Every person, at least once in his life, has asked the question: “What is the meaning of life? Why do I live and what is my role in this universe? Indeed, the question of the meaning of life has worried humanity for many centuries and gives rise to a number of disputes and contradictions among mere mortals, ancient Greek philosophers and modern thinkers. Various opinions, ideas, assumptions are expressed, but it is impossible to give a definite answer to this question, because each individual has his own values, tries to set priorities correctly, choosing something more important for himself.
Socrates
The Athenian philosopher Socrates saw his purpose in encouraging people to search for truth. He saw the meaning of life precisely in the purification, treatment and development of his soul, because accumulated wealth cannot replace virtuous deeds. Even in the face of death, the ancient Greek thinker did not renounce his views and adhered to them until the very end.
Jacques-Louis David. "The Death of Socrates"
Aristotle
The encyclopedist scientist and philosopher Aristotle saw the meaning of life in achieving happiness, that is, in realizing the essence of man. And happiness itself consists of mental benefits, such as a desire for knowledge, mastering various skills and abilities, the opportunity to love and be loved and to have family and friends nearby. However, in the pursuit of one’s happiness, one cannot ignore the interests of others, which is why, according to Aristotle, for a decent life, justice is also necessary.
Bust of Aristotle. Roman copy of a Greek bronze original (after 330 BC). Original author: Lysippos
Plato also revealed the essence of the question that interests us. The philosopher believed that the meaning of life lies in self-improvement. It is necessary to develop yourself physically, mentally, spiritually and mentally. The ability to control your feelings and emotions, strengthen your body, and comprehend science - these are the main aspects of improvement. The thoughts of the great ancient Greek philosopher turned out to be the most important achievement of antiquity.
How to find yourself?
You need to constantly try yourself in various processes and identify among them those that will lead to the achievement of the desired states. Naturally, without any doping. Such processes usually become directly related to human activities. I will try to demonstrate this using the example of people in creative professions.
Imagine that you like to draw or take photographs. Both are a set of actions combined into a single process, thanks to which you can materialize your feelings, and thereby express yourself. As a result of these actions, your works {creations} appear, which you demonstrate to the people around you. They admire what you do.
As a result, you feel an emotional and energetic uplift. You want to do this all the time, because you like both the process of self-expression and the response you receive from people as a result of the actions taken.
Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes, a French philosopher and sociologist, believed that the main thing in life is the principle of moderation, according to which one should not rush to extremes, make hasty decisions, it is necessary to think everything over rationally and find the right path. According to his philosophy, the old is easy to destroy, but before doing this, you need to think about the consequences. The natural scientist respected the traditions and customs of various peoples, this speaks of his high moral qualities. Descartes' life rule stated the desire to change, first of all, oneself, and not the world around him. After all, man is the highest mind, and only he can control his thoughts and rule over them.
Rene Descartes. Author Franz Hals
Arthur Schopenhauer
The 19th century German philosopher, misanthrope Arthur Schopenhauer wrote that people are driven by someone else’s will, and a person cannot independently control his destiny, his will is determined. Life for him is hell, in which a fool follows universal pleasures, committing sins, and ultimately comes to disappointment, and a wise man limits his pleasures and sets a limit to his desires, thereby avoiding troubles. Human life, according to Schopenhauer, consists of a constant struggle with death and suffering, from which it is impossible to get rid of.
Arthur Schopenhauer
By any means
We always subconsciously strive to find ways to satisfy unmet needs. Either in the form of personal achievements in your profession, in business, in creativity. Or through fictitious illnesses, suffering, complaints, so that you receive attention from the outside. To always be comforted and pitied. When choosing your path, remember that frequently repeated actions are transformed into a dynamic stereotype in the terminology of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, or in simple words into a habit. Start taking actions that will be more beneficial for you in the future.
Jean-Paul Sartre
The representative of atheistic existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre, viewed human existence as a meaningful, free activity. However, in the sphere of labor economic participation, a person does not belong to himself, he does not lead an authentic existence. Life itself, according to Sartre, is a consistent chain of self-denials in which freedom is realized, and it is precisely this that is the only basis for the value and non-value of human actions. Freedom places unconditional responsibility on society, as a result of which it is expressed in a critical attitude towards the world and people.
Jean-Paul Sartre. By Moshe Milner.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein is an Austrian philosopher and logician of the 20th century, perhaps one of the most incomprehensible and mysterious thinkers. He considered the main task of philosophy to be the clarification of language. He also wrote that everything that happens in personal life can be important, but life itself has no meaning different from these things. Indeed, personal life has meaning in the form of events, actions and results that occur throughout a person's journey. Everything that happens to us is important to our loved ones, the people who love us, it is thanks to them that we feel needed.
Ludwig Wittgenstein. By Moritz Nähr. Austrian National Library
The question of the meaning of life worried not only ancient Greek philosophers, French and German thinkers, but also the sages of China and India.
