David Swenson And Leo Tolstoy: The Meaning Of Life
From my perspective, I consider life to be more meaningful when an individual is happy. The meaning of life or happiness can be derived from the existence an adequate ultimate power that originates from God. Therefore having faith and believing in God brings happiness and a more understanding of the real meaning of life. Faith strengthens the belief in after death and brings people closer to God. Notably, this would bring happiness and a more meaning to live. However, being a non-believer can result in a meaningless life. Therefore, this paper has been conceived to try to understand the arguments about the meaning life from atheistic view while considering the story of Leo Tolstoy and David Swenson.
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Swenson’s arguments
David Swenson, a philosopher, argues that life is not life unless there is happiness and that there is no happiness unless it is justified.
He explains that the true purpose of life is to establish a subjective conviction to achieve happiness. Also, service of moral consciousness through faith and action reveals the presence of Almighty God thereby giving meaning and dignity to live. In his arguments, he states finding a unifying view life is essential for the young people who are planning to participate in the society (Klemeke & Cahn, p. 17). The desire for happiness is a universal human principle; he support this point by stating that genuine happiness is internally felt and can provide a solution to various challenges of life (Klemke, 18).
Swenson proposes the idea that happiness should only be sought in the moral consciousness. The only way to safeguard against the dilemmas associated with the laws of uncertainty is to cultivate an inward desire to serve God. It will lead to genuine happiness and meaningful life. He notes that happiness is not a pleasant moment of enjoyment of the present for thinking beings, but needs something deeper. Total happiness requires life to be infused with a sense of meaning, reason, and …show more content…
worth.
However, Swenson life’s purpose in search for happiness and satisfaction of desire faces some level of criticisms. First, it leaves people with many desires torn by different impulses, leading to the absence of peace that comes from devotion. Secondly, if individuals do not fulfill their wishes, then they may fall into despair. Another critic is that most of the things are not intrinsically valuable (Klemke & Cahn, p. 252).Things like money and power are only useful when properly managed. The last problem with this approach is that some people are far much ahead in the race to possess these goods, which sometimes depend on talents and other circumstances which most people lack. Generally, he argues that what makes life more meaningful should be inclusive and everyone should be in access. True happiness can, therefore, be derived from this discovery. Swenson concludes that people must accept their human nature to achieve good realization that ensures dignity and meaning to life (Klemke & Cahn, p. 253)
Tolstoy’s arguments
On the other hand, Leo Tolstoy argues in his famous confession, that only faith can help one find a meaning for this life.
He relates his experiences while giving details of how he was triumphal in his and was in want of nothing (Tolstoy, p.18). But when Tolstoy began questioning the process, he felt some burden and even with all the beauties that life has provided, he could not enjoy the rest of his life knowing that something evil was around. He depicts the deception of pleasures of life as evil, as he views that the desires will come to end with an event of death. Tolstoy rational thinking has not enabled to find a definite answer for the meaning of
life.
The notion of faith is considered to give the finite existence of man, an absolute sense that is not destroyed through suffering or death. In this case, happiness persists as faith allows one to believe that one is living for a purpose. The problem with Tolstoy came about when he succumbed to the spiritual crisis and started asking questions regarding the meaning of life. He showed different attempts to find answers from philosophy, science, and the opinion from his fellow novelists but he never found a workable solution (Tolstoy, p.15). He later found the deep religious convictions of ordinary people as containing the right answers to his questions.
The two arguments support the same argument that through faith in God, one can find happiness and the meaning of life. Tolstoy searched all the philosophical books, science, and other novelists but came to realize that the real meaning of life could only be found through faith in God. The arguments also tend to support the idea of being a believer to find life more meaningful.
In conclusion, the two arguments both support my views about of life. The only way to be happy and live a meaningful life is through having faith and believing in God. But searching for answers in philosophical books and science would not bring true meaning life.
Swenson’s arguments
David Swenson, a philosopher, argues that life is not life unless there is happiness and that there is no happiness unless it is justified.
He explains that the true purpose of life is to establish a subjective conviction to achieve happiness. Also, service of moral consciousness through faith and action reveals the presence of Almighty God thereby giving meaning and dignity to live. In his arguments, he states finding a unifying view life is essential for the young people who are planning to participate in the society (Klemeke & Cahn, p. 17). The desire for happiness is a universal human principle; he support this point by stating that genuine happiness is internally felt and can provide a solution to various challenges of life (Klemke, 18).
Swenson proposes the idea that happiness should only be sought in the moral consciousness. The only way to safeguard against the dilemmas associated with the laws of uncertainty is to cultivate an inward desire to serve God. It will lead to genuine happiness and meaningful life. He notes that happiness is not a pleasant moment of enjoyment of the present for thinking beings, but needs something deeper. Total happiness requires life to be infused with a sense of meaning, reason, and …show more content…
worth.
However, Swenson life’s purpose in search for happiness and satisfaction of desire faces some level of criticisms. First, it leaves people with many desires torn by different impulses, leading to the absence of peace that comes from devotion. Secondly, if individuals do not fulfill their wishes, then they may fall into despair. Another critic is that most of the things are not intrinsically valuable (Klemke & Cahn, p. 252).Things like money and power are only useful when properly managed. The last problem with this approach is that some people are far much ahead in the race to possess these goods, which sometimes depend on talents and other circumstances which most people lack. Generally, he argues that what makes life more meaningful should be inclusive and everyone should be in access. True happiness can, therefore, be derived from this discovery. Swenson concludes that people must accept their human nature to achieve good realization that ensures dignity and meaning to life (Klemke & Cahn, p. 253)
Tolstoy’s arguments
On the other hand, Leo Tolstoy argues in his famous confession, that only faith can help one find a meaning for this life.
He relates his experiences while giving details of how he was triumphal in his and was in want of nothing (Tolstoy, p.18). But when Tolstoy began questioning the process, he felt some burden and even with all the beauties that life has provided, he could not enjoy the rest of his life knowing that something evil was around. He depicts the deception of pleasures of life as evil, as he views that the desires will come to end with an event of death. Tolstoy rational thinking has not enabled to find a definite answer for the meaning of
life.
The notion of faith is considered to give the finite existence of man, an absolute sense that is not destroyed through suffering or death. In this case, happiness persists as faith allows one to believe that one is living for a purpose. The problem with Tolstoy came about when he succumbed to the spiritual crisis and started asking questions regarding the meaning of life. He showed different attempts to find answers from philosophy, science, and the opinion from his fellow novelists but he never found a workable solution (Tolstoy, p.15). He later found the deep religious convictions of ordinary people as containing the right answers to his questions.
The two arguments support the same argument that through faith in God, one can find happiness and the meaning of life. Tolstoy searched all the philosophical books, science, and other novelists but came to realize that the real meaning of life could only be found through faith in God. The arguments also tend to support the idea of being a believer to find life more meaningful.
In conclusion, the two arguments both support my views about of life. The only way to be happy and live a meaningful life is through having faith and believing in God. But searching for answers in philosophical books and science would not bring true meaning life.