Why Are We Here Research Paper
The Meaning of Life: Why are We Here?
Michelle Klingenberg
Colorado Technical University
Author Note
This paper was prepared for PHIL301, CS42-01, taught by Siamak Pouraryan on May 24, 2014.
The Meaning of Life: Why are We Here?
Why are we here? What is the purpose and meaning of life? These questions, or variations of, have probably crossed the mind of just about every person that ever lived at some point or other, and maybe even several times during their lives. It is important and necessary for individuals to answer these questions in their own minds, hearts, and spirits, as it promotes a sense of purpose to life. If one does not have a sense of purpose, many lose the will to live. Therefore, for thousands of years, …show more content…
However, as described by Rick Warren, true purpose comes from a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It comes from living out this purpose through serving and sharing one’s life and faith with others. Understanding one’s purpose and meaning in life helps one to live this purpose out in his or her life, which in turn gives one a reason to live. In addition, when people live their lives for reasons outside of their own selves, it changes the way individuals approach their personal and professional lives. It allows humans to grow and succeed, and as pointed out by Aristotle, it can bring one to a sense of eudaimonia.
References
Cashen, M. (2012). Happiness, eudaimonia, and the principle of descriptive adequacy. Metaphilosophy, 43(5), 619-635: doi:10.1111/j.1467-9973.2012.01772.x
Kraut, R. (2014). Aristotle’s ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2014/entries/aristotle-ethics/>.
Murphy, J. (2010). Betting on life: A Pascalian argument for seeking to discover meaning. Monist, 93(1).
Michelle Klingenberg
Colorado Technical University
Author Note
This paper was prepared for PHIL301, CS42-01, taught by Siamak Pouraryan on May 24, 2014.
The Meaning of Life: Why are We Here?
Why are we here? What is the purpose and meaning of life? These questions, or variations of, have probably crossed the mind of just about every person that ever lived at some point or other, and maybe even several times during their lives. It is important and necessary for individuals to answer these questions in their own minds, hearts, and spirits, as it promotes a sense of purpose to life. If one does not have a sense of purpose, many lose the will to live. Therefore, for thousands of years, …show more content…
However, as described by Rick Warren, true purpose comes from a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It comes from living out this purpose through serving and sharing one’s life and faith with others. Understanding one’s purpose and meaning in life helps one to live this purpose out in his or her life, which in turn gives one a reason to live. In addition, when people live their lives for reasons outside of their own selves, it changes the way individuals approach their personal and professional lives. It allows humans to grow and succeed, and as pointed out by Aristotle, it can bring one to a sense of eudaimonia.
References
Cashen, M. (2012). Happiness, eudaimonia, and the principle of descriptive adequacy. Metaphilosophy, 43(5), 619-635: doi:10.1111/j.1467-9973.2012.01772.x
Kraut, R. (2014). Aristotle’s ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2014/entries/aristotle-ethics/>.
Murphy, J. (2010). Betting on life: A Pascalian argument for seeking to discover meaning. Monist, 93(1).