The Meaning of Life

Have you ever wondered why we exist, what the point of existence is, or even why we are made as such? Of course, there are biological answers (especially to the last question), but think philosophically for a second (I know most of you don’t care, but still). The answers to these questions are still being thought out, and most of the humans in this world don’t agree. Even famous philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Descartes, and Spinoza have thought on this question for centuries since before the time of Socrates in the 5th century BCE. In this article, we will attempt to come to terms with this question–not by coming up with a solid answer (that would take WAY too long), but by analyzing and coming up with some vague ideas.

For starters, we must analyze our impact on this world. Why? Let’s see what Benedict Spinoza, a famous philosopher, had to say. According to him, the good life centers on understanding oneself in correlation to the totality of being. Simply put, to discover the meaning of life (which is the purpose of our creation), we must first understand what our impact is on this world. In other words, we must understand our history to understand our future, then use our future to understand the meaning of existence. This brings us back to our current question. What have we done in this world?

Well, the answer is not so simple. If we think about it, all humans have done while existing is to try to make the world a better place–to preserve it for future generations. In a way, this could be considered service. But are we truly succeeding?

In a way, we are. We have survived for more than 200,000 years. But have we made the world better? Not really. Along with climate change, poverty, and corruption, there are a lot of issues caused by humans. Have we tried our hardest? 

The truth is unclear. We simply don’t know. But with this mindset, we can discover many possibilities for our existence, including the countless ones that previous philosophers have discussed before. As a final thought, let me leave you with a theory from Plato, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle. According to Plato, the meaning of life is to live it to its fullest, working and loving not only for oneself but for everyone around; to gather wisdom and understanding from the things around us.