings of confusion, anxiety, and despair. The “absurd” is this clash between our need for meaning and life’s apparent meaninglessness.
- There are no absolute values or universal moral truths. Choices are arbitrary in an indifferent universe.
- Though meaning is impossible to find, avoiding the issue or escaping through distraction is dishonest. We must acknowledge and confront the absurd.
- Finding joy or passion does not resolve the absurd, since these feelings are fleeting. But we can choose to embrace life and rebel against the absurdity.
Absurdism expresses the frustration that arises when we honestly confront meaninglessness. Accepting the absurd allows us to keep living with authenticity, even though we can never resolve the dilemma of longing for meaning in a meaningless world.
The Question Continues…
The question of life’s meaning and purpose has no definite answer. But exploring philosophical perspectives can help us think more deeply about how we want to live. Creating meaning takes honesty about the human condition, intention, and commitment to pursuing what we decide is significant. Even if the universe is indifferent, we can choose to fill our short lives with experiences and commitments that feel meaningful to us. The search for meaning is an essential part of being human.