The true meaning of life is a question that has been asked throughout history. Answers come from various disciplines such as religion, philosophy, psychology, and science. Some believe it is religious devotion, while others see it as biological, personal, or helping humanity. Some believe the question itself is meaningless or that life has no deep meaning. Nietzsche’s nihilism empties human existence of any meaning, while Descartes questions the reality of our physical bodies. Being open to different perspectives can bring humanity closer together.
Why was I born? Why we are here? These are probably the most common questions asked throughout history by children and scholars. The answers to these kinds of questions about the true meaning of life are virtually endless and can come from any discipline such as philosophy, psychology, spirituality, science, and religion.
The true meaning of life is religious devotion.
Many people around the world feel that their true purpose is devotion to their religion. Almost all religions have a supernatural being. Followers are supposed to connect with the higher power and do good deeds in the name of the deity or creator which will benefit mankind. Atheism holds the opposite position; that there is no supernatural being or Creator. Atheistic views usually express that life is evolved and look for non-religious meanings to explain the true purpose of life. The golden rule that human beings should treat others as they would treat themselves is a strong purpose in many religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Islam, Jainism and Buddhism.
The true meaning of life is primarily biological.
Some people feel that the purpose of life is to continue humanity through reproduction. Since the end of life is death, they argue that creating more humans is the most important thing. Otherwise humanity would cease to exist.
The humanist approach to the question of life is primarily concerned with the reproduction and expansion of humanity. There are different types and positions of those who define themselves as humanists, but most humanist views see one’s individual purpose as the ability to adapt to the needs of humanity as a whole.
Many humanists express the opinion that the true meaning of life is our connection to others: biologically, socially and culturally. It is important to note that many humanists who view humans as ever-changing beings see the true purpose of life as one that may change.
The true meaning of life is to make the most of life on a personal level.
One answer to the question of the meaning of life is that humans are here simply to enjoy life and strive for a happy existence. Sigmund Freud, the Viennese physician who invented the method of psychological therapy known as psychoanalysis, called this view the pleasure principle. The main idea behind this position is that humanity is meant to experience maximum pleasure and minimum pain.
The humanistic branch of psychology, most associated with Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, arose out of a need for a more personal meaning than Freud’s psychoanalysis was thought to offer. Humanistic psychologists focus on individual potential and life purpose. Many people see personal success and the purpose of their place in the greater world to hold the fundamental meaning of their lives.
Existentialists hold the philosophical view that human beings make individual choices in this existence known as life. The French existentialist Jean Paul Sartre said: “Man is nothing but what he makes of himself.” From this perspective, personal freedom can be seen as having the potential for both positive and negative outcomes depending on the choices one makes.
The real purpose of life is to advance or help humanity.
Many people feel that the true purpose of life is to forgive, be grateful, and help others. This perspective often contains views that humanity should help end suffering and fight for equality and human rights for all people. Meaningful life purpose in this view includes a desire to devote at least a portion of one’s life to meaningful activities that benefit those in need.
There can be many variations on what it actually means to help others. Many people may feel that the answer to the meaning of their life is to contribute to society through their work. Others may find it important to help discover advances in technology or otherwise to further the positive progress of humanity. Some people may see following their principles as their most important purpose in life.
Transhumanism is a school of thought that suggests that the meaning of life is to improve the human body by extending that life. Transhumanists seek mental and physical improvements in humanity, for example through technological advances aimed at halting the aging process. Transhumanist views hold that since life began through evolution, it has been up to evolved humans to control and extend the quality of life.
The question itself makes no sense.
Some people respond that there is no point in even trying to find the true point of life because the question is so profound. This view holds that humanity will never be able to discover the answers, so the question itself becomes meaningless. Others find the question of what is the real purpose of life to be meaningless because they see life as an existence with no deep meaning attached to it.
The logical positivist view of philosophy, also called logical empiricism, involves both empiricism and rationalism. Empiricism holds that knowledge can be acquired through observational evidence. Rationalism emphasizes that empiricism alone is not sufficient to provide complete knowledge, so verification is required.
The logical positivist approach to verifying something considered significant is that something must be capable of being logically or cognitively determined to be true. Since the criterion of verifiability logic positivist cannot prove the answer to the question what is the true meaning of life? positivists tend to see the question as meaningless. This view has been criticized by philosophers such as Karl Popper who thought that the criterion of falsification should be used to test true claims rather than relying on the verifiability criterion alone.
It makes no sense why we’re here.
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche’s vision of nihilism empties human existence of any meaning. Nihilism gets its name from the word nihil which is Latin for nothing. Nietzsche considered Christianity’s interest in the afterlife to be stronger than its occupation with life on Earth, therefore he considered the meaning of life empty.
The French philosopher and scientist, René Descartes says that life may not even be real, but rather it may just be a dream. He questions the reality of our physical bodies. Some people believe that the true meaning of why humanity is here is the result of an accident or coincidence.
Even just a few of the many answers to questions about the true meaning of human existence can set our minds to thinking of interesting questions. For example, we can think about how our responses would change depending on our current view of fate. Is our destiny already decided when we are born and we let it happen somehow? Or do we choose our own destiny as we grow from our experiences? One way to grow in our search for meaning is to be open to the perspectives and viewpoints of others in their search for true meaning: this can only bring humanity closer together.
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