Option 2
(374 words) All people interpret the meaning of life in their own way, but all formulations converge to one source - love. We all live for this wonderful and noble feeling. We find it not only in the family, but also in vocation, creativity, and our mission on this earth. Many authors have written about this, to whose work we will turn for examples.
Thus, in M. Gorky’s story “Old Woman Izergil” there is a hero whose name has become a household name. It has become synonymous with philanthropy. Danko lived to help people with his active love. He sacrificed himself to lead his fellow tribesmen out of the thicket, where it was impossible to live. The young man took on the responsibilities of leadership when the tribe found itself in a difficult situation. Powerful enemies drove him out of the fertile lands and doomed him to wander. People got lost in the forest and lost hope of salvation. But Danko managed to inspire them and direct them to find a way out. When despair again took hold of the travelers, their leader tore out the flaming heart from his chest and illuminated the road. All his fellow tribesmen came to light, but he died with a smile on his lips. He was proud of his achievement and happy that he was able to rescue his people. Danko lived meaningfully and achieved what he wanted - saving people. His purpose was to actively love his fellow men.
A more mature hero, Faust from the play of the same name by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, came to the same result in search of destiny. The elderly doctor spent his whole life studying science and theoretical achievements, but never found answers to his main questions. The hero did not understand why he lived. A bet between God and the devil on his soul helped him figure this out: Mephistopheles wanted to prove the baseness of the human race by seducing Faust. But the devil tried in vain: neither taverns, nor women, nor fame, nor selfish happiness satisfied his ward. He searched further and did not stop at any temptation. As a result, Faust “stopped the moment” only when he realized that he was able to save the inhabitants of coastal villages from the destructive influence of the waves. The hero built a dam and tamed the elements. In this active love for people, Faust found the meaning of his life.
Thus, each of us finds a purpose in love. We can have these feelings for people, the world around us, work, creativity, family. It is not so important what we love, the main thing is how. If our emotions are expressed in activity, creation, real actions, then we are fulfilling our task on this earth, and if not, then we are wasting our time.
Confucius
The ancient thinker and philosopher of China, Confucius, tried to understand the hidden nature of man. He was convinced that material well-being should fade into the background, and the meaning of human life lies in achieving the Tao, and an ethically complete society will arise only in the case of self-sacrifice. Confucius believed that it was necessary to take care of relatives and elders, to respect and love everyone around. Then a society whose attribute is knowledge will be united and capable of rapid and effective development. Moral values and education are an integral part of the formation of the inner world and views of every person.
Confucius
What is the meaning of life - answer
It is impossible to give the only correct answer to the question “what is the meaning of human life on earth,” because the purpose in life, even in philosophy, is considered from several sides, depending on the approach.
It is difficult to briefly describe what the meaning of life is. People have been looking for it for years, based on their life experience, values, lifestyle, thinking, interests, etc. A serious test or shock can force a person to change his life guidelines at any time. Following them, the essence of life will change.
The only thing that can be said for sure is that every person sooner or later asks himself this philosophical question and tries to find his own answer.
Buddha
The founder of religious and philosophical teachings, Buddha, devoted a lot of time to thinking about the purpose and meaning of life. Indian systems are characterized by belief in karma, samsara and moksha. Bad and good deeds committed by people throughout their lives, which have either positive or negative consequences and affect rebirth, are karma. Samsara is an endless sequence of birth and death. A person’s desires are always inexhaustible; to this dissatisfaction should be added the suffering and pain experienced throughout life’s journey. Moksha is liberation from samsara, the opportunity to break out of its circle. Hence the purpose and meaning of life, namely the awareness of the state of dissatisfaction and the beginning of getting rid of all desires.
Buddha
Goal setting
“How to find the meaning of life if you don’t want anything?” - you ask. The answer, apparently, will not please you: set a goal and go towards it with the will.
- What is the root of your passivity? Have you recently suffered a trauma or lost someone? Are you in a state of crisis, depression, that is, an unstable and unhealthy psychological state? Then you first need to “remove the splinter”: survive divorce, death, leaving, recover from trauma, get out of depression. To do this, you need to contact a specialist.
- Once your condition is stable (or if you are currently healthy, just lazy or uncertain), you need to start working. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Already in the question “how to find...” lies the answer - to search, and not to remain inactive. Go to the goal, through all external and, above all, internal obstacles (your “I don’t want”).
- “I don’t want” happens because of a lack of motivation. Why do you lack motivation? Are you satisfied with your current life? I think not, since the question arose. Then imagine the life you want, but be realistic in your plans. Have you imagined yourself, your life, the people around you, your feelings? Do you want that? That's the goal. Your life's purpose is the image of your achievements.
If you cannot yet concentrate your attention on life as a whole, then think about a specific goal that worries you more than others at the moment: work, love, education, health.
