Does Life Have a Meaning Essay - 3084 Words

Does Life Have a Meaning? Life, it might be argued, is the distinguishing feature of all organisms and may most usefully be thought of as involving various kinds of complex systems of organization providing individual organisms with the ability to make use of those energy sources available to them for both self maintenance and reproduction. Underlying this deceptively persuasive definition, however, lie those persistent traditional problems inherent in the search for an essential, distinctive substance characteristic of all forms of life. Additionally, as evolution theory makes clear, there is the problem of borderline instances, organisms of which it is not easy to say whether or not they may be defined as being alive. One such case†¦show more content†¦Vitalist notions that there is some feature of living organisms that prevents their natures being entirely explained in physical or chemical terms only have, as a consequence, been increasingly eclipsed. In vitalist doctrine, this mysterious additional feature may be argued to be the presence of a further entity, such as a soul, although it may also be explained as having to do with the existence in specific organisms of sets of conditions derived from their complexity and necessitating some form of life force or animal electricity injected in some way into inanimate bodies in order for them to become alive. In his expression of vitalism, Aristotle puts forward, in both De Anima and De Generatione, the view that the life of an animal consists in its psyche , thus offering a principle of explanation which determines the morphological development of an organism in terms of teleological causation. Although vitalism is currently perceived as having been largely overwhelmed by modern scientific thinking, there remain problems of some magnitude to which scientific solutions or explanations have yet to be found. These may be felt to support the criticism often levelled at science, that it is descriptive rather than analytical, that itShow MoreRelatedMeaning Of Life : Susan Wolf s Article, Happiness And Meaning : Two Aspects Of The Good Life Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the meaning of life? What gives life meaning? Philosophers have asked these questions for decades, and there still is not a solid answer to the question. This paper will analyze one modern philosopher’s take on the question: What gives life meaning? Susan Wolf is a modern moral philosopher and philosopher of action and mind. She attended two Ivy League institutions for her undergraduate and graduate careers. Wolf received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy and Math from Yale University, andRe ad MoreWhat Is The Meaning of Life? Essay688 Words   |  3 Pagespeople’s lives. How does God, as an important human construct make a difference when determining the meaning of life? The western religions believe their scriptures are the direct word of God. Hence they use them as the authoritative source for many facets of life. Eastern religions tend to treat their scriptures as interpretations by humans, yet still many of life’s mysteries are accepted at truth in their scriptures. So should these scriptures be a foundation for the meaning of life? Also, what if weRead MoreEssay on Existential Philosphy1710 Words   |  7 PagesNihilism originated somewhere around the mid-1800s, it was a shift from the social philosophy around that time which viewed life with purpose and meaning which was found usually though God, or some religious doctrine, however Nihilism is the philosophy that dictates the meaninglessness in life; it leaves an empty and void existence. Nihilis m is usually associated with German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is often although not a Nihilist himself Nietzsche wrote a considerable amount concerning NihilismRead MoreExistentialism : Wild ( 2014 ) And Into The Wild1739 Words   |  7 Pagestherefore leading to meaning, purpose and identity. When Chris and Cheryl leave their family, friends and everything else they know from the society, they are attempting to find a meaning and purpose to their lives. Watching these two movies, I discovered that, both main characters need the Nature as a catalyst to regain their freedom, to find their true identity and to understand the meaning of their lives. To figure out the reason behind their existences, both decide to go a on a life changing adventureRead MoreSome Moral Minima by Lenn Goodman: An Analysis1096 Words   |  4 PagesIn his essay Some Moral Minima, Lenn Goodman (2010) attempts to challenge moral relativism by arguing that certain acts contain natural meanings, and subsequently that certain acts are inherently right or wrong, due to their natural moral meaning (p. 92). Goodman discusses a number of acts that he views as inherently wrong, including genocide, germ warfare, and rape, and purports to offer reasoned explanations for why these acts are wrong. However, upon examining Goodmans claims in detail, itRead MoreA Clean, Well-Lighted Place Essay1138 Words   |  5 PagesLife sucks, does it not? Life is nothing and everything in life is meaningless. Perhaps there are a few things that can distract the mind and guard from the inadequacies of life, but in the end all fades away. Nothing lasts forever. While all the somethings are dying and fading, nothing is still there. Sure, one can search for meaning and think happy thoughts, but throughout the struggle everyone is alone and slowly spiraling down the path to despair. In â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,† HemingwayRead MoreBeloved, Civilization And Its Discontents, And Man s Search For Meaning1613 Words   |  7 Pages What does one live for? Why does one believe they exist? Many do not know the answer to these question. Meaning of life is what one lives for, what one lives by, why they exist.The meaning of life may be obvious to some, but a great number of people do not know why they live. Some believe they are here for a reason and some believe it is a mistake. Throughout life, some many suffer with life, which allows them to open their mind up to the meaning of life. Suffering is when one goes through painRead MoreIn The Book What’S It All About? Julian Baggini Discusses1678 Words   |  7 Pages In the book What’s It All About? Julian Baggini discusses philosophy and the meaning of life. This reading was able to bring different perspectives on ideas of the meaning of life that I thought about before. I was also able to learn about these concerns about life s meaning or meaninglessness in a philosophical standpoint. Some of the chapters that I found interesting included the chapters titled looking for the blueprint, here to help, and becoming a contender. In the chapter looking forRead MoreBusi 5601416 Words   |  6 Pagesabout life impact your sense of business ethics and personal decision-making? Again my personal view about my beliefs in life should be fully involve to where it is the foundation of business ethics, and decision making. Those things need to reflect in what I claim to believe in. 2. Does it seem odd to connect every belief we have about life back to what we believe about God? To me it does not seem odd to connect what I believe in with life, because knowing who the author of life allowsRead MoreThinking Of One’S Own Life As Having No Meaning Is A Difficult1244 Words   |  5 PagesThinking of one’s own life as having no meaning is a difficult prospect for many, however; in his book The Achievement Habit, author Bernard Roth considers it to be paramount to success. Bernard Roth is a highly regarded and decorated professor at the prestigious, Ivy League Stanford University. This declaration goes against the common beliefs of what many like-minded self-help books instruct their readers to do. In the initial line of the beginning paragraph in the first chapter of his book, Roth