The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life

It’s highly likely you have asked this question at some point during your life in some regard. Who are we? Why are we here? Yes a very interesting question that many believe has no real answer. I’m going to look into this notion to see if I can actually find an answer.

 

I started by looking at things scientifically. Science look at how we exist with events such as the big bang and concepts such as evolution. While looking at the beginnings of the universe or how creature change over time is interesting it doesn’t really help in our question. Science discovers how, we’re looking at why.

 

The logical next place to look was religion. Religion will often to either one or multiple Gods for the meaning of life. How they have given us meaning and to live in goodness while limiting sin. However we’re not all religious and even those who are have different religions or interpret the same religion differently. Religion is not the answer to this question.

 

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
 A painting by Paul Gauguin

What are good and evil? Two things often referred to but do we really understand what they are. It often seems like some arbitrary opinion that decides what is good and what is evil. Honestly the concept of good and evil is a very black and white way to look at the world, while the world is anything but black and white. Some things we would all agree are wrong at any time but these examples are few and far between. Some actions may seem wring at face value but may be necessary for the greater good.

 

Soldiers kill people to protect their country. Killing is apparently wrong so are soldiers evil. Obviously not. Are the soldiers on the other side evil? No. They are doing the same thing as the soldiers on our side. Good and evil are just different points of view. Often someone doing something you deem ‘evil’ or ‘wrong’ will be doing what they believe is right. What they believe is good. Does this mean make you good simply because you don’t agree? Equally does a large majority believing the same thing make it the right thing? We all know the answer to that question.

 

So is the meaning of life to be good as oppose to evil? No, simply because good and evil do not exist for the majority of circumstances and even if they did who decides what is right and wrong? You? A God? Why should anyone else, even if they are a God decide what is right and wrong? Shouldn’t we have free will to choose what we do?

Do we even have free will? Some would say no. Do you believe in fate and destiny? Some people believe we are all just part of some computer program, being controlled by superior beings. There’s nothing to disprove this theory but equally nothing proves it. We discussed this in my physics class and some people said it freaked them out. How about destiny? Does some greater force control what we do and who we are? What happens to us and whether we are happy or sad? If this is the meaning of life, that we’re not in control then so be it. The key is even if they are already chosen, we have the illusion of choice. When we choose to do something we thing we are making that choice. As long as we have the illusion of choice we at least feel like we have free will.

 

Is being free the meaning of life. People have fought for the right to be free for as long as humanity has existed. Do we have a birth right to freedom? I’d like to think we should but my opinion is meaningless. What defines free? We can make our own choices. Even a slave can choose to try and escape. So in a way all of us a free to an extent. Free to choose, or at least we think so. So if this is true how can freedom be the meaning of life? If we are all free then what is the meaning behind it. I’d argue there is none.

 

Confused? I was. The meaning of life I guess is an impossible to answer conundrum. We will never know and would be better of just not thinking about it. We should just live out our lives. Unless we shouldn’t. Maybe there is more to this than it being an impossible to answer question. I do have a bit of a spin on the subject. Are you intrigued? What do you think about this? Next Monday I post part 2 to this discussion. Until then …