ENGLISH PROJECT WORK

The Purpose of Life

Why are we here? What are we here for?

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. Manpreet Kaur Geetanjali

2017CSA1066
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach
out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The meaning of life, or the answer to the question "What is the meaning
of life?", pertains to the significance of living or existence in general. Many
other related questions include: "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?",
or "What is the purpose of existence?" There have been a large number of
proposed answers to these questions from many
different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The search for life's meaning
has produced much philosophical, scientific, theological,
and metaphysical speculation throughout history. Different people and
cultures believe different things for the answer to this question.

The meaning of life as we perceive it is derived from philosophical and

religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about existence, social
ties, consciousness, and happiness. Many other issues are also involved, such
as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free
will, the existence of one or multiple gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and
the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing
related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and
parameters concerning the "how" of life. Science also studies and can provide
recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of
morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question, "What is
the meaning of my life?"

“It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know
if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; If you can bear the
accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.”
~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach
out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The meaning of life, or the answer to the question "What is the meaning
of life?", pertains to the significance of living or existence in general. Many
other related questions include: "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?",
or "What is the purpose of existence?" There have been a large number of
proposed answers to these questions from many
different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The search for life's meaning
has produced much philosophical, scientific, theological,
and metaphysical speculation throughout history. Different people and
cultures believe different things for the answer to this question.

The meaning of life as we perceive it is derived from philosophical and

religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about existence, social
ties, consciousness, and happiness. Many other issues are also involved, such
as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free
will, the existence of one or multiple gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and
the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing
related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and
parameters concerning the "how" of life. Science also studies and can provide
recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of
morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question, "What is
the meaning of my life?"
“It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know
if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; If you can bear the
accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.”

~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach
out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The meaning of life, or the answer to the question "What is the meaning
of life?", pertains to the significance of living or existence in general. Many
other related questions include: "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?",
or "What is the purpose of existence?" There have been a large number of
proposed answers to these questions from many
different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The search for life's meaning
has produced much philosophical, scientific, theological,
and metaphysical speculation throughout history. Different people and
cultures believe different things for the answer to this question.

The meaning of life as we perceive it is derived from philosophical and

religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about existence, social
ties, consciousness, and happiness. Many other issues are also involved, such
as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free
will, the existence of one or multiple gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and
the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing
related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and
parameters concerning the "how" of life. Science also studies and can provide
recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of
morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question, "What is
the meaning of my life?"

“It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know
if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; If you can bear the
accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.”

~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Questions that make mind toggle?

Questions about the meaning of life have been expressed in a broad variety
of ways, including the following:

 What is the meaning of life? What's it all about? Who are

we?[1][2][3]
 Why are we here? What are we here for?[4][5][6]
 What is the origin of life?[7]
 What is the nature of life? What is the nature of reality?[7][8][9]
 What is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of one's
life?[8][10][11]
 What is the significance of life?[11] – see also § Psychological
significance and value in life
 What is meaningful and valuable in life?[12]
 What is the value of life?[13]
 What is the reason to live? What are we living for?

These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and

arguments, from scientific theories, to
 Philosophical

 Theological

 Spiritual explainations

The meaning of life is not being dead. ~Tim Bale, London

Let”s dig out more!!

Many members of the scientific community and philosophy of science

communities can provide the relevant context think that science can provide
relevant text with the topics dealing with meaning of life.

Psychological significance and value in life

Researchers in positive psychology study empirical factors that lead to life
satisfaction,[15] full engagement in activities,[16] making a fuller
contribution by utilizing one's personal strengths,[17] and meaning based on
investing in something larger than the self.[18] Large-data studies
of flow experiences have consistently suggested that humans experience
meaning and fulfillment when mastering challenging tasks, and that the
experience comes from the way tasks are approached and performed rather
than the particular choice of task. For example, flow experiences can be
obtained by prisoners in concentration camps with minimal facilities, and
occur only slightly more often in billionaires. A classic example[16] is of two
workers on an apparently boring production line in a factory. One treats the
work as a tedious chore while the other turns it into a game to see how fast
she can make each unit, and achieves flow in the process.

