WhatistheMeaningofLife?

LessonsfromtheLimitsofHumanExistence

AttilaTanyiFellow,Zukunftskolleg

Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter, FBPhilosophieUniversityofKonstanz

Whatisthemeaningoflifeabout?

Themeaningof“meaning”

Morality

Happiness

Worthwhilelife

Whatitisnotabout

Apositivefinalvaluethatanindividual’slifecanexhibit

Itcomes indegrees

Otherwise,thereisnoconsensus

Whatitisabout

Theoriesofthemeaningoflife

Theconceptuallandscape

Supernaturalism

God-centeredviews

Soul-centeredviews

Naturalism

Subjectivism

Objectivism

Intersubjectivism:meaningis

constitutedbywhatallhumanbeingswouldagreeto

fromacommunalstandpoint.

Non-naturalism

Meaningisafunctionofabstract

propertiesthatareneitherspiritualnorphysical

Nihilism

ThereisnoGodand/orsoul

Thereisnosatisfactioninlifeoritonlyleadsto

boredom

Thereisnomorality

Supernaturalism

God-centeredviews

FulfillingGod’spurposeinlife

Participatingininfinity

Meaningdependsonperfection

Soul-centeredviews

Makingapermanentdifferencetotheworld

Perfectjustice

Honoringinfinitevalue

Honoringwhatisdivinewithinoneself

Naturalism

Subjectivism

Gettingwhatonewantsmost;whatonebelievestobemostimportant;achievingone’s

highly-rankedends;whatonelovesorcaresabout.

Authenticity inlife.

Beingabsorbed inone’sendeavors.

ObjectivismMorality,creativity,overcomingchallenges,nonhedonicgoods,transcendingthelimitsoftheself

etc.

Hybridview:subjectivismandobjectivism.

Propositionalattitudesenhancethemeaningoflifebutarenot

necessaryforit.Pluralism:thereisnosingle

objectiveconstituent ofmeaninginlife.

Meaningoflifeasan‘organicwhole’.

LessonsfromtheLimitsofHumanExistence

CormacMcCarthy’sTheRoad

Thesignificanceofthechild

Thesignificanceofstruggle

Theroleofmorality “Carryingthefire”

TheroleofGod

TheRoleofGod

TheboyisGod’sword

HisbreathisGod’sbreath

Godappointedthemantobetheboy’sguardian

ThechildisGod

Quotes

“Whenitwaslightenoughtousethebinocularsheglassedthevalleybelow.Everythingwaspalingawayintothe

murk…Thenhejustsatthereholdingthebinocularsandwatchingtheashendaylight

congealovertheland.Heknewonlythatthechildwashiswarrant.Hesaid:IfheisnotthewordofGodGodnever

spoke.”

“Hedescendedintoagryke inthestoneandtherehe

crouchedcoughingandhecoughedforalongtime.Thenhejustkneltintheashes.Heraisedhisfacetothepalingday.Areyouthere?He

whispered.WillIseeyouatthelast?Haveyouaneckbywhichtothrottleyou?OhGod,he

whispered.OhGod.”

AParallelinHungarian19thCenturyLiterature

ImreMadach’s TheTragedyofManAd

am

“MyLord,suchfrightful sceneshavetorturedme;andIknownotwhatisreality.Oh!Tellme,tellmewhatismydestiny![…]Enlightenme,andgratefullymyfate,whate’er itbe,Iwillendure, ifonlyImayprogress, forthisuncertaintyishell.”

TheLord “Ask not again, the secret, veiled

beneficently from thy longing eyes, by thewise hand of God. But could’st thou knowthat momentarily on earth, they soul did restwhile waits eternity above, no virtue ‘twereto suffer longer here. If thou did’st know thysoul would be absorbed in dust, for grandideas, what incentive to sacrifice themoment’s fleeting bliss? While now, thefuture gleameth through a mist, so heavyladen with the cares and woes of thistransitory life, the sense of an infinitudedoth wake; if this engender pride, mortalityrestricts; both greatness then and virtue, areassured.”

(Continued…)Ad

am “butLord,whowilluphold ifontherightpathIremain?”

