The Thomistic Institute What is the Purpose of Life? Classical and Contemporary Answers | Jennifer Frey
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Dec 11, 2018 Jennifer Frey discusses classical and contemporary answers on the purpose of life. Topics include existentialist philosophy, pursuit of happiness, connection between meaning and happiness, role of form in defining purpose and goodness, perspectives on happiness and fulfilling life, contrasting hedonism with meaningful objectives, achieving ultimate satisfaction through communion with God, and importance of family in politics
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Meaning of Life vs. Living Well
- Classical thinkers focused on how to live well, not explicitly on the "meaning of life."
- "Meaning of life" discussions arose in secular discourse, lacking a divine explanation.
Objective Happiness
- The Greeks' eudaimonia and Latins' beatitudo translate to "happiness" but imply a deeper, objective well-being.
- Ancient/medieval thinkers viewed happiness as an objective target, unlike our subjective, psychological view.
Meaning as Wholeness
- Meaning derives from understanding a part's role within a whole, like a word in a sentence or a hand on a body.
- Aristotle's idea that a severed hand isn't truly a hand illustrates how a part loses meaning without its whole.