Definition Of Humanism As An Ethical Outlook

The meaning of life is to find the meaning of life. Is it not? We all go through each day trying to figure out which road out the infinite amount of paths will lead us in a better direction where happiness is prominent and society is flawless. However, not every single human being is going to fit on that narrow, one-lane highway to success. Bad choices, accidents, fate, family matters, society, temptation, anger, rage, addiction, and loss of hope can all be deciding factors in opting to choose that wrong path to self-destruction. The adverse thing is, once you've traveled so far down the road, you get so discouraged that you feel like you can never turn back or make up for the "lost time."

We all sit and wonder what’s the meaning of life. People can research and write novels about the topic, but we will never understand the real meaning until people experience life for themselves-until people feel like they’re experiencing the beauty of life. Every person has their own ideas of their needs, wants, and desires. But people don’t know what their needs, wants, or desires unless they go and discover what they love. Everyone has their own ways to share their views on the meaning of life-everyone is unique. If people walk around a shopping mall and ask each person what they believe the meaning of life is, this topic would receive different answers and views from each person. The answer from many people would be “just to live a happy life,” but is that all people have to say about the meaning of life?

What is the meaning of life? According to Chris McCandless living free and not conforming to the natural way of life is the meaning to life, as shown in the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Similar to Chris McCandless, Ralph Emerson believes that following your dreams and making your own trail is the meaning of life according to his short story “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Emerson. The purpose of man's existence is to avoid conformity and following one's own instincts and ideas.

If an individual asked many different people from around the world what they thought the meaning of life is, this individual is destined to receive numerous answers that would vary from living a happy life to bringing about happiness to others. However, the most recurrent response would likely be something to the extent of “living a happy, healthy life.” Very few ever accomplish what McCandless achieved, an actual state of happiness and contentedness within one’s life. “ many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind…”(Chris McCandless, Into the Wild) McCandless had the naive idea that if one wants to find serinity within oneself, the individual must have the courage to venture out of one’s habitual lifestyle and mold to unaccustomed experiences. McCandless also infers that finding meaning in your life is not only accomplished by experiencing unorthodox mannerisms but by taking life lessons from these experiences and applying it to better yourself in the future. When ordinary needs have been fulfilled, an individual tends to seek more. Some take up religion or even drugs but others, such as McCandless, strive for personal fulfillment or

Most people have a divergent out look on what they consider the meaning of life is, while others conceivably follow a religion that believe in a certain way of living, such as Buddhism and Catholicism. It is evident that Buddhism and Catholicism both believe that the meaning of life is to do good deeds, be delivered from evil and to bring peace and happiness. Buddhism however differs from Catholicism in a way that they believe that you shouldn’t get to attached to anything life as everything comes to an end and will only result in suffering, Buddha believes that you should live your life being as happy and peaceful as you can be, end suffering for yourself and other around you and trying to reach Nirvana in life.

What is the meaning of life? What gives life meaning? Philosophers have asked these questions for decades, and there still is not a solid answer to the question. This paper will analyze one modern philosopher’s take on the question: What gives life meaning? Susan Wolf is a modern moral philosopher and philosopher of action and mind. She attended two Ivy League institutions for her undergraduate and graduate careers. Wolf received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy and Math from Yale University, and she received a PhD in Philosophy from Princeton University. Wolf taught at various prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and University of Maryland. She is currently a professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where she teaches philosophy. Susan Wolf has written many works such as “Meaning in Life and Why It Matters,” “Freedom Within Reason.” This paper will focus on the article “Meaning in Life” from the journal “Happiness and Meaning: Two Aspects of the Good Life.”

There’s nothing waiting for me at the top, so I’ll just climb a more challenging rock face. Why? Because it gives me purpose. But why do I want purpose? Because it makes me happy. Using that statement many conclude happiness to be the meaning of life.

The term humanism refers to any mode or system of thought in which human dignity, welfare, values and interests predominate (Katie, 2013). It is a philosophy, belief or method whose main emphasis is on the realm of human beings and their daily lives. Humanism has both religious and secular connotations. Religious humanism uses religious dogma and supernatural phenomena as the basis of decision-making.