Neuroscience describes reward, pleasure, and motivation in terms of

neurotransmitter activity, especially in the limbic system and the ventral
tegmental area in particular. If one believes that the meaning of life is to
maximize pleasure and to ease general life, then this allows normative
predictions about how to act to achieve this. Likewise, some ethical
naturalists advocate a science of morality—the empirical pursuit of
flourishing for all conscious creatures.

Experimental philosophy and neuroethics research collects data

about human ethical decisions in controlled scenarios such as trolley
problems. It has shown that many types of ethical judgment are universal
across cultures, suggesting that they may be innate, whilst others are culture
specific. The findings show actual human ethical reasoning to be at odds with
most logical philosophical theories, for example consistently showing
distinctions between action by cause and action by omission which would be
absent from utility based theories. Cognitive science has theorized about
differences between conservative and liberal ethics and how they may be
based on different metaphors from family life such as strong fathers vs
nurturing mother models.

Neurotheology is a controversial field which tries to find neural correlates

and mechanisms of religious experience. Some researchers have suggested
that the human brain has innate mechanisms for such experiences and that
living without using them for their evolved purposes may be a cause of
imbalance. Studies have reported conflicted results on correlating happiness
with religious belief and it is difficult to find unbiased meta-analyses.[citation
needed]

Sociology examines value at a social level using theoretical constructs such

as value theory, norms, anomie, etc. One value system suggested by social
psychologists, broadly called Terror Management Theory, states that human
meaning is derived from a fundamental fear of death, and values are selected
when they allow us to escape the mental reminder of death.
Emerging research shows that meaning in life predicts better physical health
outcomes. Greater meaning has been associated with a reduced risk of
Alzheimer's disease,[19] reduced risk of heart attack among individuals with
coronary heart disease,[20] reduced risk of stroke,[21] and increased
longevity in both American and Japanese samples.[22] In 2014, the
British National Health Service began recommending a five step plan for
mental well-being based on meaningful lives, whose steps are: (1) Connect
with community and family; (2) Physical exercise; (3) Lifelong learning; (4)
Giving to others; (5) Mindfulness of the world around you.[23]

Human Species: Sharing Intimate connection with

Humankind

Let’s restrict the scope of the discussion to the human species, and narrow
down the choices to

 To share an intimate connection with humankind: the notion of love

 There is no meaning of life, we simply exist;
 To search for the meaning of life
Humans are animals with an instinct for survival. At a basic level, this survival
requires food, drink, rest and procreation. In this way, the meaning of life
could be to continue the process of evolution. This is manifested in the
modern world as the daily grind.

Humans also have the opportunity and responsibility of consciousness. With

our intellect comes curiosity, combined with the means to understand
complex problems. Most humans have, at some point, contemplated the
meaning of life. Some make it a life’s work to explore this topic. For them and
those like them, the question may be the answer.

Humans are a social species. We typically seek out the opposite sex to
procreate. Besides the biological urge or desire, there is an interest in
understanding others. We might simply gain pleasure in connecting with
someone in an intimate way. Whatever the specific motivation, there is
something that we crave, and that is to love and be loved.

The meaning of life may never be definitively known. The meaning of life may
be different for each individual and/or each species. The truth of the meaning
of life is likely in the eye of the beholder. There were three choices given at
the beginning of this essay, and for me, the answer is all of the above.

Popular views

"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at

some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of
life?".[10] Some popular answers include:

To realize one's potential and ideals

 To chase dreams.[152]
 To live one's dreams.[153]
 To spend it for something that will outlast it.[154]
 To matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some
difference that you lived at all.[154]
 To expand one's potential in life.[153]
 To become the person you've always wanted to be.[155]
 To become the best version of yourself.[156]
 To seek happiness[157][158] and flourish.[3]
 To be a true authentic human being.[159]
 To be able to put the whole of oneself into one's feelings, one's work,
one's beliefs.[154]
 To follow or submit to our destiny.[160][161][162]
 To achieve eudaimonia,[163] a flourishing of human spirit.

