What is the Purpose of Life? Classical and Contemporary Answers | Jennifer Frey
May 19, 2024
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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
The pursuit of happiness as life's goal spans classical and modern views, emphasizing deep fulfillment and purpose.
Happiness is viewed as a shared, communal good, challenging individualistic pursuits and highlighting the enriching nature of shared experiences.
Genuine happiness transcends individual satisfaction, rooted in engaging with objective truths and universal goods, rejecting hedonistic pleasures.
Deep dives
Origins of the Meaning of Life Inquiry
The inquiry into the meaning of life emerges from a post-industrial context where individuals transitioned from agrarian to industrial urban lifestyles, facing alienation and anxiety. This question peaked in the early to mid-20th century post-War Europe amid heightened existential concerns due to unprecedented human violence and the looming threat of nuclear annihilation.
Interconnection of Meaning and Happiness
The classical pursuit of eudaimonia or beatitudo, translated as happiness, as life's ultimate goal overlaps with the contemporary quest for the meaning of life. While modern interpretations often equate happiness with subjective pleasure, ancient and medieval thinkers viewed happiness as a deep, objective sense of living well and achieving one's purpose.
Significance of Communal Happiness
The concept of happiness as a common good emphasizes its universality, non-competitiveness, and participatory nature, underscoring that authentic happiness is shared with and through others rather than a solitary pursuit. This communal aspect challenges individualistic notions of satisfaction and highlights the enriching and fulfilling nature of shared experiences.
Human Happiness Connected to Reality
Aquinas's philosophy underscores that human happiness is intertwined with engaging in activities that connect individuals to reality external to themselves, rejecting solipsistic pleasure pursuits. Happiness, rooted in the fulfillment of the capacities to know truth and will the good, finds ultimate satisfaction in communion with the divine and realization of objective, universal goods.
Challenges of Hedonistic Philosophy
Discussions on happiness reveal tensions within hedonistic perspectives that prioritize subjective pleasure as the measure of a good life. Critiques, such as Robert Nozick's 'pleasure machine' thought experiment, interrogate the inadequacy of pleasure-centric philosophies, suggesting that genuine happiness transcends individual satisfaction to encompass shared, meaningful experiences.