The Problem of Human Existence

However, we are only human, and we are all vulnerable to death anxiety. Unfortunately, we are all going to experience “death” one-way or another, no matter how prepared you are, or how you look at it (Murdock, 2013). Freedom is viewed as the undeniably constructive concept, and is referred to as the nonexistence of the outside structure. The concept of “existential isolation” is the third definitive distress, however, no matter how we look at this notion there is always an existential battle and pressure between each other, and our awareness (Murdock, 2013). “Meaninglessness” is the fourth ultimate concern in the givens of existence; however, we must all invent, pull together, and find meaning in our own lives, in order to live life to the fullest (Murdock, 2013). Logotherapy is based on seeking meaning to life and existential frustration; however, Existentialism can be referred to the being, the meaning of existence, and finding meaning in existence of one’s self (Schulenberg, Hutzell, Nassif & Rogina,

The philosophical question being asked already introduces the finitude of human existence, since, according to Martin Heidegger human beings, as Da-sein, exist “as thrown being(s)-toward-its-end,”1 recognizing death is recognized as a possibility of Da-sein. However, it is important to define death in Heidegger’s context because he establishes the idea that death is a reality that we, as human beings, encounter as a possibility of being. As such, the relation between death and authentic existence must also be clarified, so as to fully understand what it truly means to be Da-sein.

Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “The real question of life after death isn 't whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves.” The idea that death is inevitable is well known by everyone, yet no one is certain as to what happens afterwards. Even though the subject of life after death has been argued for centuries by many philosophers and theologians. In the article Sign Here If You Exist, Jill Sisson Quinn adequately employs figurative language, rhetoric questionings, and personal anecdotes to demonstrate a controversial argument on the topic of life after death.

What is the Human Condition? The Human Condition are characteristics in life in which one will experience at one moment or more in their life. The real question is, however, do you experience the Human Condition even if you’re not conscious of it? In order to be considered “human”, one must experience one of the characteristics of life. Conversely, there is Nihilism. Nihilism is the rejection of all religious and moral principles, believing that life is meaningless. The idea of Nihilism goes against what the Human Condition stands for. Even without being conscious of it, people go through at least one if not all characteristics of the Human Condition.

Over the course of human events, men and women of all ages fought and worked relentlessly to better their lives and their families' lives as well. Despite the arduous efforts, each and every one of those people ended up or will end up exactly the same: buried six feet under the ground. Life and death are the largest eventualities to happen to humans as a whole, yet most sentient beings, particularly humans, are afraid of death, due mainly to the natural fear of the unknown. "Numbers" by Mary Cornish seems to beg the question of what does it mean to truly be alive. Being alive is to expand horizons and to feel what life has to offer or simply to be happy, but in layman's terms, life is more than just being born, surviving and finally dying.

3. If there is, by what means can a person gain understanding as to why they are alive.

Ever since Darwin published his “On the Origin of Species” in 1859, creationists have been struggling find new ways to justify their stance on the creation of the universe. One of the most recently formed branches of creationism is called Intelligent Design. The proponents of Intelligent Design claim to believe in evolutionary theory but think that evolution is simply a process set in motion by some intelligent force. They do not believe that an undirected force, such as natural selection, could have led to the complex lifeforms we see today. Unfortunately though this theory seems to prima facie use scientific principles to disprove evolution using natural selection, like the argument from improbability or irreducible complexity, it is simply

