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23 | Meaning of life: Plato, a pupil of Socrates, was one of the earliest, most influential philosophers.His reputation comes from his idealism of believing in the existence of universals.His theory of forms proposes that universals do not physically exist, like objects, but as heavenly forms. | 13,609 |
23 | Meaning of life: In the dialogue of the "Republic", the character of Socrates describes the Form of the Good.His theory on justice in the soul relates to the idea of happiness relevant to the question of the meaning of life.In Platonism, the meaning of life is in attaining the highest form of knowledge, which is the Idea (Form) of the Good, from which all good and just things derive utility and value. | 13,893 |
23 | Meaning of life: Aristotle, an apprentice of Plato, was another early and influential philosopher, who argued that ethical knowledge is not "certain" knowledge (such as metaphysics and epistemology), but is "general" knowledge.Because it is not a theoretical discipline, a person had to study and practice in order to become "good"; thus if the person were to become virtuous, he could not simply study what virtue "is", he had to "be" virtuous, via virtuous activities.To do this, Aristotle established what is virtuous:
Yet, if action A is done towards achieving goal B, then goal B also would have a goal, goal C, and goal C also would have a goal, and so would continue this pattern, until something stopped its infinite regression. | 14,403 |
23 | Meaning of life: Aristotle's solution is the "Highest Good", which is desirable for its own sake.It is its own goal.The Highest Good is not desirable for the sake of achieving some other good, and all other "goods" desirable for its sake. | 14,995 |
23 | Meaning of life: This involves achieving "eudaemonia", usually translated as "happiness", "well-being", "flourishing", and "excellence".Antisthenes, a pupil of Socrates, first outlined the themes of Cynicism, stating that the purpose of life is living a life of Virtue which agrees with Nature.Happiness depends upon being self-sufficient and master of one's mental attitude; suffering is the consequence of false judgments of value, which cause negative emotions and a concomitant vicious character. | 15,259 |
23 | Meaning of life: The Cynical life rejects conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and fame, by being free of the possessions acquired in pursuing the conventional.As reasoning creatures, people could achieve happiness via rigorous training, by living in a way natural to human beings.The world equally belongs to everyone, so suffering is caused by false judgments of what is valuable and what is worthless per the customs and conventions of society. | 15,781 |
23 | Meaning of life: Aristippus of Cyrene, a pupil of Socrates, founded an early Socratic school that emphasized only one side of Socrates's teachings—that happiness is one of the ends of moral action and that pleasure is the supreme good; thus a hedonistic world view, wherein bodily gratification is more intense than mental pleasure.Cyrenaics prefer immediate gratification to the long-term gain of delayed gratification; denial is unpleasant unhappiness.Epicurus, a pupil of the Platonist Pamphilus of Samos, taught that the greatest good is in seeking modest pleasures, to attain tranquility and freedom from fear (ataraxia) via knowledge, friendship, and virtuous, temperate living; bodily pain (aponia) is absent through one's knowledge of the workings of the world and of the limits of one's desires. | 16,387 |
23 | Meaning of life: Combined, freedom from pain and freedom from fear are happiness in its highest form.Epicurus' lauded enjoyment of simple pleasures is quasi-ascetic "abstention" from sex and the appetites:
"When we say ... that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality, as we are understood to do, by some, through ignorance, prejudice or willful misrepresentation.By pleasure, we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul. | 16,947 |
23 | Meaning of life: It is not by an unbroken succession of drinking bouts and of revelry, not by sexual lust, nor the enjoyment of fish, and other delicacies of a luxurious table, which produce a pleasant life; it is sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of every choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs through which the greatest tumults take possession of the soul."The Epicurean meaning of life rejects immortality and mysticism; there is a soul, but it is as mortal as the body.There is no afterlife, yet, one need not fear death, because "Death is nothing to us; for that which is dissolved, is without sensation, and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us." | 17,722 |
23 | Meaning of life: Zeno of Citium, a pupil of Crates of Thebes, established the school which teaches that living according to reason and virtue is to be in harmony with the universe's divine order, entailed by one's recognition of the universal "logos", or reason, an essential value of all people.The meaning of life is "freedom from suffering" through "apatheia" (Gr: απαθεια), that is, being objective and having "clear judgement", "not" indifference.Stoicism's prime directives are virtue, reason, and natural law, abided to develop personal self-control and mental fortitude as means of overcoming destructive emotions. | 18,305 |
23 | Meaning of life: The Stoic does not seek to extinguish emotions, only to avoid emotional troubles, by developing clear judgment and inner calm through diligently practiced logic, reflection, and concentration.The Stoic ethical foundation is that "good lies in the state of the soul", itself, exemplified in wisdom and self-control, thus improving one's spiritual well-being: ""Virtue" consists in a "will" which is in agreement with Nature."The principle applies to one's personal relations thus: "to be free from anger, envy, and jealousy". | 18,828 |
