Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia; Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.
Finding higher meaning in communal actions Kaabah = literally “cube” figuratively conduit to heaven
Post 47. July 27, 2018
The Meanings of Life Mundane or Transcendent Meaning?
The "Meaning of Life” in general is a perennial quest for Philosophers and Theologians. Scientists though have no need for universal meaning, and only search for the significance of particular things. Most western religions claim to have the answer direct from the meaning-giver. And that is : loyal subjects1 are expected to serve their heavenly Master, as serfs & slaves & sycophants grovel before their feudal Lord, in return for protection from external threats, such as devils, demons, & witches. When the Lord is viewed as a king, individuals have no meaning apart from their role in communal service to the realm. Those pawns who don't passively submit to domination may be banished from the fiefdom. But Philosophers, and modernists in general, tend to be temperamentally individualistic, and hold-out for a more personal kind of meaning. In the 19th century, that yearning for a significant role in the world was often expressed poetically & romantically, in terms of intense relationships to God & man.
However, the requirement for a unique meaning & purpose of each person's life, seems to be mostly a modern concern, as expressed most famously by the 20th century existentialists2. Yet they preferred more objective terms like "self-actualization" In Philosophy Now! Magazine, two 21st century philosophers look into the history of the notion that life must have a trans-cendent meaning. They conclude with an atheistic humanistic resignation. "For if we must fabricate our own meaning, this suggests there is none “out there” to discover – unless, as the Romantics thought, our creation is to be guided by faith. Interestingly, the word 'nihilism' was first used in its modern sense – the sense of their being no meaning of life — in 1799". That kind of passive inner angst afflicts mostly Rationalists, who are less inclined to child-like trust in something or someone greater than themselves. Faith-lorn Romantics are more likely to fill the void with dramatic action, including suicide3.
As a non-specific intuitive goal, the meaning of your life may be simply how you feel about yourself; that you did the best you could with what you had to work with. Life is good, if it feels good. But a more Romantic meaning may be defined in holistic terms of Love, or lack thereof. If you feel loved by those you love, then life is good. A Rational meaning of life is typically more particular regarding the elements that add-up to your warm & fuzzy feeling. Are you content or discontent with your relationships or your role in society. If your life is lacking some-thing, analytical reasoning may be required to discover the cause of your discontent – the bad apple in the barrel. When Romantics feel bad they tend to express their angst in art or other outward behavior. But when Rationals feel bad, they usually try to fix the problem directly and surgically.
When each person is left to create his own justification for taking-up space & resources in the world, the value of his life is not set by heavenly standards, but by more naturalistic or humanistic criteria. It may be simply to accomplish some special ambition, or to seek the vague feeling of self-fulfillment. The defining context may be our relationship to mankind, or to the whole universe; as our role in society, or as a cog in the great machine of the Cosmos. The subjective meaning of each life is more often measured simply in terms of happiness or satisfaction with the person’s role and status in the community.
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1. Subjects : Those who submit to rule by a superior. Ironically, rank & file subjects to the king are typically treated as inter-changeable “objects” (pawns), not as personal “subjects”.
2. Existentialist : Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, free-dom and choice. It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. It focuses on the question of human existence, and the feeling that there is no purpose or explanation at the core of existence. It holds that, as there is no God or any other trans-cendent force, the only way to counter this nothingness (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence. https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_existentialism.html
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