TheLord “Thine armis

strong,thysoulexalted;infinitethescopewhiche’er toactiondoth invite;andifthouheedestwell,avoicewillcalltotheeunceasingly,toluretheebackandraisetheeup;butfollowe’er thecall.”

ChorusofA

ngels “Whatamighty

thought!We’refree,‘twixtgoodandill tochoose,whileoverus,God’smercywaitethstill.Actboldly,fearingnottheherd’singratitude;forthisisnotthine aimbutaction,greatandgood…Butontheloftywaylettheenotblindthesight,thethought,thatthoucould’st addoneatomtoGod’smight,heonlyspeakstothee,asmeanstowardthyfatefulfilling.Honorcomesfromhim,forhimdothwait.”

TheLord “I’vetoldthee,

man,striveandtrust!”

Thesignificanceofthechild

Onlytheboystandsbetweenthemanand

death

Thewife’sexplanationwhythemankeepson

living

Themanonsuicideandtheboy

“WhatwouldyoudoifIdied?IfyoudiedIwouldwanttodietoo.Soyoucouldbewithme?Yes.SoIcouldbewithyou.Okay.”

Aquote:themanandhiswife’sconversationinthepast.

“Wearesurvivorshetoldheracrosstheflameofthelamp.Survivors?shesaid.Yes.WhatinGod’snameareyoutalkingabout?We’renotsurvivors.We’rethewalkingdeadinahorrorfilm.I’mbeggingyou.Idont care.Idont careifyoucry.Itdoesnt meananythingtome.Please.Stopit.Iambeggingyou.I’lldoanything.Suchaswhat?Ishould havedoneitalongtimeago.Whentherewerethreebullets intheguninsteadoftwo. Iwasstupid.We’vebeenoverallthis.Ididnt bringmyselftothis.Iwasbrought.AndnowI’mdone. Ithoughtaboutnoteventellingyou.Thatwouldprobablyhavebeenbest.Youhavetwobulletsandthenwhat?Youcantprotectus.Yousayyouwoulddieforusbutwhatgoodisthat?I’dtakehimwithmeifitwerent foryou.YouknowIwould. It’stherightthingtodo.”

(Continued…)

“Youaretalkingcrazy.No,I’mspeaking thetruth.Soonerorlaterthey’llcatchusandtheywillkillus.Theywillrapeme.They’llrapehim.Theyaregoing torapeusandkillusandeatusandyouwontfaceit.You’dratherwaitforittohappen.ButIcant.Icant.Shesattheresmokingaslenderlengthofdriedgrapevineasitifweresomerarecheroot.Holding itwithacertainelegance,herotherhandacrossherkneeswhereshe’ddrawnthemup.Shewatchedhimacrossthesmallflame.Weusedtotalkaboutdeath,shesaid.Wedont anymore.Whyisthat?Idon’tknow.It’sbecauseit’shere.There’snothing lefttotalkabout.Iwouldnt leaveyou.Idont care.It’smeaningless.Youcanthinkofmeasafaithlessslutifyoulike.I’vetakenanewlover.Hecangivemewhatyoucannot.Deathisnotalover.Ohyesheis.”

(continued…)

“Pleasedont dothis.I’msorry.Icantdoitalone.Thendont.Icanthelpyou.Theysaythatwomendreamofdangertothoseintheircareandmenofdangertothemselves.ButIdont dreamatall.Yousayyoucant?Thendontdoit.That’sall.BecauseIamdonewithmyownwhorishheartandIhavebeenforalongtime.Youtalkabouttakingastandbutthereisnostandtotake.Myheartwasrippedoutofmethenighthewasbornsodont askforsorrownow.Thereisnone.Maybeyou’llbegoodatthis.Idoubtit,butwhoknows.TheonethingIcantellyouisthatyouwontsurviveforyourself.IknowbecauseIwouldneverhavecomethisfar.Apersonwhohadnoonewouldbewelladvisedtocobbletogethersomepassableghost.Breathitintobeingandcoaxitalongwithwordsoflove.Offeriteachphantomcrumbandshielditfromharmwithyourbody.AsformemyonlyhopeiseternalnothingnessandIhopeitwithallmyheart.”

