Essay on A Reflection on the Meaning of Life from Three...

What is the most asked philosophical question? It seems to me that the answer is: what is the meaning of life? Everywhere in the world, one can find the evidence that finding a meaning in life is very important for people. Humanity appears to be preoccupied with this question since the very dawn of civilization. What do Socrates, Baruch De Spinoza and Simone De Beauvoir have in common? Yes, their names all have an ‘S’ in it. But there is something else: They are all individuals who have been trying to find the meaning of life. In this essay I will reflect on the meaning of life as presented by these three philosophers. Let me first explain why I have chosen this approach. The meaning of life has been an interest to me for a long†¦show more content†¦The ultimate goal for the human being is to break out of this circle. The only way to do so is by not having any desires anymore. The fact you actually desire to have no desires anymore makes this pursuit a very difficult one. In the Christian tradition, however, the general teaching is that human beings have only one life. That one life decides whether we will enter heaven or hell. Of course, many people today do not call themselves Christians anymore, but I still think that a great deal of our underlying premises about the meaning of life is still based on the religious doctrines. Of our three philosophers, I think Simone De Beauvoir is the only one of whom it can be said that she was part of the Christian cultural tradition. The remarkable thing about De Beauvoir is that she was a devout Catholic in her early childhood who intended to become a nun. However, at the age of 14 she changed her attitude radically and became an atheist for the rest of her life. I wonder whether this had anything to do with the fact that she witnessed the First World War as a child. Maybe she concluded that God could not be present in such evil, just like many Jews did after the Holocaust. Baruch De Spinoza lived in the Protestant Netherlands of the 17th century, but he came from the Jewish tradition himself. Like Beauvoir, Spinoza left the religious community he originated from. He was even expelled because his views were considered too radical.Show MoreRelatedTransformational Learning Essay1027 Words   |  5 Pagesquestions arise from these observations. First, what factors contribute to transformational learning? Second, what challenges arise for the instructor who teaches in transformational learning environments? Baumgartner (2001) and Taylor (as cited in Imel, 1998) give an overview of the theories, contributions of significant authors, and unresolved issues in transformational learning. The earliest writer on transformational learning (Mezirow, 1981) developed the concepts of â€Å"meaning perspectives†, onesRead MoreAnalysis : Mutters Schuhe By Nina Roder1679 Words   |  7 PagesMemories are a powerful force within people’s lives. 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