Meaning of life: what does philosophy tell us?

Surely questions about life, both your own and in general, have knocked on your door. But frenzy of everyday life You probably leave it in a corner, to pay attention to more priority issues. In this article We will consider the meaning of life again, but from a philosophical perspective.

We are all involved in questions like “why are we here?” or “what is our purpose?” In this regard, philosophy reflected on themes such as anguish, despair, being in the world and everyday life. Thus, today we propose a curious journey into what great philosophers, such as Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Sartre, have said about this issue. Come on!

The meaning of life for existentialists

Existentialism is a philosophical current that invites us to reason about human existence, the search for meaning and purpose in life. It emerged at the end of the 19th century and considers that existence comes first and then thought. With this, its followers defend that first one exists and then one lives. The main representatives were Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Anguish and despair

Life without a purpose can be difficult. In general, We have material and worldly objectives as aspirations that make us endure existence with some success. However, according to Kierkegaard, it is necessary to find a philosophical foundation that gives meaning to living.

To do this, the lawyer proposes the concepts of despair and anguish, to which he associates a vital attitude. In this sense, the uneasiness about life begins when We reflect on limitations, starting with the finiteness of our existence.

Thus, one The option to remove this anguish would be aesthetics. This stage calls to immerse ourselves in worldly and superfluous pleasures; It would motivate us to opt for those alternatives capable of producing emotion and passion. This way of life would end up making us desperate.

What to do about this situation? There are two paths to choose: delight in daily activities that take us away from the question of the meaning of living or change reality and the way we see the world, including our undeniable biological finitude.

Therefore, It is about overcoming, through choice, the anguish that would be generated by asking ourselves about the meaning of living. What do we choose? A life in accordance with ethical rules. In our power is the freedom to do good or evil. The better our decisions are, the closer we will be to overcoming the anguish and despair of a mortal and finite existence.

One of the reflections raised by philosophers is the common concern of human beings about feeling like a grain of sand on a limitless beach.

Heidegger and being-in-the-world

Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher of considerable influence during the 20th century.. He was interested in topics such as human existence, the relationship between man and nature, as well as ontology.

In his work Being and time states that the human subject is a being that is in the world. That is, the individual is thrown into the world. Like Kierkegaard, he believes we can feel very distressed at being just a grain of sand of finite existence on a limitless beach. Therefore, The human being knows that his destiny is death. But what to do about it?

The philosopher maintains that we can live with our backs to our mortality, thus leading an artificial life. The other way out would be to accept that we will die and live facing this reality; In this way we would have the power to generate the fear that emanates from a possibility that we accept.

The human being as a project

Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher and playwright. His philosophical works deal with existentialism, while his theatrical works explore the human condition.

Sartre proposes the existence between the concepts of being and nothingness. In this sense, existing corresponds to being, while non-existence (or death) corresponds to nothingness. However, this intellectual gives great importance to being because without it nothingness would not exist. That is, without existence, nothingness would have no meaning.

Therefore, the valuable emphasis that the philosopher places on existence or being is such that he considers it as a project. That is to say, In the course of life the subject forges his own being. We can see it in everyday life: by living we forge our own life, with meaning for us.

Therefore, do and decide They are fundamental to finding the meaning of life. Because living always involves making decisions and by doing so, we do what we decide. It is about building the meaning of living in doing and deciding..

The meaning of living, from a less existentialist section, states that each person is the architect of their life and the foundations are their daily actions and their relationships.

The meaning of living from everyday life

Leaving aside existentialist positions, there are other currents that focus on exploring the meaning of life from a socio-cultural perspective. According to her, individual life is framed in certain contexts of daily activity and relationships that we engage with others.

According to the above, the individual would have the power to establish himself as his architect through reflection. Bliss existence is social, because the individual does not move alone and in isolation, but rather lives with other human beings who also construct their vital meanings with others.

It is in everyday life, made up of the activities and social relationships of individuals, where each of us would naturally construct the meaning of life.. But be careful, because we can get lost in routine, monotony and conformity, thus becoming thoughtless beings who lose the meaning of living that society promotes.

The very meaning of life

Philosophy offers us different vantage points from which we can reflect on the meaning of life. Fundamental issues such as existence, morality, and freedom can help us understand our own lives and find purpose.

Likewise, philosophy teaches us that life does not have a universal meaning. Instead, the meaning and value of life It is a construction that the individual himself must make. There are no magic recipes to search for the meaning of living, but Philosophy serves as a guide for it. Interesting, right?

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