23 | Meaning of life: The Enlightenment and the colonial era both changed the nature of European philosophy and exported it worldwide.Devotion and subservience to God were largely replaced by notions of inalienable natural rights and the potentialities of reason, and universal ideals of love and compassion gave way to civic notions of freedom, equality, and citizenship.The meaning of life changed as well, focusing less on humankind's relationship to God and more on the relationship between individuals and their society. | 19,276 |
23 | Meaning of life: This era is filled with theories that equate meaningful existence with the social order.Classical liberalism is a set of ideas that arose in the 17th and 18th centuries, out of conflicts between a growing, wealthy, propertied class and the established aristocratic and religious orders that dominated Europe.Liberalism cast humans as beings with inalienable natural rights (including the right to retain the wealth generated by one's own work), and sought out means to balance rights across society. | 19,759 |
23 | Meaning of life: Broadly speaking, it considers individual liberty to be the most important goal, because only through ensured liberty are the other inherent rights protected.There are many forms and derivations of liberalism, but their central conceptions of the meaning of life trace back to three main ideas.Early thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Adam Smith saw humankind beginning in the state of nature, then finding meaning for existence through labor and property, and using social contracts to create an environment that supports those efforts. | 20,332 |
23 | Meaning of life: Kantianism is a philosophy based on the ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical works of Immanuel Kant.Kant is known for his deontological theory where there is a single moral obligation, the "Categorical Imperative", derived from the concept of duty.Kantians believe all actions are performed in accordance with some underlying maxim or principle, and for actions to be ethical, they must adhere to the categorical imperative. | 20,841 |
23 | Meaning of life: Simply put, the test is that one must universalize the maxim (imagine that all people acted in this way) and then see if it would still be possible to perform the maxim in the world without contradiction.In "Groundwork", Kant gives the example of a person who seeks to borrow money without intending to pay it back.This is a contradiction because if it were a universal action, no person would lend money anymore as he knows that he will never be paid back. | 21,373 |
23 | Meaning of life: The maxim of this action, says Kant, results in a contradiction in conceivability (and thus contradicts perfect duty).Kant also denied that the consequences of an act in any way contribute to the moral worth of that act, his reasoning being that the physical world is outside one's full control and thus one cannot be held accountable for the events that occur in it.The origins of utilitarianism can be traced back as far as Epicurus, but, as a school of thought, it is credited to Jeremy Bentham, who found that "nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure"; then, from that moral insight, he derived the "Rule of Utility": "that the good is whatever brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people". | 21,748 |
23 | Meaning of life: He defined the meaning of life as the "greatest happiness principle".Jeremy Bentham's foremost proponent was James Mill, a significant philosopher in his day, and father of John Stuart Mill.The younger Mill was educated per Bentham's principles, including transcribing and summarizing much of his father's work. | 22,468 |
23 | Meaning of life: Nihilism suggests that life is without objective meaning.Friedrich Nietzsche characterized nihilism as emptying the world, and especially human existence, of meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, and essential value; succinctly, nihilism is the process of "the devaluing of the highest values".Seeing the nihilist as a natural result of the idea that God is dead, and insisting it was something to overcome, his questioning of the nihilist's life-negating values returned meaning to the Earth. | 22,772 |
23 | Meaning of life: To Martin Heidegger, nihilism is the movement whereby "being" is forgotten, and is transformed into value, in other words, the reduction of being to exchange value.Heidegger, in accordance with Nietzsche, saw in the so-called "death of God" a potential source for nihilism:
If God, as the supra-sensory ground and goal, of all reality, is dead; if the supra-sensory world of the Ideas has suffered the loss of its obligatory, and above it, its vitalizing and up-building power, then nothing more remains to which Man can cling, and by which he can orient himself.The French philosopher Albert Camus asserts that the absurdity of the human condition is that people search for external values and meaning in a world which has none and is indifferent to them. | 23,377 |
23 | Meaning of life: Camus writes of value-nihilists such as Meursault, but also of values in a nihilistic world, that people can instead strive to be "heroic nihilists", living with dignity in the face of absurdity, living with "secular saintliness", fraternal solidarity, and rebelling against and transcending the world's indifference.The current era has seen radical changes in both formal and popular conceptions of human nature.The knowledge disclosed by modern science has effectively rewritten the relationship of humankind to the natural world. | 24,291 |
23 | Meaning of life: Advances in medicine and technology have freed humans from significant limitations and ailments of previous eras; and philosophy—particularly following the linguistic turn—has altered how the relationships people have with themselves and each other are conceived.Questions about the meaning of life have also seen radical changes, from attempts to reevaluate human existence in biological and scientific terms (as in pragmatism and logical positivism) to efforts to meta-theorize about meaning-making as a personal, individual-driven activity (existentialism, secular humanism).Pragmatism originated in the late-19th-century US, concerning itself (mostly) with truth, and positing that "only in struggling with the environment" do data, and derived theories, have meaning, and that "consequences", like utility and practicality, are also components of truth. | 24,772 |
