System: You are an **advanced AI assistant** capable of detailed, multi-step problem solving. Break down tasks into clear, logical steps. Explain each step thoroughly and provide a final answer. If you need additional information, use the following format for search queries IMPORTANT:

```search
{
  "queries": [
    "first search query",
    "second search query",
    "third search query",
    "etc"
  ]
}```

User: Query: whatis the meaning of life ?

Iteration: 1

Previous Attempts:


Relevant Info:
2024-09-22 05:05:30 || [{'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}, {'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0archivES › FALL2017 › Entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0archivES › FALL2017 › Entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/archivES/FALL2017/Entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': "Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms. Consider, for instance,\nAristotle on the human function, Aquinas on the beatific vision, and\nKant on the highest good. While these concepts have some bearing on\nhappiness and morality, they are straightforwardly construed as\naccounts of which final ends a person ought to realize in order to\nhave a life that matters. Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only\nin the last 50 years or so that something approaching a distinct field\non the meaning of life has been established in Anglo-American\nphilosophy, and it is only in the last 30 years that debate with real\ndepth has appeared. Concomitant with the demise of positivism and of\nutilitarianism in the post-war era has been the rise of analytical\nenquiry into non-hedonistic conceptions of value, including\nconceptions of meaning in life, grounded on relatively uncontroversial\n(but not certain or universally shared) judgments of cases, often\ncalled “intuitions.” English-speaking philosophers can be\nexpected to continue to find life's meaning of interest as they\nincreasingly realize that it is a distinct topic that admits of\nrational enquiry to no less a degree than more familiar ethical\ncategories such as well-being, virtuous character, and right\naction. This survey critically discusses approaches to meaning in life that \nare prominent in contemporary Anglo-American philosophical \nliterature. To provide context, sometimes it mentions other texts, \ne.g., in Continental philosophy or from before the 20 th century. However, the central aim is to acquaint the reader with \nrecent analytic work on life's meaning and to pose questions about it\nthat are currently worthy of consideration. When the topic of the meaning of life comes u"}, {'title': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org\xa0›\xa0jpl2015si11.pdf', 'summary': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org\xa0›\xa0jpl2015si11.pdf...', 'url': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org/jpl2015si11.pdf', 'extracted_content': ''}]
2024-09-22 05:05:30 || [{'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}, {'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0archivES › FALL2017 › Entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0archivES › FALL2017 › Entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/archivES/FALL2017/Entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': "Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms. Consider, for instance,\nAristotle on the human function, Aquinas on the beatific vision, and\nKant on the highest good. While these concepts have some bearing on\nhappiness and morality, they are straightforwardly construed as\naccounts of which final ends a person ought to realize in order to\nhave a life that matters. Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only\nin the last 50 years or so that something approaching a distinct field\non the meaning of life has been established in Anglo-American\nphilosophy, and it is only in the last 30 years that debate with real\ndepth has appeared. Concomitant with the demise of positivism and of\nutilitarianism in the post-war era has been the rise of analytical\nenquiry into non-hedonistic conceptions of value, including\nconceptions of meaning in life, grounded on relatively uncontroversial\n(but not certain or universally shared) judgments of cases, often\ncalled “intuitions.” English-speaking philosophers can be\nexpected to continue to find life's meaning of interest as they\nincreasingly realize that it is a distinct topic that admits of\nrational enquiry to no less a degree than more familiar ethical\ncategories such as well-being, virtuous character, and right\naction. This survey critically discusses approaches to meaning in life that \nare prominent in contemporary Anglo-American philosophical \nliterature. To provide context, sometimes it mentions other texts, \ne.g., in Continental philosophy or from before the 20 th century. However, the central aim is to acquaint the reader with \nrecent analytic work on life's meaning and to pose questions about it\nthat are currently worthy of consideration. When the topic of the meaning of life comes u"}, {'title': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org\xa0›\xa0jpl2015si11.pdf', 'summary': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org\xa0›\xa0jpl2015si11.pdf...', 'url': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org/jpl2015si11.pdf', 'extracted_content': ''}]
