To Live for God or for Meaning - 737 Words

Throughout the history of philosophical theories there have many shifts of thought, one of the most dramatic would certainly be the change from focusing on ideas of God and the proving of God’s existence to thoughts on the â€Å"death of God† and ways to find meaning in life despite his absence. This shift is demonstrated by the changing tone of the writings of Anselm and Descartes to the writings of Feuerbach and Nietzsche. This change happened for a variety of reasons including but not limited to the proving of scientific facts that did not coincide with religious beliefs (evolution, the sun is the center of our galaxy, etc.), the changing societal structure that reduced religious involvement in everyday life and the doors opened by past philosophers. This change is clearly seen through that differences between the writings of Descartes and the writings of Feuerbach. In the past, such as with Descartes in seems as if somehow proving God’s existence made everything right with the world. Descartes even went so far as to say,â€Å"I very clearly recognise that the certainty and truth of all knowledge depends alone on the knowledge of the true God, in so much that, before I knew Him, I could not have a perfect knowledge of any other thing†(Meditations) showing the strongly held belief people had at the time, that everything began and ended with God. This is why many of the philosophers before and during this time focused on God’s existence, because it was such a large part of life atShow MoreRelatedWhat Is It s One Of The Big Question About Human Existence?875 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy-1301-001 Charles Clinton Hinkley 5/31/2015 The meaning of life. It’s one of the big questions in philosophy, one of the big questions about human existence. A big part of the Christians or at least to (Page,2015) Page is to believes â€Å"the meaning of life is to fulfill God’s will, live our lives, have a career, make a family, have fun, and then die at the time God appointed for us to die.† (Page, Pg. 1) To some atheist, their belief is that there’s no meaning to life. They believe in evolution, to surviveRead MoreObtaining A Life Of Meaning And Purpose In Life Is Something1579 Words   |  7 PagesObtaining a life of meaning and purpose in life is something that every human being struggles with. Trying to find yourself and locate your value in society. Even today it’s one of the biggest struggles. That feeling of acceptance comes from everything, your back round, your race, your skin color, your religious belief, your political belief. God intended for us to be here in this world but he leaves your meaning and purpose for you to find and seek it through whatever lessons and teachings you findRead MoreWhat Does It Mean You Live A Life Of Meaning And Purpose? Essay1366 Words   |  6 Pagesmean to live a life of meaning and purpose? We have examined this question through at least five different authors, in different time periods, and through different ideas. However, the common idea has remained the same, have faith in God. For a human to live a life of meaning and purpose he must understand the truths of the natural world and the differences between what is good and evil. Jesus set an example for humans in his stories written by Matthew by displaying the ultimate faith in God and showingRead MoreWhat Is The Meaning of Life? Essay688 Words   |  3 PagesA belief in God is an important part of many people’s lives. How does God, as an important human construct make a difference when determining the meaning of life? The western religions believe their script ures are the direct word of God. Hence they use them as the authoritative source for many facets of life. Eastern religions tend to treat their scriptures as interpretations by humans, yet still many of life’s mysteries are accepted at truth in their scriptures. So should these scriptures be aRead MoreWhat Can You Know What Your Meaning?946 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever asked yourself about the meaning of life? According the Nagel, if we look at the big picture than all of our lives are meaningless. One day the universe is going to stop functioning and all life will perish so what is the point of our existence? To some people this could be harmful to their self-esteem because they want to be able to know that they live for a reason. To others, the thought of an overall meaningless life doesn’t mean that their life is meaningless within their lifetimeRead MoreCome, Follow Me Essay1069 Words   |  5 Pagesultimate meaning or value. When thinking of where your mor ality is derived from and what rules you set for yourself, your mind tends to wonder. â€Å"Come, Follow Me† (Mark 1:17) Humans are/were called into existence. The Christian moral life as discipleship raises questions of ultimate meaning and value, and offers answers to these questions: what is the call for discipleship, who calls and what is one called to do? For the Christian, the state of one self is aware of the calling from God to be Jesus’Read MoreThe whole point of knowledge is to produce both meaning and purpose in our personal lives1218 Words   |  5 Pagesknowledge is to produce both meaning and purpose in our personal lives What is meaning? Meaning is the idea of something represented by a word. For meaning to impact ones personal life, it needs to be of something that will impact their life for the better or for worst. Purpose is an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions. Meaning and purpose both have a long lasting influence on ones life. Is knowledge the ONLY thing that produces meaning and purpose in ones lifeRead MoreThe Real Meaning Of Life1511 Words   |  7 Pages The real meaning to life Since the beginning of humankind we have always strived to find answers to everything that has come to exist along in life with us or before us. Even though at any given time Life can throw us obstacles, we may face these moments which sometimes make us wonder why were we placed into this world. I believe as humans we will always hold a desire to try and understand every issue we encounter. Although the world can be a very cruel place to live in and, it can mentally damageRead MoreHow Do We Determine What The Real Meaning Of Life Is?1404 Words   |  6 Pages How do we determine what the real meaning of life is? In Life there are many obstacles that we face which sometimes make us wonder why was were placed into this world. This world can be a very harsh world to live in and, it can mentally damage a person mind. People sometimes go through the toughest moments in life past or present. Although there are other people who may have it the other way around and may sometimes not be able to compare nor understand what that damaged person might be going throughRead MoreThe Questioning of God and the Loss of Faith in Religion through Ecclesiastes1472 Words   |  6 PagesSearching for the meaning of life, people constantly question religion. What is our purpose? Why are we here? What is the meaning of our lives? In the third century BC people saw their lives falling apart; they wanted a new meaning of religion. During this time the Temple was destroyed, which will be explained further on. The destruction of a significant religious figure such as the Temple causes people to question the purpo se of religion, especially if it is going to fail them. Ecclesiastes