23 | Meaning of life: Moreover, pragmatism posits that "anything" useful and practical is not always true, arguing that what most contributes to the most human good in the long course is true.In practice, theoretical claims must be "practically verifiable", i.e.one should be able to predict and test claims, and, that, ultimately, the needs of humankind should guide human intellectual inquiry. | 25,541 |
23 | Meaning of life: Pragmatic philosophers suggest that the practical, useful understanding of life is more important than searching for an impractical abstract truth about life.William James argued that truth could be made, but not sought.To a pragmatist, the meaning of life is discoverable only via experience. | 25,906 |
23 | Meaning of life: Theists believe God created the universe and that God had a purpose in doing so.Theists also hold the view that humans find their meaning and purpose for life in God's purpose in creating.Theists further hold that if there were no God to give life ultimate meaning, value, and purpose, then life would be absurd. | 26,125 |
23 | Meaning of life: According to existentialism, each man and each woman creates the essence (meaning) of their life; life is not determined by a supernatural god or an earthly authority, one is free.As such, one's ethical prime directives are "action", "freedom", and "decision", thus, existentialism opposes rationalism and positivism.In seeking meaning to life, the existentialist looks to where people find meaning in life, in course of which using only reason as a source of meaning is insufficient; this gives rise to the emotions of anxiety and dread, felt in considering one's free will, and the concomitant awareness of death. | 26,541 |
23 | Meaning of life: According to Jean-Paul Sartre, existence precedes essence; the (essence) of one's life arises "only" after one comes to existence.Søren Kierkegaard spoke about a "", arguing that life is full of absurdity, and one must make his and her own values in an indifferent world.One can live meaningfully (free of despair and anxiety) in an unconditional commitment to something finite and devotes that meaningful life to the commitment, despite the vulnerability inherent to doing so. | 27,110 |
23 | Meaning of life: Arthur Schopenhauer answered: "What is the meaning of life?"by stating that one's life reflects one's will, and that the will (life) is an aimless, irrational, and painful drive.Salvation, deliverance, and escape from suffering are in aesthetic contemplation, sympathy for others, and asceticism. | 27,521 |
23 | Meaning of life: For Friedrich Nietzsche, life is worth living only if there are goals inspiring one to live.Accordingly, he saw nihilism ("all that happens is meaningless") as without goals.He stated that asceticism denies one's living in the world; stated that values are not objective facts, that are rationally necessary, universally binding commitments: our evaluations are interpretations, and not reflections of the world, as it is, in itself, and, therefore, all ideations take place from a particular perspective. | 27,853 |
23 | Meaning of life: In absurdist philosophy, the Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual's search for meaning and the apparent meaninglessness of the universe.As beings looking for meaning in a meaningless world, humans have three ways of resolving the dilemma.Kierkegaard and Camus describe the solutions in their works, "The Sickness Unto Death" (1849) and "The Myth of Sisyphus" (1942):
Per secular humanism, the human species came to be by reproducing successive generations in a progression of unguided evolution as an integral expression of nature, which is self-existing. | 28,440 |
23 | Meaning of life: Human knowledge comes from human observation, experimentation, and rational analysis (the scientific method), and not from supernatural sources; the nature of the universe is what people discern it to be.Likewise, "values and realities" are determined "by means of intelligent inquiry" and "are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience", that is, by critical intelligence."As far as we know, the total personality is [a function] of the biological organism transacting in a social and cultural context." | 29,067 |
23 | Meaning of life: People determine human purpose without supernatural influence; it is the human personality (general sense) that is the purpose of a human being's life.Humanism seeks to develop and fulfill: "Humanism affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity".Humanism aims to promote enlightened self-interest and the common good for all people. | 29,541 |
23 | Meaning of life: It is based on the premises that the happiness of the individual person is inextricably linked to the well-being of all humanity, in part because humans are social animals who find meaning in personal relations and because cultural progress benefits everybody living in the culture.The philosophical subgenres posthumanism and transhumanism (sometimes used synonymously) are extensions of humanistic values.One should seek the advancement of humanity and of all life to the greatest degree feasible and seek to reconcile Renaissance humanism with the 21st century's technoscientific culture. | 30,092 |
23 | Meaning of life: In this light, every living creature has the right to determine its personal and social "meaning of life".From a humanism-psychotherapeutic point of view, the question of the meaning of life could be reinterpreted as "What is the meaning of "my" life?"This approach emphasizes that the question is personal—and avoids focusing on cosmic or religious questions about overarching purpose. | 30,511 |
23 | Meaning of life: There are many therapeutic responses to this question.For example, Viktor Frankl argues for "Dereflection", which translates largely as cease endlessly reflecting on the self; instead, engage in life.On the whole, the therapeutic response is that the question itself—what is the meaning of life?—evaporates when one is fully engaged in life. | 30,848 |
23 | Meaning of life: (The question then morphs into more specific worries such as "What delusions am I under?"; "What is blocking my ability to enjoy things?"; "Why do I neglect loved-ones?".) | 31,225 |