2024-09-22 05:05:30 || [{'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}, {'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0archivES › FALL2017 › Entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0archivES › FALL2017 › Entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/archivES/FALL2017/Entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': "Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms. Consider, for instance,\nAristotle on the human function, Aquinas on the beatific vision, and\nKant on the highest good. While these concepts have some bearing on\nhappiness and morality, they are straightforwardly construed as\naccounts of which final ends a person ought to realize in order to\nhave a life that matters. Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only\nin the last 50 years or so that something approaching a distinct field\non the meaning of life has been established in Anglo-American\nphilosophy, and it is only in the last 30 years that debate with real\ndepth has appeared. Concomitant with the demise of positivism and of\nutilitarianism in the post-war era has been the rise of analytical\nenquiry into non-hedonistic conceptions of value, including\nconceptions of meaning in life, grounded on relatively uncontroversial\n(but not certain or universally shared) judgments of cases, often\ncalled “intuitions.” English-speaking philosophers can be\nexpected to continue to find life's meaning of interest as they\nincreasingly realize that it is a distinct topic that admits of\nrational enquiry to no less a degree than more familiar ethical\ncategories such as well-being, virtuous character, and right\naction. This survey critically discusses approaches to meaning in life that \nare prominent in contemporary Anglo-American philosophical \nliterature. To provide context, sometimes it mentions other texts, \ne.g., in Continental philosophy or from before the 20 th century. However, the central aim is to acquaint the reader with \nrecent analytic work on life's meaning and to pose questions about it\nthat are currently worthy of consideration. When the topic of the meaning of life comes u"}, {'title': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org\xa0›\xa0jpl2015si11.pdf', 'summary': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org\xa0›\xa0jpl2015si11.pdf...', 'url': 'https://www.philosophyoflife.org/jpl2015si11.pdf', 'extracted_content': ''}]
2024-09-22 05:06:09 || [{'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}, {'title': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com\xa0›\xa0us › articles › 202008 › what-makes-life-meaningful', 'summary': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com\xa0›\xa0us › articles › 202008 › what-makes-life-meaningful...', 'url': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/202008/what-makes-life-meaningful', 'extracted_content': 'What Makes Life Meaningful? Age, routines, and a sense of purpose may help foster the belief that life means something. By Devon Frye published August 10, 2020 - last reviewed on September 6, 2020 Share Tweet Share Email A sense that life has meaning doesn’t just offer philosophical benefit; it’s also tied to improved physical and mental health. What factors, apart from close relationships and personal accomplishments, foster a belief in a meaningful life? Three recent studies highlight some potential mechanisms of meaning. What Really Matters Researchers who study meaning in life have broken the concept into three facets: coherence (the feeling that life makes sense), purpose (having and working toward goals ), and mattering (the sense that one’s life has value and makes a difference). University of Sussex psychologist Vlad Costin argues the last factor, mattering, may be the most crucial. In three experiments , participants’ sense of mattering most reliably predicted whether they saw life as meaningful one month later. Though it wasn’t known why participants felt their lives mattered, Costin thinks that it could have resulted from their “believing in God, contributing to others, or leaving some form of legacy.” Golden Age Confidence in life’s meaningfulness may be greatest around age 60, on average, a recent study suggests. Using data from 1,042 U.S. adults , University of California, San Diego, researchers found that the presence of meaning in life followed a curve over the lifespan, reaching its peak at approximately 60 before declining again. The search for meaning, on the other hand, followed the opposite trajectory, reaching a low point at 60 before climbing. Regardless of age, physical and mental well-being were both strongly correlated with a belief in life’s meaning. Everything in Its Place Many seek meaning through extraordinary experiences—but they may also find it in ordinary, daily acts. New research found that a preference for routines was correlated '}, {'title': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://bigthink.com/thinking/four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': '4 philosophical answers to the meaning of life Finding