“Meaningless! Meaningless!” Lamented Solomon near the end of his life, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes NIV). Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon discusses the various facets of his life. Wisdom, wealth, fame, youth, each of them were denounced as vanity or utterly senseless. Solomon had spent the earlier half of his life living for God; however, in the second half of his life he fell away from God and pursued idols. In many ways, the condition of Leo Tolstoy in his middle years is identical to that of Solomon in the latter parts of his life. Moreover, Solomon spends 12 chapters arguing that without God life empty. Similarly, Tolstoy concludes in his book My Confessions that, apart from faith, life is pointless. Solomon and Tolstoy’s mirrored views and life choices, both lead them to discover that God, or faith, is what provides meaning to life. Up until 18 years of age, Tolstoy was, “baptized and educated in the Orthodox Christian faith” (Stumpf, Fieser 27). However, once he reached 18, he departed from Christianity. For a number of years after leaving the Christian faith, he valiantly pursued his own passions. Although he desired to be a morally praiseworthy individual, much of his time was spent in a depraved haze. “There was not a crime which I did not commit,” Tolstoy claimed (Stumpf, Fieser 27). As time progressed, Tolstoy’s idols morphed to be more inconspicuous. He no longer acted blatantly amoral but instead pursued comfort his family and himself. Taking a several thousand-year leap into the past, King Solomon led a similar existence. From childhood, he was nurtured to revere God from none other than King David. Despondently, after many years of leading a Godly, upright life, he de... ... middle of paper ... ... not spare any human pleasures, and yet God was still the only thing that they could find fulfillment in. Works Cited "Ecclesiastes 1:2." Holy Bible New International Version. Zondervan, 2012. Print. "Ecclesiastes 12:13." Holy Bible King James Version. Casscom Media, 2006. Print. Houdmann, S. Michael. "Book of Ecclesiastes - Bible Survey." Bible Questions Answered. Got Questions.org. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. Stumpf, Samuel Enoch, and James Fieser. What Is the Aim of Life. 1882. Philosophy: History and Problems. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 27. Print. Stumpf, Samuel Enoch, and James Fieser. What Is the Aim of Life. 1882. Philosophy: History and Problems. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 28-30. Print. Stumpf, Samuel Enoch, and James Fieser. What Is the Aim of Life. 1882. Philosophy: History and Problems. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 32. Print.
Humans, throughout recorded history, have searched for a proper way of living which would lead them to ultimate happiness; the Nicomachean Ethics, a compilation of lecture notes on the subject written by Greek philosopher Aristotle, is one of the most celebrated philosophical works dedicated to this study of the way. As he describes it, happiness can only be achieved by acting in conformity with virtues, virtues being established by a particular culture’s ideal person operating at their top capacity. In our current society the duplicity of standards in relation to virtue makes it difficult for anyone to attain. To discover true happiness, man must first discover himself.
...eality was about the horrors and trepidations that have consumed a once healthy society, but he never noticed that there is a different side to reality. It is about friendship, free will, and compassion. The true meaning of joyfulness is to experience new things like going into the wild, but to experience them with another human being. This is the most fulfilling aspect of life because a person is impacting not only his/her life, but also the life of another. When a person joins the amorous aspects of reality, and then mixes it into commencing and enveloping the freedom that nature has to offer, only then will he/she truly have a life of pleasure and contentment.
Stumpf, S. E., & Fieser, J. (2008). Philosophy: History and problems. . New York: McGraw-Hill.
...ns of human purpose.” Obviously, these insights didn’t appear outside the cultural context, as an individualistic researcher might suggest.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson-
Stumpf, S.E and Fieser, J. Philosophy: History and Readings, New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008.
Humans look for some key equation through which they might tie all of the experiences of life and feel the satisfaction of action toward a goal, rather than the emptiness of which sometimes consumes the activities of our existence. However, humans may never find some great pure meaning beyond their mundane existences, because there is none. What there is to be found, however, is the life itself. Humans seek to find meaning so that emptiness will not pervade every thought, every deed, with the coldness of reality as seen by an unemotional eye. Without color, without joy, without future, reality untouched by hope is nothing more than an empty void. Man’s search for meaning is depicted in John Gardner’s Grendel, as Grendel’s perspective and philosophy
1) Barnes, Wesley. "Is Existentialism Definable?" The Philosophy and Literature of Existentialism. Woodbury: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1968
...rldly desires found within riches, power, physicality and his senses. As man becomes further aware, he looks towards the external world in order seek out happiness through, acts of moral virtue, acts of prudence and the representation and appreciation of art. I think that this represents a valid interpretation of Chapters 27-37 of Book III of the Summa Contra Gentiles and presents a very clear representation of the stages through which man progresses in the pursuit of happiness. Ultimately, if man continues on this journey of self-discovery he will find the ultimate happiness he seeks through the contemplation of those things greater than man himself, and that is the contemplation of God.
Many people wonder: what is the meaning of life? What is the human purpose on this earth? At least one time in our lifetime, we all look at ourselves and wonder if we are living our lives the way we were meant to live them. Sadly, there is not a definite answer to the principles of human life. Every human comes from different backgrounds and different experiences throughout their existence. Each person is different, each with different emotions and reactions to their surroundings. People strive to uncover the secrets to the meaning of life. In reality, humans are given the desire to live the way we want and have a critical thinking mind, unlike animals. In the essay Living like Weasels, Annie Dillard believes we should live more carefree and instinctual as weasels, but what we were given as humans is a gift that no other creature has – free will and choice to shape our own lives.
[1]Altshuler, Roman. “The Meaninglessness of life: Camus vs. Nagel.” The ends of Thought; Journeys to Philosophy’s Third Kingdom. (2011)
Grant, S., (2007). A defence of Aristotle on the good life. Richmond Journal of Philosophy (16) p. 1-8.
The story of In "The Death of Ivan Ilych", was written by Leo Tolstoy around who examines the life of a man, Ivan Ilyich, who would seem to have lived an exemplary life with moderate wealth, high station, and family. By story's end, however, Ivan's life will be shown to be devoid of passion -- a life of duties, responsibilities, respect, work, and cold objectivity to everything and everyone around Ivan. It is not until Ivan is on his death bed in his final moments that he realizes that materialism had brought to his life only envy, possessiveness, and non-generosity and that the personal relationships we forge are more important than who we are or what we own.
To many individuals the word “progress” has a positive meaning behind it. It suggests improvement, something humans have been obsessed with since the dawn of society. However, if closely examined, progress can also have a negative connotation as well. While bringing improvement, progress can simultaneously spark conformity, dependency, and the obsession of perfection within the individuals caught in its midst. It is this aspect of progress within modern society that negatively affects Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy’s main character in The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan’s attempt to conform to modern society’s view of perfection takes away his life long before he dies. Furthermore, his fear of death and reactions towards it reflects modern society’s inability to cope with the ever present reminder that humans still suffer and die, despite all attempts to make life painless, perfect, and immortal.
A. The Epic of Russian Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1950. 309-346. Tolstoy, Leo. "