23 | Meaning of life: "See also: Existential Therapy and Irvin Yalom"
Logical positivists ask: "What is the meaning of life?", "What is the meaning in asking?"and "If there are no objective values, then, is life meaningless?" | 31,412 |
23 | Meaning of life: Ludwig Wittgenstein and the logical positivists said: "Expressed in language, the question is meaningless"; because, "in" life the statement the "meaning of x", usually denotes the "consequences" of x, or the "significance" of x, or "what is notable" about x, etc., thus, when the meaning of life concept equals "x", in the statement the "meaning of x", the statement becomes recursive, and, therefore, nonsensical, or it might refer to the fact that biological life is essential to having a meaning in life.The things (people, events) in the life of a person can have meaning (importance) as parts of a whole, but a discrete meaning of (the) life, itself, aside from those things, cannot be discerned.A person's life has meaning (for themselves, others) as the life events resulting from their achievements, legacy, family, etc., but, to say that life, itself, has meaning, is a misuse of language, since any note of significance, or of consequence, is relevant only "in" life (to the living), so rendering the statement erroneous. | 32,025 |
23 | Meaning of life: Bertrand Russell wrote that although he found that his distaste for torture was not like his distaste for broccoli, he found no satisfactory, empirical method of proving this:
When we try to be definite, as to what we mean when we say that this or that is "the Good," we find ourselves involved in very great difficulties.Bentham's creed, that pleasure is the Good, roused furious opposition, and was said to be a pig's philosophy.Neither he nor his opponents could advance any argument. | 32,874 |
23 | Meaning of life: In a scientific question, evidence can be adduced on both sides, and, in the end, one side is seen to have the better case—or, if this does not happen, the question is left undecided.But in a question, as to whether this, or that, is the ultimate Good, there is no evidence, either way; each disputant can only appeal to his own emotions, and employ such rhetorical devices as shall arouse similar emotions in others ...Questions as to "values"—that is to say, as to what is good or bad on its own account, independently of its effects—lie outside the domain of science, as the defenders of religion emphatically assert. | 33,225 |
23 | Meaning of life: I think that, in this, they are right, but, I draw the further conclusion, which they do not draw, that questions as to "values" lie wholly outside the domain of knowledge.That is to say, when we assert that this, or that, has "value", we are giving expression to our own emotions, not to a fact, which would still be true if our personal feelings were different.Postmodernist thought—broadly speaking—sees human nature as constructed by language, or by structures and institutions of human society. | 33,837 |
23 | Meaning of life: Unlike other forms of philosophy, postmodernism rarely seeks out "a priori" or innate meanings in human existence, but instead focuses on analyzing or critiquing "given" meanings in order to rationalize or reconstruct them.Anything resembling a "meaning of life", in postmodernist terms, can only be understood within a social and linguistic framework and must be pursued as an escape from the power structures that are already embedded in all forms of speech and interaction.As a rule, postmodernists see awareness of the constraints of language as necessary to escaping those constraints, but different theorists take different views on the nature of this process: from a radical reconstruction of meaning by individuals (as in deconstructionism) to theories in which individuals are primarily extensions of language and society, without real autonomy (as in poststructuralism). | 34,391 |
23 | Meaning of life: According to naturalistic pantheism, the meaning of life is to care for and look after nature and the environment.Embodied cognition uses the neurological basis of emotion, speech, and cognition to understand the nature of thought.Cognitive neuropsychology has identified brain areas necessary for these abilities, and genetic studies show that the gene FOXP2 affects neuroplasticity which underlies language fluency. | 35,167 |
23 | Meaning of life: George Lakoff, a professor of cognitive linguistics and philosophy, advances the view that metaphors are the usual basis of meaning, not the logic of verbal symbol manipulation.Computers use logic programming to effectively query databases but humans rely on a trained biological neural network.Postmodern philosophies that use the indeterminacy of symbolic language to deny definite meaning ignore those who feel they know what they mean and feel that their interlocutors know what they mean. | 35,651 |
23 | Meaning of life: Choosing the correct metaphor results in enough common understanding to pursue questions such as the meaning of life.Improved knowledge of brain function should result in better treatments producing healthier brains.When combined with more effective training, a sound personal assessment as to the meaning of one's life should be straightforward. | 36,087 |
23 | Meaning of life: The Mohist philosophers believed that the purpose of life was universal, impartial love.Mohism promoted a philosophy of impartial caring—a person should care equally for all other individuals, regardless of their actual relationship to him or her.The expression of this indiscriminate caring is what makes a man a righteous being in Mohist thought. | 36,408 |
23 | Meaning of life: This advocacy of impartiality was a target of attack by the other Chinese philosophical schools, most notably the Confucians who believed that while love should be unconditional, it should not be indiscriminate.For example, children should hold a greater love for their parents than for random strangers.Confucianism recognizes human nature in accordance with the need for discipline and education. | 36,882 |