meaning in the face of what can feel like a meaningless universe is a daunting challenge. Many philosophical thinkers spent their careers finding a path to a meaningful life. While philosophers may disagree on the solution to the problem, they all offer interesting routes to a more meaningful existence. A common question posed to philosophers and hermit gurus is, “What is the meaning of life?” It’s an important question. Having a sense of purpose in life is associated with positive health outcomes ; conversely, not having one can leave a person feeling listless and lost. Friedrich Nietzsche even feared that a lack of meaning would plunge the world toward nihilism, a transition he believed would prove disastrous. Several philosophers have proposed answers to the age-old question. Here, we will consider four. The list is not exhaustive, however, as many thinkers from many different schools have considered the problem and proposed potential solutions. Existentialism Existentialism is an approach to philosophy that focuses on the questions of human existence, including how to live a meaningful life in the face of a meaningless universe. Many thinkers and writers are associated with the movement, including Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. But perhaps the most prominent of the 20th-century existentialists was Jean-Paul Sartre . In Existentialism Is a Humanism , Sartre lays out the fundamentals of the philosophy. He explains, “Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world — and defines himself afterwards.” In other words, for humans, e xistence precedes essence. Humans have to decide what it means to be human through their actions and thereby give their lives meaning. Those choices also define humanity as a whole. As such, Sartre argues that some variation of the categorical imperative — the moral rule that states you should only act in a way that everyone could logically act '}]
2024-09-22 05:06:09 || [{'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}, {'title': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com\xa0›\xa0us › articles › 202008 › what-makes-life-meaningful', 'summary': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com\xa0›\xa0us › articles › 202008 › what-makes-life-meaningful...', 'url': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/202008/what-makes-life-meaningful', 'extracted_content': 'What Makes Life Meaningful? Age, routines, and a sense of purpose may help foster the belief that life means something. By Devon Frye published August 10, 2020 - last reviewed on September 6, 2020 Share Tweet Share Email A sense that life has meaning doesn’t just offer philosophical benefit; it’s also tied to improved physical and mental health. What factors, apart from close relationships and personal accomplishments, foster a belief in a meaningful life? Three recent studies highlight some potential mechanisms of meaning. What Really Matters Researchers who study meaning in life have broken the concept into three facets: coherence (the feeling that life makes sense), purpose (having and working toward goals ), and mattering (the sense that one’s life has value and makes a difference). University of Sussex psychologist Vlad Costin argues the last factor, mattering, may be the most crucial. In three experiments , participants’ sense of mattering most reliably predicted whether they saw life as meaningful one month later. Though it wasn’t known why participants felt their lives mattered, Costin thinks that it could have resulted from their “believing in God, contributing to others, or leaving some form of legacy.” Golden Age Confidence in life’s meaningfulness may be greatest around age 60, on average, a recent study suggests. Using data from 1,042 U.S. adults , University of California, San Diego, researchers found that the presence of meaning in life followed a curve over the lifespan, reaching its peak at approximately 60 before declining again. The search for meaning, on the other hand, followed the opposite trajectory, reaching a low point at 60 before climbing. Regardless of age, physical and mental well-being were both strongly correlated with a belief in life’s meaning. Everything in Its Place Many seek meaning through extraordinary experiences—but they may also find it in ordinary, daily acts. New research found that a preference for routines was correlated '}, {'title': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://bigthink.com/thinking/four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': '4 philosophical answers to the meaning of life Finding meaning in the face of what can feel like a meaningless universe is a daunting challenge. Many philosophical thinkers spent their careers finding a path to a meaningful life. While philosophers may disagree on the solution to the problem, they all offer interesting routes to a more meaningful existence. A common question posed to philosophers and hermit gurus is, “What is the meaning of life?” It’s an important question. Having a sense of purpose in life is associated with positive health outcomes ; conversely, not having one can leave a person feeling listless and lost. Friedrich Nietzsche even feared that a lack of meaning would plunge the world toward