Religious Philosophies and the Meaning of Life - 1701 Words

All throughout history philosophers, politicians, and religious leaders have pondered the meaning of life. 20th century philosopher Albert Camus found that it Western society was far too focused on substance rather than understanding that it is the search for actualization or the process as opposed to the destination that provides the true meaning of life (Camus, 1942). Still others, Friedrich Nietzsche, for instance, found that it was suffering in its literal sense, or the process of undergoing, that defined the meaning of life. This was the ultimate search for freedom and actualization intellectual and emotional satisfaction (Nietzsche, 2004). Taking this view further, it seems as if the 21st century as brought the challenge of overcoming ones base instincts and striving for more, to be any kind of a person, ones life must have a unity to it, the continuity and coherence which comes from constructing ones life as a work of art (Young, 2003, 117). Karl Marx called religion the opiat e of the masses, in that it both numbs and comforts people, but really leaves them in a perpetual state of confusion and falsehoods. Yet it is primarily religion that humans turn to when facing questions about the meaning of life. It is interesting, too, that this idea of the meaning of life has ingrained in so very many parts of culture popular, spiritual, and philosophical. There was a full-screen movie called Monty Pythons Meaning of Life that examined the question from a humorousShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Religion : Thomas Aquinas And Fredrich Nietzsche1364 Words   |  6 Pageslives. However, the Philosophy of Religion caters to everyone, not just believers. Today we will look at Thomas Aquinas and Fredrich Nietzsche and their takes on religion. To fully understand their viewpoints its important to first understand what the philosophy of religion entails. The philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. Which also includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious believers. HoweverRead MoreEssay on Ludwig Wittgenstein1509 Words   |  7 Pagescommonly recognised stages of thought in 20th century analytic philosophy, both of which are taken to be central and fundamental in their respective periods. His early philosophy in the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, first published in 1921, provided new insights into relationships between the world, thought, language and the nature of philosophy by showing the application of modern logic to metaphysics via language. 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Nihilism is usually associated with German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is often although not a Nihilist himself Nietzsche wrote a considerable amount concerning Nihilism and its implications as a philosophy. Nietzsche saw NihilismRead MoreQuestions On Religion Of Science925 Words   |  4 Pagesapplication to life.† 2. Philosophy: â€Å"†¦ the opinions one holds about the world, life, and reality.† 3. Religion: â€Å"†¦ any man’s belief about his relationship to the invisible universe.† â€Å"We might speak of a pure religious science as we would speak of a pure natural science, which means the study of natural causes. We might speak of pure religious science as that branch of science which studies the natural principles; the nature of Mind and Consciousness. Then we could think of applied religious science asRead MoreThe Comparable And Contrastable Philosophies Of Kierkegaard And Kant Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesThe Comparable and Contrastable Philosophies of Kierkegaard and Kant In this paper, I will investigate the comparable and contrasting views of Soren Kierkegaard and Immanuel Kant. Their extraordinary journeys towards the meaning of morality and ethics is riveting, spiritual, universal, and in many ways, incredibly different. My conclusion is that though there are aspects which bind their theories together, ultimately both men possess different understandings of what morality is and how an individualRead MoreThe Philosophical Method Of Philosophy1208 Words   |  5 Pages What is Philosophy Philosophy according to its literal translation is the devotion to wisdom. But exactly what kind of wisdom does Philosophy entail? This question is answered by the subject matter of Philosophy (metaphysics, epistemology, value theory). 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