23 | Meaning of life: Because humankind is driven by both positive and negative influences, Confucianists see a goal in achieving virtue through strong relationships and reasoning as well as minimizing the negative.This emphasis on normal living is seen in the Confucianist scholar Tu Wei-Ming's quote, "we can realize the ultimate meaning of life in ordinary human existence."The Legalists believed that finding the purpose of life was a meaningless effort. | 37,266 |
23 | Meaning of life: To the Legalists, only practical knowledge was valuable, especially as it related to the function and performance of the state.The religious perspectives on the meaning of life are those ideologies that explain life in terms of an implicit purpose not defined by humans.According to the Charter for Compassion, signed by many of the world's leading religious and secular organizations, the core of religion is the golden rule of 'treat others as you would have them treat you'. | 37,641 |
23 | Meaning of life: The Charter's founder, Karen Armstrong, quotes the ancient Rabbi Hillel who suggested that 'the rest is commentary'.This is not to reduce the commentary's importance, and Armstrong considers that its study, interpretation, and ritual are the means by which religious people internalize and live the golden rule.[[File:ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG|thumb|left|Symbols of the three main Abrahamic religions – [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]]]]
In the [[Judaism|Judaic]] world view, the meaning of life is to elevate the physical world ('Olam HaZeh') and prepare it for the world to come ('[[Jewish eschatology|Olam HaBa]]'), the [[Jewish messianism|messianic era]]. | 38,110 |
23 | Meaning of life: This is called [[Tikkun Olam]] ("Fixing the World").Olam HaBa can also mean the spiritual afterlife, and there is debate concerning the eschatological order.However, Judaism is not focused on personal salvation, but on communal (between man and man) and individual (between man and God) spiritualised actions in this world. | 38,717 |
23 | Meaning of life: Judaism's most important feature is the worship of a single, incomprehensible, [[transcendence (religion)|transcendent]], one, indivisible, [[God in Judaism|absolute Being]], who created and governs the universe.Closeness with the God of Israel is through a study of His [[Torah]], and adherence to its [[mitzvot]] (divine laws).In traditional Judaism, God established a special [[Covenant (Israel)|covenant]] with a people, the people of Israel, at [[Mount Sinai]], giving the [[613 mitzvot|Jewish commandments]]. | 39,204 |
23 | Meaning of life: Torah comprises the written [[Pentateuch]] and the transcribed [[Oral Torah|oral tradition]], further developed through the generations.The Jewish people are intended as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" and a "[[Light Unto the Nations|light to the Nations]]", influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical [[Seven Laws of Noah]].The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God. | 39,645 |
23 | Meaning of life: Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative, and prohibitive injunctions.Modern [[Jewish denominations]] differ over the nature, relevance, and emphases of mitzvot.[[Jewish philosophy]] emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. | 40,025 |
23 | Meaning of life: The rationalist [[Maimonides]] sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe.Among fundamental [[Jewish ethics|values]] in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education.The world to come, prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God. | 40,440 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[Simeon the Just|Simeon the Righteous]] says, "the world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness."The [[Siddur|prayer book]] relates, "blessed is our God who created us for his honor...and planted within us everlasting life."Of this context, the [[Talmud]] states, "everything that God does is for the good," including suffering. | 40,830 |
23 | Meaning of life: The Jewish mystical [[Kabbalah]] gives complementary esoteric meanings of life.As well as Judaism providing an [[Divine immanence|immanent]] relationship with God (personal [[theism]]), in Kabbalah the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of God's Being ([[panentheism]]), related to the [[Shekhinah]] (Divine feminine).Jewish observance unites the [[sephirot]] (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. | 41,144 |
23 | Meaning of life: In [[Lurianic Kabbalah]], the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of God's persona, exiled in physical existence (the [[Kelipot]] shells), through the actions of Jewish observance.Through this, in [[Hasidic Judaism]] the ultimate essential "desire" of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by a man from within his limited physical realm when the body will give life to the soul.[[File:Cristo Redentor - Rio.jpg|thumb|upright|"[[Christ the Redeemer (statue)|Christ the Redeemer]]" statue on [[Corcovado (Brazil)|Corcovado]] mountain in [[Rio de Janeiro]] is symbolic of Christianity, illustrating the concept of seeking [[redemption (theology)|redemption]] through [[Jesus Christ]].]] | 41,754 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[Christianity]] has its roots in Judaism, and shares much of the latter faith's [[ontology]].Its central beliefs derive from the teachings of [[Jesus Christ]] as presented in the [[New Testament]].Life's purpose in Christianity is to seek divine [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]] through the grace of God and intercession of Christ ([[Gospel of John|John]] 11:26). | 42,405 |
23 | Meaning of life: The New Testament speaks of God wanting to have a relationship with humans both in this life and the life to come, which can happen only if one's [[Atonement in Christianity|sins are forgiven]] (John 3:16–21; 2 Peter 3:9).In the Christian view, humankind was made in the [[Image of God]] and perfect, but the [[Fall of Man]] caused the progeny of the [[Adam and Eve|first Parents]] to inherit [[Original Sin]] and its consequences.Christ's [[Passion of Jesus|passion]], [[Crucifixion of Jesus|death]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] provide the means for transcending that impure state ([[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 6:23). | 42,908 |