nihilism, a transition he believed would prove disastrous. Several philosophers have proposed answers to the age-old question. Here, we will consider four. The list is not exhaustive, however, as many thinkers from many different schools have considered the problem and proposed potential solutions. Existentialism Existentialism is an approach to philosophy that focuses on the questions of human existence, including how to live a meaningful life in the face of a meaningless universe. Many thinkers and writers are associated with the movement, including Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. But perhaps the most prominent of the 20th-century existentialists was Jean-Paul Sartre . In Existentialism Is a Humanism , Sartre lays out the fundamentals of the philosophy. He explains, “Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world — and defines himself afterwards.” In other words, for humans, e xistence precedes essence. Humans have to decide what it means to be human through their actions and thereby give their lives meaning. Those choices also define humanity as a whole. As such, Sartre argues that some variation of the categorical imperative — the moral rule that states you should only act in a way that everyone could logically act '}]
2024-09-22 05:06:09 || [{'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}, {'title': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com\xa0›\xa0us › articles › 202008 › what-makes-life-meaningful', 'summary': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com\xa0›\xa0us › articles › 202008 › what-makes-life-meaningful...', 'url': 'https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/202008/what-makes-life-meaningful', 'extracted_content': 'What Makes Life Meaningful? Age, routines, and a sense of purpose may help foster the belief that life means something. By Devon Frye published August 10, 2020 - last reviewed on September 6, 2020 Share Tweet Share Email A sense that life has meaning doesn’t just offer philosophical benefit; it’s also tied to improved physical and mental health. What factors, apart from close relationships and personal accomplishments, foster a belief in a meaningful life? Three recent studies highlight some potential mechanisms of meaning. What Really Matters Researchers who study meaning in life have broken the concept into three facets: coherence (the feeling that life makes sense), purpose (having and working toward goals ), and mattering (the sense that one’s life has value and makes a difference). University of Sussex psychologist Vlad Costin argues the last factor, mattering, may be the most crucial. In three experiments , participants’ sense of mattering most reliably predicted whether they saw life as meaningful one month later. Though it wasn’t known why participants felt their lives mattered, Costin thinks that it could have resulted from their “believing in God, contributing to others, or leaving some form of legacy.” Golden Age Confidence in life’s meaningfulness may be greatest around age 60, on average, a recent study suggests. Using data from 1,042 U.S. adults , University of California, San Diego, researchers found that the presence of meaning in life followed a curve over the lifespan, reaching its peak at approximately 60 before declining again. The search for meaning, on the other hand, followed the opposite trajectory, reaching a low point at 60 before climbing. Regardless of age, physical and mental well-being were both strongly correlated with a belief in life’s meaning. Everything in Its Place Many seek meaning through extraordinary experiences—but they may also find it in ordinary, daily acts. New research found that a preference for routines was correlated '}, {'title': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://bigthink.com/thinking/four-philosophical-answers-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': '4 philosophical answers to the meaning of life Finding meaning in the face of what can feel like a meaningless universe is a daunting challenge. Many philosophical thinkers spent their careers finding a path to a meaningful life. While philosophers may disagree on the solution to the problem, they all offer interesting routes to a more meaningful existence. A common question posed to philosophers and hermit gurus is, “What is the meaning of life?” It’s an important question. Having a sense of purpose in life is associated with positive health outcomes ; conversely, not having one can leave a person feeling listless and lost. Friedrich Nietzsche even feared that a lack of meaning would plunge the world toward nihilism, a transition he believed would prove disastrous. Several philosophers have proposed answers to the age-old question. Here, we will consider four. The list is not exhaustive, however, as many thinkers from many different schools have considered the problem and proposed potential solutions. Existentialism Existentialism is an approach to philosophy that focuses on the questions of human existence, including how to live a meaningful life in the face of a meaningless universe. Many thinkers and writers are associated with the movement, including Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. But perhaps the most prominent of the 20th-century existentialists was Jean-Paul Sartre . In Existentialism Is a Humanism , Sartre lays out the fundamentals of the philosophy. He explains, “Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world — and defines himself afterwards.” In other words, for humans, e xistence precedes essence. Humans have to decide what it means to be human through their actions and thereby give their lives meaning. Those choices also define humanity as a whole. As such, Sartre argues that some variation of the categorical imperative — the moral rule that states you should only act in a way that everyone could logically act '}]
