Meaning and Purpose of Life

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Meaning and Purpose of Life
The question concerning life’s purpose and meaning has always been intriguing. There exist numerous varied views concerning this question. The question has lingered in the minds of many philosophers and scholars since ancient times. Despite this phenomenon, there has not been a unanimously agreed concept upon which to base the meaning and purpose of life. This paper will analyze the views of Newman, Merton, and Frankl as they offer their thoughts concerning the question. Newman argues that life’s meaning/purpose is mainly dependent on the kind of knowledge that an individual has; Merton, on the other hand, argues that it is dependent on God’s light and human friendships; while Frankl largely argues that it is dependent on the togetherness of a family, friendships, and hope.
Newman argues that the meaning and purpose of life are primarily found in the kind of education that an individual receives. Newman consistently advocates that a student should be exposed to knowledge of various disciplines rather than being confined to just one. The idea of expanding the mind to the dimensions of large ideas seems to preoccupy Newman’s thoughts. He notes that confining an individual to just one subject “has a tendency to contract his mind” (Newman 31). Therefore, for one to find the meaning and purpose of life, it is important that they are exposed to varied subjects and disciplines. One way that the university and institutions of higher learning can achieve this is through ensuring that students pursuing different subjects often meet to share knowledge/ideas. Additionally, students could also benefit from living under those who have a mastery of the whole circle (Newman 31).
Based on these observations, the meaning and purpose of life can be obtained from an individual’s kind of knowledge. The wider the net of knowledge, the better one will understand life, and the better one will decipher their purpose in life. While one may argue that it is better to pursue what one finds thrilling, Newman argues that life may not be long enough for a person to spend it doing thrilling things. Such pursuit may make life lose its meaning. Newman adds one main perspective to the question of life’s meaning and purpose. The perspective is that of the role played by higher education in making life meaningful and purposeful. It has long been known that knowledge has the potential of affecting attitudes. Further, attitudes can potentially affect behavior/practice. Therefore, the observations made by Newman are valid. A measure of what one knows greatly affects the meaning and purpose that one will attach to their lives.
Merton has a very interesting view of the meaning and purpose of life. It is very easy to read his mind concerning the aspects that give life meaning and purpose from his writings. Merton (64) observes that the foundation of all kinds of learning is found in the Psalm verse that say...