23 | Meaning of life: The good news that this restoration from sin is now possible is called the [[gospel]].The specific process of appropriating salvation through Christ and maintaining a relationship with God varies between different [[List of Christian denominations|denominations]] of Christians, but all rely on faith in Christ and the gospel as the fundamental starting point.Salvation through faith in God is found in [[Epistle to the Ephesians|Ephesians]] 2:8–9 – "[8]For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9]not as a result of works, that no one should boast" ([[New American Standard Bible|NASB]]; 1973). | 43,412 |
23 | Meaning of life: The gospel maintains that through this belief, the barrier that sin has created between man and God is destroyed, thereby allowing God to [[Regeneration (theology)|regenerate]] (change) the believer and instill in them a new heart after God's own will with the ability to live righteously before him.This is what the terms "[[Born again]]" or "saved" almost always refer to.In the "[[Westminster Shorter Catechism]]", the first question is: "What is the chief end of Man?" | 44,282 |
23 | Meaning of life: (that is, "What is Man's main purpose?").The answer is: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever".God requires one to obey the revealed moral law, saying: "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself". | 44,499 |
23 | Meaning of life: The "[[Baltimore Catechism]]" answers the question "Why did God make you?"by saying "God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven."The Apostle Paul also answers this question in his speech on the [[Areopagus]] in [[Athens]]: "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." | 44,852 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[Catholicism]]'s way of thinking is better expressed through the Principle and Foundation of [[St. Ignatius of Loyola]]: "The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord, and by doing so, to save his or her soul.All other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings in order to help them pursue the end for which they are created.It follows from this that one must use other created things, in so far as they help towards one's end, and free oneself from them, in so far as they are obstacles to one's end. | 45,621 |
23 | Meaning of life: To do this, we need to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no other prohibition.Thus, as far as we are concerned, we should not want health more than illness, wealth more than poverty, fame more than disgrace, a-long life more than a short one, and similarly for all the rest, but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created."[[Mormonism]] teaches that the purpose of life on Earth is to gain knowledge and experience and to have joy. | 46,092 |
23 | Meaning of life: Mormons believe that humans are literally the spirit children of God the Father, and thus have the potential to progress to become like Him.Mormons teach that God provided his children the choice to come to Earth, which is considered a crucial stage in their development—wherein a mortal body, coupled with the freedom to choose, makes for an environment to learn and grow.The Fall of Adam is not viewed as an unfortunate or unplanned cancellation of God's original plan for a paradise; rather, the opposition found in mortality is an essential element of God's plan because the process of enduring and overcoming challenges, difficulties, and temptations provides opportunities to gain wisdom and strength, thereby learning to appreciate and choose good and reject evil. | 46,639 |
23 | Meaning of life: Because God is just, he allows those who were not taught the gospel during mortality to receive it after death in the spirit world, so that all of his children have the opportunity to return to live with God, and reach their full potential.A recent alternative Christian theological discourse interprets Jesus as revealing that the purpose of life is to elevate our compassionate response to human suffering; nonetheless, the conventional Christian position is that people are justified by belief in the [[Propitiation|propitiatory sacrifice]] of Jesus' death on the cross.In [[Islam]], humanity's ultimate purpose is to worship their creator, [[Allah]] (), through his signs, and be grateful to him through sincere love and devotion. | 47,514 |
23 | Meaning of life: This is practically shown by following the divine guidelines revealed in the [[Qur'an]] and the tradition of the [[Muhammad|Prophet]] (for non-koranist).Earthly life is a test, determining one's position of closeness to [[Allah]] in the hereafter.A person will either be close to him and his love in "[[Jannah]]" (Paradise) or far away in "[[Jahannam]]" (Hell). | 48,165 |
23 | Meaning of life: For Allah's satisfaction, via the Qur'an, all Muslims must believe in God, his revelations, his [[Angels in Islam|angels]], his [[Prophets in Islam|messengers]], and in the "[[Qiyamah|Day of Judgment]]".The Qur'an describes the purpose of creation as follows: "Blessed be he in whose hand is the kingdom, he is powerful over all things, who created death and life that he might examine which of you is best in deeds, and he is the almighty, the forgiving" (Qur'an 67:1–2) and "And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should be obedient (to Allah)."(Qur'an 51:56). | 48,580 |
23 | Meaning of life: Obedience testifies to the [[Tawhid|oneness of God]] in his lordship, his names, and his attributes.Terrenal life is a test; how one "acts" (behaves) determines whether one's soul goes to Jannat (Heaven) or to Jahannam (Hell).However, on the day of Judgement the final decision is of Allah alone. | 49,067 |
23 | Meaning of life: The [[Five Pillars of Islam]] are duties incumbent to every Muslim; they are: [[Shahadah]] (profession of faith); [[salat]] (ritual prayer); [[Zakah]] (charity); [[Sawm]] (fasting during [[Ramadan]]), and [[Hajj]] (pilgrimage to [[Mecca]]).They derive from the [[Hadith]] works, notably of [[Sahih Al-Bukhari]] and [[Sahih Muslim]].The five pillars are not mentioned directly in the Quran. | 49,507 |