To achieve biological perfection

 To survive,[164] that is, to live as long as possible,[165] including

pursuit of immortality (through scientific means).[166]
 To live forever[166] or die trying.[167]
 Existence: to keep existing, to keep being, to preserve one's own
existence; not to cease to be, not to disappear; existence solely relying on
itself; to overcome threats to one's existence; existential and ontological
self-sufficiency.[citation needed]
 To adapt. Often to improve one's chances of success in another
purpose; sometimes, as a purpose in itself (adapting to adapt).
 To evolve.[168]
 To replicate, to reproduce.[152] "The 'dream' of every cell is to become
two cells."[169][170][171][172]

To seek wisdom and knowledge

 To expand one's perception of the world.[153]

 To follow the clues and walk out the exit.[173]
 To learn as many things as possible in life.[174]
To know as much as possible about as many things as possible.[175]
 To seek wisdom and knowledge and to tame the mind, as to
avoid suffering caused by ignorance and find happiness.[176]
 To face our fears and accept the lessons life offers us.[160]
 To find the meaning or purpose of life.[177][178]
 To find a reason to live.[179]
 To resolve the imbalance of the mind by understanding the nature of
reality.[180]

To do good, to do the right thing

 To leave the world as a better place than you found it.[152]

To do your best to leave every situation better than you found it.[152]
 To benefit others.[6]
 To give more than you take.[152]
 To end suffering.
 To create equality.
 To challenge oppression.[187]
 To distribute wealth.[188][189]
 To be generous.[190][191]
 To contribute to the well-being and spirit of others.[192][193]
 To help others,[3][191] to help one another.[194]
To take every chance to help another while on your journey here.[152]
 To be creative and innovative.[192]
 To forgive.[152]
To accept and forgive human flaws.[195][196]
 To be emotionally sincere.[154]
 To be responsible.[154]
 To be honorable.[154]
 To seek peace.[154]
 Dante and Beatrice see God as a point of light surrounded by angels;
from Gustave Doré's illustrations for the Divine Comedy

Meanings relating to religion

 [He] [God] who created death and life to test you [as to] who is best in
deed and He is Exalted in Might, the Forgiving. (Quran 67:2)
 To worship God and enter heaven in afterlife.[197]
 To reach the highest heaven and be at the heart of the Divine.[198]
 To have a pure soul and experience God.[154]
 To understand the mystery of God.[160]
 To know or attain union with God.[199][200]
 To know oneself, know others, and know the will of heaven.[201]
 To love something bigger, greater, and beyond ourselves, something
we did not create or have the power to create, something intangible and
made holy by our very belief in it.[152]
 To love God[199] and all of his creations.[202]
 To glorify God by enjoying him forever.[203]
 To spread your religion and share it with others.[204] (Matthew
28:18-20)
 To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.[205]
 To be fruitful and multiply.[206] (Genesis 1:28)
 To obtain freedom. (Romans 8:20-21)
 To fill the Earth and subdue it.[206] (Genesis 1:28)
 To serve humankind,[207] to prepare to meet [208] and become more
like God,[209][210][211][212] to choose good over evil,[213] and have
joy.[214][215]

To love, to feel, to enjoy the act of living

 To love more.[152]
 To love those who mean the most. Every life you touch will touch you
back.[152]
 To treasure every enjoyable sensation one has.[152]
 To seek beauty in all its forms.[152]
 To have fun or enjoy life.[160][192]
 To seek pleasure[154] and avoid pain.[216]
 To be compassionate.[154]
 To be moved by the tears and pain of others, and try to help them out
of love and compassion.[152]
 To love others as best we possibly can.[152]
 To eat, drink, and be merry.[217]

To have power, to be better

 To strive for power[70] and superiority.[216]

 To rule the world.[161]
 To know and master the world.[204][218]
 To know and master nature.[219]

Life has no meaning

 Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because
human existence occurred out of a random chance in nature, and
anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose.[180]
 Life has no meaning, but as humans we try to associate a meaning or
purpose so we can justify our existence.[152]
 There is no point in life, and that is exactly what makes it so
special.[152]

