Do you think life has or can have meaning? Why might one question whether life has any larger meaning or purpose? Share your perspective by making an argument that involves your own view and 3 authors we have considered during this unit. Select ones that support your view and at least one that would be in opposition to it. Include your response to the opposing argument(s) as well.
The meaning of life is one of those questions with no one definite answer. Ask a million people and you’re likely to get a million different answers. The way I see it, insofar as any human is concerned, life must have meaning, if only for our own purposes. I don’t think it’s really that important whether there is one true meaning to life beyond what we decide for ourselves. For that reason, I tend to agree with, at the least, Camus’ reasoning on the meaning of life. Even if there is a true meaning of life left to discover, what’s relevant is that we humans choose to, and must choose to, do whatever keeps us from philosophical and physical suicide. Should we consider Pascal as right and that there is purpose given to us by God, or that Sartre is right and that existence comes before essence, it makes no difference. Establishing that there is some purpose of some kind is a necessity for our continued survival. Regardless of who is correct, finding some sort of purpose is mandatory for most humans to find satisfaction with continued living. Even those who claim to not believe in any meaning or purpose instead purpose themselves with the attainment of pleasure and happiness, which in itself is a sort of goal.
Whether individuals find life’s meaning through religion makes no difference to me, as at least they’re trying something. Nietzsche contended that only the übermensch, the strong-willed, who realized the folly of old dogma could lead the way, and I do tend towards the idea that individuals should be strong and confident to live life to the fullest, yet I don’t necessarily agree with all he proposed about these supposed superhumans. Life’s meaning, to me, is the impact that one leaves behind, be it a family or changed lives or some wondrous invention. As such, my goal in life is to make such an impact. Different philosophies that attempt to find the meaning of life are just that, attempts. I agree with Sartre that we need to give ourselves some purpose, for our own sakes, and so long as that purpose does not lead to the ruin of society or individual lives, I don’t think it makes much difference where it is derived.