23 | Meaning of life: Beliefs differ among the [[Kalam]].The [[Sunni]] and the [[Ahmadiyya]] concept of pre-destination is [[Qadr (doctrine)|divine decree]]; likewise, the [[Shi'a]] concept of pre-destination is [[Adalah|divine justice]]; in the [[esoteric]] view of the [[Sufi]]s, the universe exists only for God's pleasure; Creation is a grand game, wherein Allah is the greatest prize.The Sufi view of the meaning of life stems from the [[hadith qudsi]] that states "I (God) was [[a Hidden Treasure]] and loved to be known. | 49,695 |
23 | Meaning of life: Therefore I created the Creation that I might be known."One possible interpretation of this view is that the meaning of life for an individual is to know the nature of God, and the purpose of all of creation is to reveal that nature and to prove its value as the ultimate treasure, that is God.However, this hadith is stated in various forms and interpreted in various ways by people, such, as [['Abdu'l-Bahá]] of the [[Bahá'í Faith]], and in [[Ibn Arabi|Ibn'Arabī]]'s Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam. | 50,225 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[File:Ringstone.svg|thumb|The [[Bahá'í symbols#Ringstone symbol|Ringstone symbol]] represents humanity's connection to God]]
The [[Bahá'í Faith]] emphasizes the unity of humanity.To Bahá'ís, the purpose of life is focused on spiritual growth and service to humanity.Human beings are viewed as intrinsically spiritual beings. | 50,838 |
23 | Meaning of life: People's lives in this material world provide extended opportunities to grow, to develop divine qualities and virtues, and the [[Manifestation of God|prophets]] were sent by God to facilitate this.[[File:Golden Aum.png|left|thumb|A golden [[Om|Aum]] written in [[Devanagari]].The Aum is sacred in [[Hinduism|Hindu]], [[Jainism|Jain]] and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] religions.]] | 51,184 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[Hinduism]] is a religious category including many beliefs and traditions.Since Hinduism was the way of expressing meaningful living for a long time, before there was a need for naming it as a separate religion, Hindu doctrines are supplementary and complementary in nature, generally non-exclusive, suggestive and tolerant in content.Most believe that the [[Ātman (Hinduism)|ātman]] (spirit, soul)—the person's true "self"—is eternal. | 51,438 |
23 | Meaning of life: In part, this stems from Hindu beliefs that spiritual development occurs across many lifetimes, and goals should match the state of development of the individual.There are four possible aims to human life, known as the "[[purusharthas]]" (ordered from least to greatest): (i)"[[Kāma]]" (wish, desire, love and sensual pleasure), (ii)"[[Artha]]" (wealth, prosperity, glory), (iii)"[[Dharma]]" (righteousness, duty, morality, [[virtue]], [[ethics]]), encompassing notions such as "[[ahimsa]]" (non-violence) and [[satya]] (truth) and (iv)"[[Moksha]]" (liberation, i.e.liberation from [[Saṃsāra]], the cycle of [[reincarnation]]). | 51,964 |
23 | Meaning of life: In all schools of Hinduism, the meaning of life is tied up in the concepts of [[karma]] (causal action), [[sansara]] (the cycle of birth and rebirth), and [[moksha]] (liberation).Existence is conceived as the progression of the ātman (similar to the western concept of a [[Soul (spirit)|soul]]) across numerous lifetimes, and its ultimate progression towards liberation from karma.Particular goals for life are generally subsumed under broader [[yoga]]s (practices) or [[dharma]] (correct living) which are intended to create more favorable reincarnations, though they are generally positive acts in this life as well. | 52,612 |
23 | Meaning of life: Traditional schools of Hinduism often worship [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] which are manifestations of [[Ishvara]] (a personal or chosen God); these Devas are taken as ideal forms to be identified with, as a form of spiritual improvement.In short, the goal is to realize the fundamental truth about oneself.This thought is conveyed in the [[Mahāvākyas]] ("[[Tat Tvam Asi]]" (thou art that), "Aham Brahmāsmi", "Prajñānam Brahma" and "Ayam Ātmā Brahma" (the soul and the world are one)). | 53,290 |
23 | Meaning of life: Later schools reinterpreted the [[vedas]] to focus on [[Brahman]], "The One Without a Second", as a central God-like figure.In [[monist]] Advaita Vedanta, ātman is ultimately indistinguishable from Brahman, and the goal of life is to know or realize that one's [[Ātman (Hinduism)|ātman]] (soul) is identical to [[Brahman]].To the [[Upanishads]], whoever becomes fully aware of the ātman, as one's core of self, realizes identity with Brahman, and, thereby, achieves [[Moksha]] (liberation, freedom). | 53,666 |
23 | Meaning of life: Dvaita Vedanta and other [[bhakti]] schools have a [[Theistic dualism|dualist]] interpretation.[[Brahman]] is seen as a supreme being with a personality and manifest qualities.The ātman depends upon Brahman for its existence; the meaning of life is achieving Moksha through the love of God and upon His grace. | 54,140 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[Vaishnavism]] is a branch of Hinduism in which the principal belief is the identification of [[Vishnu]] or [[Narayana]] as the one supreme God.This belief contrasts with the [[Krishnaism|Krishna-centered]] traditions, such as [[Vallabha]], [[Nimbaraka]] and [[Gaudiya]], in which [[Krishna]] is considered to be the One and only Supreme God and the [[Svayam Bhagavan|source of all avataras]].Vaishnava theology includes the central beliefs of Hinduism such as [[monotheism]], [[reincarnation]], [[samsara]], [[karma]], and the various [[Yoga]] systems, but with a particular emphasis on devotion ([[bhakti]]) to Vishnu through the process of [[Bhakti yoga]], often including singing Vishnu's name's ([[bhajan]]), meditating upon his form ([[dharana]]) and performing [[deity]] worship ([[puja (Hinduism)|puja]]). | 54,503 |
23 | Meaning of life: The practices of deity worship are primarily based on texts such as [[Pañcaratra]] and various [[Samhita]]s.
One popular school of thought, [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism]], teaches the concept of [[Achintya Bheda Abheda]].In this, Krishna is worshipped as the single true God, and all living entities are eternal parts and the Supreme Personality of the Godhead Krishna.Thus the constitutional position of a living entity is to serve the Lord with love and devotion. | 55,391 |
23 | Meaning of life: The purpose of human life especially is to think beyond the animalistic way of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending and engage the higher intelligence to revive the lost relationship with Krishna.[[Jainism]] is a religion originating in [[Iron Age India|ancient India]], its ethical system promotes self-discipline above all else.Through following the [[asceticism|ascetic]] teachings of [[Tirthankara|Jina]], a [[human]] achieves [[Moksa (Jainism)|enlightenment (perfect knowledge)]]. | 55,838 |
23 | Meaning of life: Jainism divides the universe into living and non-living beings.Only when the living becomes attached to the non-living does suffering result.Therefore, happiness is the result of self-conquest and freedom from external objects. | 56,193 |
23 | Meaning of life: The meaning of life may then be said to be to use the physical body to achieve self-realization and bliss.Jains believe that every human is responsible for his or her actions and all living beings have an eternal [[Soul (spirit)|soul]], "[[jiva]]".Jains believe all souls are equal because they all possess the potential of being liberated and attaining [[Moksa (Jainism)|Moksha]]. | 56,467 |
23 | Meaning of life: The [[Karma in Jainism|Jain view of karma]] is that every action, every word, every thought produces, besides its visible, and invisible, the transcendental effect on the soul.Jainism includes strict adherence to [[Ahimsa in Jainism|ahimsa]] (or "ahinsā"), a form of [[nonviolence]] that goes far beyond [[vegetarianism]].Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. | 56,922 |
23 | Meaning of life: Many practice a lifestyle similar to [[veganism]] due to the violence of modern dairy farms, and others exclude [[root vegetable]]s from their diets in order to preserve the lives of the plants from which they eat.Buddhists practice embracing mindfulness the ill-being (suffering) and well-being that is present in life.Buddhists practice seeing the causes of ill-being and well-being in life. | 57,338 |
23 | Meaning of life: For example, one of the causes of suffering is an unhealthy attachment to objects material or non-material.The Buddhist [[sūtras]] and [[tantras]] do not speak about "the meaning of life" or "the purpose of life", but about the potential of human life to end suffering, for example through embracing (not suppressing or denying) cravings and conceptual attachments.Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of [[Nirvana]]. | 57,627 |
23 | Meaning of life: Nirvana means freedom from both [[Dukkha|suffering]] and [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]].[[File:Dharma Wheel.svg|thumb|left|The eight-spoked [[Dharmachakra]]]]
[[Theravada|Theravada Buddhism]] is generally considered to be close to the early Buddhist practice.It promotes the concept of [[Vibhajjavada]] ([[Pāli|Pali]]), literally "Teaching of Analysis", which says that insight must come from the aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and reasoning instead of by blind faith. | 58,093 |
23 | Meaning of life: However, the Theravadin tradition also emphasizes heeding the advice of the wise, considering such advice and evaluation of one's own experiences to be the two tests by which practices should be judged.The Theravadin goal is liberation (or freedom) from suffering, according to the [[Four Noble Truths]].This is attained in the achievement of [[Nirvana]], or Unbinding which also ends the [[reincarnation|repeated cycle]] of birth, old age, sickness, and death. | 58,694 |
23 | Meaning of life: The way to attain Nirvana is by following and practicing the [[Noble Eightfold Path]].Mahayana Buddhist schools de-emphasize the traditional view (still practiced in [[Theravada]]) of the release from individual Suffering ([[Dukkha]]) and attainment of Awakening (Nirvana).In Mahayana, the Buddha is seen as an eternal, immutable, inconceivable, [[omnipresent]] being. | 59,043 |
23 | Meaning of life: The fundamental principles of Mahayana doctrine are based on the possibility of universal liberation from suffering for all beings, and the existence of the transcendent [[Buddha-nature]], which is the eternal Buddha essence present, but hidden and unrecognised, in all living beings.Philosophical schools of Mahayana Buddhism, such as [[zen|Chan/Zen]] and the [[vajrayana]] Tibetan and Shingon schools, explicitly teach that [[bodhisattva]]s should refrain from full liberation, allowing themselves to be reincarnated into the world until all beings achieve enlightenment.Devotional schools such as [[Pure Land]] Buddhism seek the aid of celestial buddhas—individuals who have spent lifetimes accumulating positive karma, and use that accumulation to aid all. | 59,613 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[File:Khanda.svg|thumb|The [[Khanda (religious symbol)|Khanda]], an important symbol of [[Sikhism]].]]The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten [[Sikh Gurus]], or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the "[[Gurū Granth Sāhib]]", which includes selected works of many philosophers from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds.The Sikh Gurus say that salvation can be obtained by following various spiritual paths, so Sikhs do not have a monopoly on salvation: "The Lord dwells in every heart, and every heart has its own way to reach Him." | 60,197 |
23 | Meaning of life: Sikhs believe that all people are equally important before [[Waheguru|God]].Sikhs balance their moral and spiritual values with the quest for knowledge, and they aim to promote a life of peace and equality but also of positive action.A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-[[Anthropomorphism#In religion and mythology|anthropomorphic]] concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the [[Universe]] itself ([[pantheism]]). | 60,776 |
23 | Meaning of life: Sikhism thus sees life as an opportunity to understand this God as well as to discover the divinity which lies in each individual.While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings, [[Guru Nanak Dev|Nanak]] described God as not wholly unknowable, and stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must [[meditate]] to progress towards enlightenment and the ultimate destination of a Sikh is to lose the ego completely in the love of the lord and finally merge into the almighty creator.Nanak emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings. | 61,277 |
23 | Meaning of life: [[File:Yin yang.svg|thumb|"[[Taijitu]]" symbolizes the [[unity of opposites]] between yin and yang.]][[Taoist]] [[cosmogony]] emphasizes the need for all sentient beings and all men to return to the "primordial" or to rejoin with the "Oneness" of the Universe by way of self-cultivation and self-realization.All adherents should understand and be in tune with the ultimate truth. | 61,944 |
23 | Meaning of life: Taoists believe all things were originally from [[Taiji (philosophy)|Taiji]] and [[Tao]], and the meaning in life for the adherents is to realize the temporal nature of the existence."Only introspection can then help us to find our innermost reasons for living ... the simple answer is here within ourselves."[[File:Shinto torii vermillion.svg|thumb|Shinto [[torii]], a traditional Japanese gate]]
[[Shinto]] is the native religion of Japan. | 62,409 |
23 | Meaning of life: Shinto means "the path of the [[kami]]", but more specifically, it can be taken to mean "the divine crossroad where the kami chooses his way".The "divine" crossroad signifies that all the universe is divine spirit.This foundation of [[free will]], choosing one's way, means that life is a creative process. | 62,814 |
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