One should not seek to know and understand the meaning of life

 The answer to the meaning of life is too profound to be known and

understood.[180]
 You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.[152]
 The meaning of life is to forget about the search for the meaning of
life.[152]
 Ultimately, a person should not ask what the meaning of their life is,
but rather must recognize that it is they themselves who are asked. In a
word, each person is questioned by life; and they can only answer to life
by answering for their own life; to life they can only respond by being
responsible.[220]

Life is bad

 Better never to have been. People will always experience pain (harm)
which outweighs any pleasure. Not coming into existence means people
will not experience pain, nor will they be disadvantaged by not
experiencing pleasure as they do not exist. This is described as the
asymmetry of pleasure and pain .
Main Objectives of Human Life: Better Perspective

Dharma:

Dharma has a wider meaning and goes beyond the parameters of religion.
Rather, it states practising righteousness and keeping faith in God. It also
states fulfilling ten basic priciples which are as follows - Forbearance,
Control of mind, Kshama, Non-stealing, Cleanliness, Wisdom, Control of
sense, Knowledge, Truth and Non-anger.

Artha:

Artha means wealth which is the second most important objective of

human life. Wealth, in this sense, is often confused with greed, however, it
doesn't state just materialistic wealth. It states attaining the wealth of
knowledge, attaining good health, being satisfied with what you already
have and lastly, one should always donate a certain portion of their money
for a charitable purpose.

Kama:

It states a desire or a wish. It basically states satisfying your sensual urges.

In this category, sexual desires occupy the first place as it's a human need
according to the Vedas. Thus, Kama is considered an essential goal of
human life which must be filfilled in a proper way without sacrificing the
rest of the three goals.

Moksha:

It is the final objective that every human being must realise. It states
liberating yourself from the cycle of death and rebirth. Thus, it basically
frees you from all miseries and pain and one can unite with God!

To attain this stage a human being needs to perform good deeds and lead
their life in a righteous way
Conclusion

I propose that the knowledge we have now accumulated about life discloses
quite emphatically that we are entirely a function of certain basic laws as they
operate in the probably unique conditions prevailing here on Earth.

The behaviour of the most elementary forms of matter we know, subatomic

particles, seems to be guided by four fundamental forces, of
which electromagnetism is probably the most significant here, in that
through the attraction and repulsion of charged particles it allows an almost
infinite variation of bonding: it allows atoms to form molecules, up the chain
to the molecules of enormous length and complexity we call as nucleic acids,
and proteins. All these are involved in a constant interaction with surrounding
chemicals through constant exchanges of energy. From these behaviour
patterns we can deduce certain prime drives or purposes of basic matter,
namely:

1. Combination (bonding).

2. Survival of the combination, and of any resulting organism.

3. Extension of the organism, usually by means of replication.

4. Acquisition of energy.

Since these basic drives motivate everything that we’re made of, all the
energy, molecules and chemistry that form our bodies, our brains and
nervous systems, then whatever we think, say and do is a function of the
operation of those basic laws Therefore everything we think, say and do will
be directed towards our survival, our replication and our demand for energy
to fuel these basic drives. All our emotions and our rational thinking, our
loves and hates, our art, science and engineering are refinements of these
basic drives. The underlying drive for bonding inspires our need for
interaction with other organisms, particularly other human beings, as we seek
ever wider and stronger links conducive to our better survival. Protection and
extension of our organic integrity necessitates our dependence on and
interaction with everything on Earth.

Our consciousness is also necessarily a function of these basic drives, and

when the chemistry of our cells can no longer operate due to disease, ageing
or trauma, we lose consciousness and die. Since I believe we are nothing
more than physics and chemistry, death terminates our life once and for all.
There is no God, there is no eternal life. But optimistically, there is the joy of
realising that we have the power of nature within us, and that by
co-operating with our fellow man, by nurturing the resources of the world, by
fighting disease, starvation, poverty and environmental degradation, we can
all conspire to improve life and celebrate not only its survival on this planet,
but also its proliferation. So the purpose of life is just that: to involve all living
things in the common purpose of promoting and enjoying what we are – a
wondrous expression of the laws of Nature, the power of the Universe.