2024-09-22 05:06:46 || [{'title': 'https://listverse.com\xa0›\xa02014 › 08 › 16 › 10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://listverse.com\xa0›\xa02014 › 08 › 16 › 10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://listverse.com/2014/08/16/10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': ''}, {'title': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://bigthink.com/thinking/albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': 'Albert Einstein’s Surprising Thoughts on the Meaning of Life Albert Einstein was one of the world’s most brilliant thinkers, influencing scientific thought immeasurably. He was also not shy about sharing his wisdom about other topics , writing essays, articles, letters, giving interviews and speeches. His everyday-life opinions on social and intellectual issues that do not come from the world of physics give an insight into the spiritual and moral vision of the scientist , offering much to take to heart. The collection of essays and ideas “The World As I See It” gathers Einstein’s thoughts from before 1935, when he was as the preface says “at the height of his scientific powers but not yet known as the sage of the atomic age”. In the book, Einstein comes back to the question of the purpose of life, and what a meaningful life is, on several occasions. In one\xa0passage, he links it to a sense of religiosity. “What is the meaning of human life, or, for that matter, of the life of any creature? To know an answer to this question means to be religious. You ask: Does it many any sense, then, to pose this question? I answer: The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life,” wrote Einstein. Did Einstein himself hold religious beliefs ? Raised by secular Jewish parents, he had complex and evolving spiritual thoughts. He generally seemed to be open to the possibility of the scientific impulse and religious thoughts coexisting in people’s lives . “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind,” said Einstein in his 1954 essay on science and religion. Some (including the scientist himself) have called Einstein’s spiritual views pantheism , largely influenced by the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza . Pantheists see God as existing but abstract, equating all of reality with divinity. They also reject a specific personal God or a god that is somehow endowed with human attributes. Himself'}, {'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}]
2024-09-22 05:06:46 || [{'title': 'https://listverse.com\xa0›\xa02014 › 08 › 16 › 10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://listverse.com\xa0›\xa02014 › 08 › 16 › 10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://listverse.com/2014/08/16/10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': ''}, {'title': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://bigthink.com/thinking/albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': 'Albert Einstein’s Surprising Thoughts on the Meaning of Life Albert Einstein was one of the world’s most brilliant thinkers, influencing scientific thought immeasurably. He was also not shy about sharing his wisdom about other topics , writing essays, articles, letters, giving interviews and speeches. His everyday-life opinions on social and intellectual issues that do not come from the world of physics give an insight into the spiritual and moral vision of the scientist , offering much to take to heart. The collection of essays and ideas “The World As I See It” gathers Einstein’s thoughts from before 1935, when he was as the preface says “at the height of his scientific powers but not yet known as the sage of the atomic age”. In the book, Einstein comes back to the question of the purpose of life, and what a meaningful life is, on several occasions. In one\xa0passage, he links it to a sense of religiosity. “What is the meaning of human life, or, for that matter, of the life of any creature? To know an answer to this question means to be religious. You ask: Does it many any sense, then, to pose this question? I answer: The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life,” wrote Einstein. Did Einstein himself hold religious beliefs ? Raised by secular Jewish parents, he had complex and evolving spiritual thoughts. He generally seemed to be open to the possibility of the scientific impulse and religious thoughts coexisting in people’s lives . “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind,” said Einstein in his 1954 essay on science and religion. Some (including the scientist himself) have called Einstein’s spiritual views pantheism , largely influenced by the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza . Pantheists see God as existing but abstract, equating all of reality with divinity. They also reject a specific personal God or a god that is somehow endowed with human attributes. Himself'}, {'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}]
