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The Meaning of Life. Tolstoy. Aquinas. Theistic Response: our lives have purpose and value because they are part of a divine plan Objections : If there is no God, life is pointless. And if there is a God, then our lives are merely means to fulfill his purposes, not ours
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The Meaning of Life Tolstoy Aquinas • Theistic Response: our lives have purpose and value because they are part of a divine plan • Objections: If there is no God, life is pointless. And if there is a God, then our lives are merely means to fulfill his purposes, not ours • Human Progress: our lives are meaning- ful to the extent that they contribute to the advance of freedom or a classless society Hegel Marx
The Meaning of Life: Other Views • Nihilism: life is a constant struggle; satisfaction of needs produces only boredom and more struggle • Subjective meaning/personal choice: Kierkegaard: an “authentic” life is not based on doing what feels right (the aesthetic) or what is rational/universal (the moral) but on a leap of faith, a commitment to personally chosen goals Sartre: life has meaning only in terms of our choices; to believe otherwise is “bad faith” Schopenhauer