The meaning of life?

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"To crush your enemies, to see them run before you, and hear the lamentations of the women." -Conan

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." - Solomon

"Glorify God by enjoying him forever" - John Piper on what he calls "Christian Hedonism" (www.desiringgod.org)

Those three pretty much sum up my take on the meaning of life.

 

It's amazing to know that I know so many people who know the meaning of life. I feel like a dimwit.

 

At Malaqai

You just made me realize how Baroque I am. But Baroque isn't as pessimist as that. Carpe diem, memento mori.(roughly) -> Seize the day, death is waiting around the corner. Most of the Baroque artwork contrast the finer side of life with death, like: Roses in bloom versus death, death and the maiden, dance of the dead and so on.
The renaissance optimism (including Dante) couldn't make it into the harsh times of the 16th and 17th centuries, with all their wars and famines. But still, seize the day is actually the Baroque massage. But sometimes they're truly more pessimist and see life only as senseless vanity affaire before death.

On the other hand, it does not surprise me, that the most famous quote of the divine comedy is:"abandon all hope, you who enter here". Chandos the red is just a typical optimist

By the way, yes, I already had the questionable pleasure to be confused by the thing which texans call "language"

 

Well it all comes back to do What you feel is right wheter it be reproduction of offspring, share love and devotion or stay around waiting for death. It all comes back to that phrase.

 

I more or less second Nobleman here. You are always yourselves final judge. It is only you that can decide your path in life and thus to dow hat you think is right is more or less the meaning of life. This ties on to what Lokken said as well, you need to think up your own meaning of life and thus do what you feel is right.

 

Death has important meaning for Dante in this respect: One of the main features of his work is an ongoing dialogue which he carries on with the dead. I believe it is his way of communicating with the past, which he places so much emphasis on in the _Comedy_.


Yago -- I'm not convinced that the line you cite is the most famous. "I had not thought that death had undone so many," is of equal note, since it also appears in "The Wasteland" by T. S. Elliot. TSE admired Dante to the point of imitation. Yet, whereas the _Divine Comedy_ is optimistic, "The Wasteland" is, of course, equally the reverse: "I can show you fear in a handful of dust."

Bitte, Yago, typisch? Ich bin nicht typisch (at least I hope not).

Edit:
Also, I have to add that Boccaccio set _The Decameron_ during the plague (the black death) of the 14th Century. We can argue if it is optimistic or not. But we can agree it is a comedy and very funny.

For every action there is a reaction. The reaction to the pessimism of the 17th and early 18th Century was the Romantic work of the likes of Goethe, Blake, Wordsworth, Shelly and Whitman.

[ May 09, 2003, 07:18: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

He, he. Yep, you're right. Renaissance optimism had is own renaissance in the optimism of the Enlightment. Which I don't share. I prefer the sometimes cruel rationalism of the 17th century. But on the other hand, the pessimism, or "dark" tone of Baroque had its comback in the dark writings of romanticism.

Concerning the most quoted line. I guess that's a cultural difference between North-America and Central Europe. Because T. S. Elliot had an important impact on the Americans. So, I agree with you, that in your culture, the most cited line very well may differ. But it does not matter in the end, as you state with "the Wasteland", because the "divine comedy" is a treasure as well a treasure for pessimistic thought, like it is a treasure for optimist thought. The same applies for "Faust".

But in German literature, the second most important author is Heine, who belongs to "young Germans", a reaction to romanticism, who loved to bash romaticism in general and Goethe particular. And I guess his most famous cited line is:" Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen." (There, where they start to burn books, there they are going to end up burning people). So, even the optimism of Enlightment and early romantic came to a sudden end.

I personally prefer still the Baroque thought of:" Be hedonist while you've got the chance to be, death and misery come soon enough". But obviously, that's a matter of personal taste, you're free to differ and prefer the optimism of Enlightment.

 

Does the existence of a question imply the existence of the answer?

If we are able to create the concept of an overarching meaning to life, it seems to that implies that there is one. If it was simply Darwin, how the heck is all this philosophical pondering serving evolution?

But I'd better not get started on what a weak theory evolution is.

Personally, I think that a fulfilling life is one that is spent aiding others.

 

Yes of course, because we do not see or can not grasp the answer, doesn´t mean it isn´t there.

 

Quote.

"He is the One who created Death and Life to see who has the best of actions."

 

im going to have to go along the lines of camus on this one. the meaning of life is to struggle against suffering and death.