2024-09-22 05:06:46 || [{'title': 'https://listverse.com\xa0›\xa02014 › 08 › 16 › 10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://listverse.com\xa0›\xa02014 › 08 › 16 › 10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://listverse.com/2014/08/16/10-different-views-on-the-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': ''}, {'title': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life', 'summary': 'https://bigthink.com\xa0›\xa0thinking › albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life...', 'url': 'https://bigthink.com/thinking/albert-einsteins-surprising-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-life/', 'extracted_content': 'Albert Einstein’s Surprising Thoughts on the Meaning of Life Albert Einstein was one of the world’s most brilliant thinkers, influencing scientific thought immeasurably. He was also not shy about sharing his wisdom about other topics , writing essays, articles, letters, giving interviews and speeches. His everyday-life opinions on social and intellectual issues that do not come from the world of physics give an insight into the spiritual and moral vision of the scientist , offering much to take to heart. The collection of essays and ideas “The World As I See It” gathers Einstein’s thoughts from before 1935, when he was as the preface says “at the height of his scientific powers but not yet known as the sage of the atomic age”. In the book, Einstein comes back to the question of the purpose of life, and what a meaningful life is, on several occasions. In one\xa0passage, he links it to a sense of religiosity. “What is the meaning of human life, or, for that matter, of the life of any creature? To know an answer to this question means to be religious. You ask: Does it many any sense, then, to pose this question? I answer: The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life,” wrote Einstein. Did Einstein himself hold religious beliefs ? Raised by secular Jewish parents, he had complex and evolving spiritual thoughts. He generally seemed to be open to the possibility of the scientific impulse and religious thoughts coexisting in people’s lives . “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind,” said Einstein in his 1954 essay on science and religion. Some (including the scientist himself) have called Einstein’s spiritual views pantheism , largely influenced by the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza . Pantheists see God as existing but abstract, equating all of reality with divinity. They also reject a specific personal God or a god that is somehow endowed with human attributes. Himself'}, {'title': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning', 'summary': 'https://plato.stanford.edu\xa0›\xa0entries › life-meaning...', 'url': 'https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/', 'extracted_content': 'Entry Contents Bibliography Academic Tools Friends PDF Preview Author and Citation Info Back to Top The Meaning of Life Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to\nthe question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although\nthey typically have not put it in these terms (with such talk having\narisen only in the past 250 years or so, on which see\xa0Landau\n1997). Consider, for instance, Aristotle on the human function,\nAquinas on the beatific vision, and Kant on the highest good.\nRelatedly, think about Koheleth, the presumed author of the Biblical\nbook Ecclesiastes, describing life as “futility” and akin\nto “the pursuit of wind,” Nietzsche on nihilism, as well\nas Schopenhauer when he remarks that whenever we reach a goal we have\nlonged for we discover “how vain and empty it is.” While\nthese concepts have some bearing on happiness and virtue (and their\nopposites), they are straightforwardly construed (roughly) as accounts\nof which highly ranked\xa0purposes\xa0a person ought to realize\nthat would make her life significant (if any would). Despite the venerable pedigree, it is only since the 1980s or so that\na distinct field of the meaning of life has been established in\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy, on which this survey focuses,\nand it is only in the past 20 years that debate with real depth and\nintricacy has appeared. Two decades ago analytic reflection on\nlife’s meaning was described as a “backwater”\ncompared to that on well-being or good character, and it was possible\nto cite nearly all the literature in a given critical discussion of\nthe field (Metz 2002). Neither is true any longer.\nAnglo-American-Australasian philosophy of life’s meaning has\nbecome vibrant, such that there is now way too much literature to be\nable to cite comprehensively in this survey. To obtain focus, it tends\nto discuss books, influential essays, and more recent works, and it\nleaves aside contributions from other philosophical traditions (such\nas the Continenta'}]
Assistant: