The Meaning of Life: Philosophical Quandaries - Essay Sample

Introduction

One fundamental philosophical problem is in regards to the meaning of life and our existence. A majority of individuals believe that life has meaning and therefore try to live their lives purposefully. However, readings by philosophers such as Camus (2013) and Sartre (1992) pose a challenge to the human belief in the meaningfulness of life. Albert Camus (2013) authored a variety of literal pieces and theatrical works where he addressed philosophy's fundamental question of the meaning of life. Some of Camus' (2013) writings include The Myth of Sisyphus, The Rebel, The Stranger, The Plague, and The Fall. While Camus (2013) is largely regarded as an existentialist, he did not perceive himself as one. On many occasions, he explicitly declined to be labeled as one. The two philosophers had fostered good relations between them but later on, disagreed based on ideologies. Sartre (1992) harbored the belief that human existence preceded our essence while Camus (2013) was of the view that our essence as humans preceded our existence (Hendrix, 2018). Despite their ideological disagreements, both philosophers provided important insight and perspectives on the meaningfulness of life. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus (2013) famously stated that "the world in itself is not reasonable" (Camus, 2013). Similarly, Sartre (2013) presented the argument that human beings do not find meaning in their lives until later periods of their lives. Therefore, the following study will seek to determine how humans have been empowered to determine the course of their lives and in so doing, give meaning to their lives, lack of which renders their life meaningless.

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Sartre (2013) addressed the topic of existentialism in his earlier writings such as Nausea and Existentialism and Humanism. His views on the issue of freedom and freewill were influenced by some of the events which occurred in his life. For instance, he authored Being and Nothingness: a phenomenological essay on ontology after doing time in a German prison. The time he spent as a prisoner provided him with a perspective on a variety of life issues. For instance, in Being and Nothingness, the philosopher argues that "man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does"(Sartre, 1992). Sartre's (1992) statement implies that human beings have complete control over their minds and actions. By stating that we are condemned to be free, the author implies that freedom is a huge responsibility which we are all forced to bear. Sartre's (2013) perspective on life was different compared to other philosophers such as Camus (2013). While they both did not believe in the meaningfulness of life, Camus' (2013) attitude towards life was more positive compared to Sartre's (2013). The philosopher seemed to be concerned with the fact that humans spent a majority of their lives trying to find meaning to their lives instead of simply enjoying what life had to offer. One of the ways that people attach meaning to their lives is through religion. Many religious writings such as the Bible posit that humans were created with the sole purpose of serving God's will. Religion, therefore, provides a way through which humans find meaning. Camus (2013) and Sartre (2013) however, did not believe in the existence of God. Camus (2013) thought that it was absurd that people derived comfort in religion yet to him, it was simply an illusion.

Camus' (2013) perspectives in regards to the meaning of life are valid. Religion should not be a way through which people attach meaning to their lives. The existence or nonexistence of God has not been proven. If his nonexistence is proven, a majority of people's lives would be rendered meaningless. The world, ever since its existence, has been engulfed in pain and suffering. If God's existence is proven, there would be no rational explanation as to why human beings have been forced to endure life's pains and tribulations. According to Camus (2013), proof of God's existence would only add to the absurdities of life. As it is, different societies have different origin stories and even gods. The Indian society, for instance, is polytheistic which only adds to the confusion regarding our purpose as humans. The various Indian tribes dedicate their lives to serving the interests of these gods and in thus doing, find meaning for their lives. In my view, humans should not attach so much meaning to religion due to its relative nature. In Sartre's (2013) Being and Nothingness, he states that humans have no control over the circumstances surrounding their birth. The philosopher's statement implies that humans lack a true purpose at the time of their birth. At the time of birth, humans lack self-awareness and only achieve it at an advanced stage of their lives. As humans become self-aware, they are presented with various choices that they have to make. It is only then that life attains meaning.

For individuals who fail to attain self-awareness, life remains meaningless to them. An artifact such as a bottle opener has a clear essence, which is to open bottles. The artisan who creates the artifact understands its essence before commencing work. For a majority of individuals, God is the creator of everything and therefore he is the one who understands our essence. However, there is an increasing number of atheists throughout the world. For them, life is still meaningful even though they do not believe in the existence of God. Sartre (2013) was also an atheist which explains his inability to derive meaning from life. The crux of Sartre's argument regarding the meaningfulness of life is that human beings have the choice to decide who they want to be. According to Sartre (2013), the power of free will or freedom is a great burden for humans and a cause of anguish. In my view, however, meaning should not only be pegged on religion but on various other factors that life has to offer. Camus (2013), however, holds the view that we can never attach meaning to life no matter how hard we try. He argues that neither science, religion nor society can help in revealing the meaning of life because it is nonexistent.

Kafka's (2012), A Hunger Artist, details the life of a professional fasting artist who is dedicated to his practice. For the artist, it seemed as though his life had meaning and the audience believed he was doing what he was passionate about (Kafka, 2012). However, towards the end of the article, it becomes apparent that the artist only took the job as a means to an end and also because he could not find any food he liked. In contemporary society, individuals tend to believe that their lives attain meaning as they become more self-aware. The reality, however, is that many individuals are stuck in a capitalist political system where their freedom is restricted. Such individuals, who make up the majority of the world's population cannot find the meaningfulness of life as most of them are stuck in day jobs they do not like. In many of his writings, Sartre spoke against capitalism due to the restrictions it imposed on people's lives. In Nausea, he states that "we do not know what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are" (Sartre, 2013). The statement implies that many people do not know what they want out of life even after they attain self-awareness. Attaining of a proper understanding of oneself requires one to be free to try out a variety of tasks, hobbies or simply activities before settling on one that guarantees the individual maximum satisfaction or provides the much-needed meaning. However, as Sartre (2013) points out in Nausea, the need for money has prevented many individuals from exploring other unconventional means of livelihood. For a majority of people, the choice to settle for a particular career or profession is largely influenced by the monetary compensation they stand to gain from the career.

Conclusion

Life is meaningless because human existence preceded our essence. Individuals have been empowered to make a variety of choices and therefore they should not restrict themselves to any specific realm or field. Despite the meaninglessness of life, some individuals try to find meaning for their lives through religion. Religion is, however, an illusion to some people since God's existence has not yet been proven. These factors imply that life is meaningless. In spite of this, individuals need to focus on the positive aspects of life and try to find meaning by embracing various aspects of life.

References

Camus, A. (2013). The Myth of Sisyphus. London, England: Penguin UK.

Hendrix, S. (2018). The meaning of life: Albert Camus on faith, suicide, and absurdity. Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/the-meaning-of-life-albert-camus-on-faith-suicide-and-absurdity

Kafka, F. (2012). A Hunger Artist.

Sartre, J. (1992). Being and Nothingness. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Sartre, J. (2013). Nausea. New York, NY: New Directions Publishing.