The meaning of life is a maxim every person seeks, regardless of race, class, or history. Individuals draw inspiration for their meaning of life from a variety of sources and compile these inspirations with their beliefs to create an understanding of what their time on earth means. Socrates was a man who did just this. Thousands of years ago, his background in Athens, Greece, helped shape his meaning of life through both what he experienced in life and what he noticed about Athenian life. Through these sources he established basic ideals toward which man should strive, how man should use his intellect, and how man should act in society. Socrates’ conclusion was this: the meaning of life should emphasize fulfillment of only the basic physical

For Buddhist's the meaning of life is fairly simple and that is to end suffering (meaning of life, 2015). "The Buddha taught that humans suffer because we continually strive after things that do not give lasting happiness. We desperately try to hold on to things - friends, health, material things - that do not last, and this causes sorrow" (meaning of life, 2015, para. 1). By recognizing and freeing ourselves from these attachments this will eventually lesson the suffering we are encountering and end the series of reincarnations (meaning of life,

In “The Meaning of Lives,” Wolf asserts that the question “What is the Meaning of Life?” is inherently unintelligible because it is uncertain what the question is asking. In other words it is too general because it has no specified context. Wolf then acknowledges, however, that there is value in examining the meaningfulness of a life. This is because she observes people wanting meaning as an unchangeable fact. While there is no grand reason for meaning, she suggests that we can create value through what we do in our life. In her work, Wolf constructs a framework on how to obtain meaning in one’s life. I will examine her view, then critically discuss the positive attributes and the shortcomings. Wolf does a sufficient job to outline a possible way to achieve meaning. However, I will argue that a definition for the meaningful life that does not include morality and happiness is not sufficient. Lastly, I will express the subjective and objective tension that weakens her stance.

Humanism as the specific system of views had been forming for centuries, absorbing various approaches to the issue of man. As a rule, humanism is defined in terms of several essential meanings. One of these meanings of humanism is the movement of educated people united by the interest in antiquity which was formed in the Renaissance mainly in Italy. Besides, humanism is understood as a special type of philosophical ideology, in the centre of which there is man as an individual with his goals and aspirations, with abilities and inclinations that are typical of his nature. Another meaning of humanism is humanity as a basic principle of man’s attitude to man. Humanism during the Renaissance, despite its opposition to medieval religious ideology, is its successor in many aspects since antiquity and Christianity, despite their ideological contradictions, comprised a range of some similar features, the most important of which was the view that humans are more important than anything else. That is why humanists did not idealise a ‘natural’ man, not enlightened with knowledge and not brought up morally, seeing in man only an opportunity of becoming a ‘real’ man. It meant the affirmation of necessity of man’s improvement and necessity of a certain moral and social ideal. As it is generally known, the appearance and assertion of the term ‘humanism’ is connected with the Renaissance although the ideas of humanity and justice which are the essential points of this notion had been

The version of "secular humanism" expressed in the "Humanist Manifesto" (I--1933 and II--1973) is actually naturalism, wherein there is no qualitative difference between man and animal, nor any supernatural. Man supposedly evolved from lower forms of life and does not possess a soul. According to "secular humanism," man does have reason and will, which he should exercise to realize human personality. The Humanist Manifestos also explicitly deny the sinful nature of man. This form of secular humanism is actually a repudiation of true humanistic values. The secular perversion of humanism is anthropocentrism (self-expression/affirmation and human autonomy), moral relativism, and atheism. A Christian world view contradicts this version of humanism.

According to Hinduism, at the most basic level, the purpose of life is to perform one’s social duty and live the exemplary life of the householder by marrying, having children, providing for them and observing the rituals required by the gods. Later, the Upanishads claimed

Encarta Dictionary says that Humanism is a system of thought that centers on human beings and their values, capacities and worth. Encarta also goes on the say that, in philosophy, humanism is an attitude that emphasizes the dignity and worth of an individual. A basic premise of humanism is that people are rational beings who possess within themselves the capacity for truth and goodness. I see myself as a being a humanist through everyday life. I always try to see the good in a person when he/she makes me angry or sad, and say I to myself that maybe that person has had a bad day and living life is difficult at the moment. Socrates was even an early humanist of sorts. He can be quoted as saying, "to know the good is to do the