"Everything has been figured out, except how to live."
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980)
Fork in the Road | What is the meaning of life? Do you have an answer? Is there one? Or is the answer what Robert Frost hints at in his poem "The Road Not Taken"? Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost, From Mountain Interval, 1920. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923. |
1. Weltanschauung
Before answering (or attempting to answer) the question 'what is the meaning of life?', first you must understand the world as you see it. As a precursor to the concept take this short quiz to determine your worldview?
| No doubt you have been in a conversation where someone has asked for your perspective on matters. Have you ever wondered why? Implied within the invitation is a philosophical concept called weltanschauung. This is a German term that translates to 'worldview'. In other words, you were asked for your opinion not only because you are seen to have the (or an) answer, but also because they consciously or subconsciously know that no two people will provide the exact same answer (assuming the answer is explored). |
Your worldview consists of your combined experiences, genetics and demography. In short, it is a built in, ever expanding, filter through which you view, assess and interact with the world. Some philosophers have suggested that how you interpret and interact with the world becomes a schema (a set of actions that are almost unconscious). Perhaps this is why people become 'set in their ways' as they get older...
 Did you know? | |
Noam Chomsky | Famed linguist, social activist and philosopher Noam Chomsky developed thePropaganda Model whereby the media itself was said to have a weltanschauung. Basically, the media filters stories to the public based upon:
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If you want to learn more about the media and its role in your world today, click here to watch an online "Frontline" episode entitled "News War". This link provides a fascinating study of the political, cultural, legal, and economic forces challenging the news media today and how the press has reacted in turn. Through interviews with key figures in print, broadcast and electronic media over 40 years, the recent history of American journalism is traced to illustrate the challenges and influences facing the press in its delivery of the news.
Required ReadingClick here to read a story by Antoine De Saint-exupery titled The Little Prince. One the world's 50 top selling books, this cleverly crafted philosophical exploration disguises itself as a children's story. Yet, contained within, is a thorough and engaging examination of the worldview concept. After reading this story, take the time to consider these questions: What does this story tell us about worldview? Whose worldview is correct? Can such a question be asked?
2. To Ask or Not to Ask?
 | That is the question...at least for philosophers. The debate as to whether the question 'what is the meaning of life' is a worthwhile one has raged for centuries. For many philosophers, the question is pointless since it either a) has no discernable answer or b) is entirely subjective and thus one person's view does not provide the answer to another person's experience. Likewise, often (but not always) this question relates back to God's existence that obviously carries with it a host of other concerns. Yet, the question continues to be asked... which in itself is not surprising. After all, think back to your childhood; wasn't one of the first and foremost questions you asked 'why'? Even Socrates demonstrated to us "the unexamined life is not worth living." Needless to say, philosophically valid or not, the question 'what is the meaning of life?' will continue to be considered. |
3. Humanism
One attempt to answer the meaning of life is fairly recent in world history (1933) titled, 'Humanism'. Paraphrased, humanism's goals mirror George Eliot's worldview: "What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?"
The guiding philosophy of humanism to answer the question, 'What is the meaning of life?' is a code of sorts that invites, but does not proscribe, people to live a life of meaning. In other words, you are responsible for deciding the most appropriate answer to that question.
Click here to read a copy of the Humanist Manifesto III. Do you agree or disagree with the manifesto's message? Why?
4. Does It Matter?
Nihilists argue that there is no point to life. So too did Shakespeare's Macbeth when he lamented:
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene V.
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene V.
Yet as depressing as that may sound, some philosophers have argued that the absence of a meaning or purpose to life permits people to live freely and unfettered. Without the pressure to adhere to a possibly unachievable ultimatum, people are able to create their lives' purposes rather than adhere to them.
What do you think?
Is God dead?Nietzsche stated that "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?"
Friedrich Nietzsche, from "Parable of the Madman", The Gay Science (1882, 1887); Walter Kaufmann ed. (New York: Vintage, 1974), pp.181-82.
Conduct a thought experiment using Nietzsche's quote as a starting point. Do you agree with what he says? What would the world Nietzsche introduces be like? Why?
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