This essay examines the enduring question of life's meaning through the lenses of religion, existentialism, science, and personal experience. Drawing on thinkers such as Albert Camus, Viktor Frankl, and Paul Thagard, the paper considers whether life's meaning can be discovered through rational inquiry, selfless service, faith, or acceptance of absurdity. It argues that suffering and mortality are the primary catalysts for the search for meaning, and that religious faith — particularly Christianity — offers the most compelling framework for coping with existential questions. The essay concludes that meaning is ultimately found through the heart rather than the intellect, and that Viktor Frankl's Holocaust memoir stands as a powerful testament to the human capacity to find purpose in even the most extreme suffering.
The meaning of life is a question that has plagued thoughtful people since early humans evolved the power to think rationally, creatively, and — most importantly — self-consciously. Aside from humorous attempts to engage the subject, such as Monty Python's film The Meaning of Life, the question is a profoundly serious one. It cuts to the core of every human life, compelling individuals to question their purpose and their way of living. Many people look to religious guidance as a means of discovering meaning, and religion remains the most effective way of providing people with a roadmap. Even if the absolute meaning of life is never fully revealed, we can at least learn to accept that God has a plan, and that plan is inherently meaningful.
Philosophers, however, have long debated the efficacy of religion's ability to provide life with meaning. Existentialism is the one branch of philosophy that is, by definition, concerned primarily with the meaning of life and human existence. Whereas some existentialists acknowledge the potential for God to provide meaning, others deny the relevance of God altogether and point instead to an essentially meaningful — or nihilistic — universe. For example, the writings of Albert Camus suggest that life is as absurd as a Monty Python sketch and that life does not need to have meaning in order for people to be happy. Most people, however, will not be satisfied with an absurdist viewpoint. Confronted almost daily with their own mortality, and especially in acute life-and-death situations, a person looks to God and religion to find meaning in what is essentially a painful and difficult existence.
Science has attempted, rather futilely, to explain the meaning of life. As Colls (2011) points out, scientists can explain specific phenomena and the meaning of those phenomena within a narrow context or framework. A scientist can tell us that a loved one has cancer because cells are mutating in a dysfunctional way. What the scientist cannot tell us is why this is happening, or why that person was put on this planet if only to die. Science cannot answer the question "Why are we here?" It can tell us that we evolved from single-celled organisms, but the answers given by science are categorically unacceptable to those who believe there is more to life than the materialistic universe.
Philosophers like Albert Camus have asked whether it is even fruitful to wonder about the meaning of life. We drive ourselves to distraction trying to find meaning rather than enjoying the bounty of the present moment. In many ways, this assessment has merit. Blogger Tina Su (n.d.) claims that life is what we make of it, and that chasing meaning is fruitless and leads to dissatisfaction. Meaning can be found in the most mundane activities, especially when those activities are placed within the context of selfless service. Those with strong family and community ties can appreciate the value of helping others as a way of imbuing all actions with meaning. The meaning of life might be as simple as that: helping others.
However, if we settle for this simple explanation we risk creating a logical fallacy. If life has meaning only insofar as it helps others, then why do people need our help in the first place? The search for meaning begs for absolute causes for the situation we find ourselves in. Instead of taking the easy way out by denying the relevance of the question, or by reducing it to the most obvious and mundane matters, it can be fruitful to study religion and philosophy in depth. Thagard (2010) goes so far as to suggest that our brains create all the meaning we need in life because of the neural processes that become engaged when we interact with the world.
Life does take on new meaning when we engage in selfless service; that much is true, and it can be demonstrated by the fact that most people would agree that Mother Teresa led a more meaningful life than the average person. The power of service to give one's personal life meaning must, however, be distinguished from the deeper question of why we are here at all. That deeper question is the one that has long plagued philosophers. The meaning of one's individual life is a rather modern construction, rooted in an individualistic worldview. As such, the search for individual meaning — or a sense of one's own destiny — could be culturally bound.
Zlatev (2002), for example, finds that cultural norms greatly impact the ascription of meaning onto objects or abstract ideas. The search for personal meaning might be culturally bound as well: in a collectivist society, the individual does not become preoccupied with personal purpose but rather with what he or she can do for the community. A collectivist society puts into practice what John F. Kennedy expressed when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." Therefore, one of the ways an individual finds meaning must be through service for others; service to the self will invariably leave one questioning why they have been put on this planet. A person who questions the meaning of life without performing selfless service will have a harder time finding answers to existential questions.
"How death and pain drive existential questioning"
"Frankl, mental illness, and the limits of the search"
As I contemplate the meaning of life in a more serious way, I draw from the wealth of material I have read in the disciplines of science, philosophy, religion, and literature. I appreciate the different approaches to discovering life's meaning. The existentialist approach, for instance, encourages me to take a step back and even laugh. As Camus — and Monty Python — suggest, the meaning of life is absurd. Maybe life has no meaning, and we should all simply enjoy ourselves. Of course, that feeling does not last long. Eventually the humor wears off, and the real questions begin to emerge.
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