AnotherparallelwithTheTragedyofManAd

am

“Hold!Whatthoughtlikelight’ning,rushesthroughmybraindistraught?E’en thee,OGod,canIdefy,althoughahundredtimesfatesays,“thuslong”,IknowIneednotlive,againstmywill;fordownbelowtheabyss;above,thecliffdothfrown.Onespring– thelastscene– andtheplaydoth end.(Adamrushesupoffthecliff.Eveappearsatthedoor.)

Eve(abitlater) “Thou’lt smile

whenIavowmysecret;this–comenearerAdam– now,intothine earI’llwhisperbutoneword;IfeelIamamother.”

Adam

(Fallingonhisknees)“Oh!myLord,thou’st vanquishedme.HereinthedustIlie;withouttheee,‘gainst thee,vainlystrivemustI,raiseme,orstriketoearth!Ibaremybreasttothee.”

Thesignificanceofstruggle

“Allthingsofgraceandbeautysuchthatoneholdsthemtoone’shearthaveacommonprovenanceinpain.Theirbirthingriefandashes.So,hewhisperedtothesleepingboy.I

haveyou.”

“Okay.Thisiswhatthegoodguysdo.Theykeeptrying.Theydont give

up.”

“What’sthebravestthingyoueverdid?Hespatintotheroadabloodyphlegm.

Gettingupthismorning, hesaid.Really?

No.Dont listentome.Comeon, let’sgo.”

Again,parallels(andlessons)fromTheTragedyofManAd

am

“We’veleftthestarsbehindus,thereinspace,Iseenogoal;noobstaclesItrace.Ah!Lucifer,I’mcold.Whatisalllifewithouttheblissoflovingandofstrife?”

Lucifer “Andthou

doststillbelieve.Thatthouatlast,shalt victoryachieve?Andreachthegoal?Thissoulsocreduloustomanaloneishomogeneous.”

Adam

“Nosuchdeceptivedreamallurethme;IknowahundredtimesI’llbaffledbe,Idonotcare.What,afterall’stheend?Theend– whenglory’so’er– Iapprehend,theendisdeath,andlifeisconstantstrife;theaimofman,tostrugglethroughout life.”

Adam

(muchlater) “Let’sflee,Oh!

Lucifer!Myfuturesphereletmenolongerview,mydreadful fate,theuselessstrife,now, Iwouldmeditateonthis,IfIcane’er defyGodmore?”

Theroleofmorality

Themanandtheboyarethegoodguys;thosewhoeathumansand

torturethemarethebadguys.

Thechildreceiveswhatwemightcallamoraleducation(theman

readshimstoriesaboutcourageandjustice).

Theresceneswhentheboyisexpressingastrongsenseofcompassion.

Thewomaninthelongdialoguesaysthatthe“mantalksabouttakingastand,butthereisno

standtotake.”

TheworldinthebookisreferredtoasaGodless

world,asaworldwithoutgodspoken men.

Aquote

“Theylaylistening.Canyoudoit?Whenthetimecomes?Whenthetimecomestherewillbenotime.Nowisthetime.CurseGodanddie.Whatifitdoesnt fire?Couldyoucrushthatbelovedskullwitharock?Istheresuchabeingwithinyouofwhichyouknownothing?Cantherebe?Holdhiminyourarms.Justso.Thesoulisquick.Pullhimtowardyou.Kisshim.Quickly.”

“Carryingthefire”

“Iwanttobewithyou.Youcant.Please.Youcant.Youhavetocarrythefire.Idont knowhowto.Yesyoudo.Isitreal?Thefire?Yesitis.Whereisit?Idont knowwhereitis.Yesyoudo.It’sinsideyou.Itwasalwaysthere.Icanseeit.Justtakemewithyou.Please.Icant.Please,Papa.Icant.Icantholdmysondeadinmyarms.Ithought IcouldbutIcant.”

Whatisthe‘fire’?

• Hardtoseehow.• Thebadguysalso carrythisfire.Humanity?

• Previouspoints.• “wearethegoodguysandwearecarryingthefire”Morality?

• Nevermentioned.• WhynotGod(whichismentioned)?Soul?

• TheboyisGod’sbreath.• TheTragedyofMan:weallcarrythesparkleofGodinus.

God?