The Meaning of Life

What is the meaning of life? This statement presupposes that there is meaning to life, which is a question with in itself. Accepting the notion that there is meaning to human life, thus denying the philosophical concept of Nihilism. The fundamental belief of Nihilism is that the world, especially human existence, is without meaning, truth, or value. I have no qualms with removing this philosophy from the discussion, much like Friedrich Nietzsche who is commonly associated with the theory but fundamentally disagreed with its values.

A nihilist is a man who judges of the world as it is that it ought not to be, and of the world as it ought to be that it does not exist. According to this view, our existence (action, suffering, willing, feeling) has no meaning: the pathos of 'in vain' is the nihilists' pathosat the same time, as pathos, an inconsistency on the part of the nihilists. I agree with Nietzsche, I can not accept nihilism due to the basic paradox that it presents; stating that truth does not exist is itself a truth.

Nietzsche is superficially associated with nihilism due do the misinterpretation of his famous quote from The Gay Science God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it? This quote is not to be taken literally like many of Nietzsches works including referring to himself as the antichrist, rather these statements are criticisms of Christianity and religious believe in general. This brings me to my next concept of the meaning of life, theistic beliefs.

There are numerous religious beliefs with many different values and practices, but the essential meaning of life in a theistic sense is to live a good life based on the golden rule, Love your neighbor as yourself -Moses, Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. -Muhammad, What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others. Confucius, in the hope of entering Heaven (for lack of a more universal term) in the afterlife. Religion undoubtedly has given the majority of mankind a meaning in life. I believe that religion guides the modern man to live a good life as well as being the catalysis of countless wars; this is the double edged sword that theology carries commonly called Faith. I was born a man of reason, inspecting the world and life rationally so faith is a rather foreign concept to me. I once again agree with Nietzsche on the ideal of faith, Faith: not wanting to know what is ...