Why are humans here? Where did they come from? What is consciousness? Do animals have it? Are there aliens? What are they like? What is God like? Does He really understand humans? Is there free will? Is reality just an illusion? Why do humans long for order? Does evil always win? Does fighting monsters inevitably lead to becoming a monster? Are humans fundamentally good or evil? These are merely a few of the various questions that run, nay, race, through the mind of a child. There is beauty in the simplicity of curiosity on impulse, before the following of simple desires such as curiosity is exchanged among countless other treasures for security and convention. The entire relationship between childhood and adulthood is so complex and profound that it has spawned its own type of book. Bildungsroman is a German word meaning a book wherein the protagonist grows up, both in worldview and in physicality. There is an immense number of these Bildungsromans, yet almost all are, by nearly all standards, bested by the classic of American literature Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is the predictable story of an archetypical southern kid, with one key difference: Atticus Finch. While Scout and Jem appear, at first glance, to be normal southern kids that will grow up into racist adults, swinging on the porch drinking sweet tea, this thought is inherently constrained by the innocence of the children. Jeb and Scout are too innocent to be condemned to what is, by

Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What happens after death? Since the beginning of time, humans have pondered these and other grand questions of life. Some of the most significant attempts at explaining life were undertaken by philosophers in ancient Greece during the 6th century BCE. Two key figures contributing to Greek philosophy were Socrates and Aristotle who both developed fundamental ideals: idealism and materialism. Socrates explained through idealist logic that the truth of life is relative to each individual’s ideas and reasoning, while Aristotle believed through materialism that life is

Over the past ten weeks, there has been a hefty amount of information about how different religions deal with subjects regarding human nature. If the is true if God and Gods exist, evil and good, and numerous ceremonies that are important to accomplish. The first topic that I found the most stimulating and educational is how different religions handle the thought of death and if there is life after death or remaining life is nothingness. The distress of death is one of the most common causes and effects of anxiety and is customary even in individuals who do not experience the normal symptoms of anxiety (Collett & Lester, 1969) and the ultimate part of this is facing the indefinite possibilities. Religion throughout history has tried to assuage this concern by explaining what happens after death while also working it into the education of good, evil, morality, and

While there are many disagreements over how long the human species has been around, it is most agreed that about 2-2.5 million years is an acceptable figure. This means that human beings have only been around for 1/4000 of the time that the earth has existed. This makes it all the more impressive that in this short amount of time, human beings have managed to spread to every landmass (except for the polar regions) and that they control the fate of a great number of other species.

What is the meaning of life? Many philosophers and religions have attempted to answer the question of what, if anything, gives an individual a purpose. Nevertheless, contrasting metaphysical interpretations have created a perpetual discussion on the ontology of an individual. Consider western monotheistic ideology, existentialism and nihilism. Western monotheistic ideology outlines the purpose of existence as living to the standard of perfection defined by the religion’s god and exemplified by the religion’s messiah1. Contrarily, Existentialism is based on the proposition of existence coming before purpose: an individual will give himself purpose through his own

Within all these theoretical standpoints, the theme and process of coming to terms with death and relationship could be regarded as the essence of an existential quest; one

Darwin’s theory of natural selection permits adaptation by natural means instead of divine intervention. The Theory of Intelligent Design uses methods used by other sciences to explain that the universe and living things were created by an intelligent cause, not a random process such as natural selection. As Wilson (2005) stated “Many, who accept the fact of evolution cannot, however, on religious grounds, accept the operation of blind chance and the absence of divine

From an optimistic vantage point on human existence and natural behavior, a Democratic Confederate Socialist government system spanning across the world, canvassing all separate countries that exist today, would be ideal. Being Democratic, it would serve to promote the ideas and serve the needs of the people for which it is created--fulfilling the social contract theory of John Locke. Being a Confederacy, instead of following a Unitary or Federal structure, it would serve even more to that end, as smaller groups would control themselves while being only loosely politically associated with others who may have widely different needs but are united under the same global government umbrella. For instance, a community located in present day Western Massachusetts would have different needs and surpluses than a community located in Southern California. This Confederate system of loosely connected communities could allow for each of those two individual communities to be governed in manners conducive to the overcoming of their own specific challenges, while still uniting them both beneath the same ideal super state. Being Socialist--perhaps the most important term in the system’s nomenclature--it would give all citizens of this ideal world government subsidized and legislated equality amongst themselves, to work their government provided jobs and claim their government provided bread--the term “their” used loosely in both cases, but more so in the latter than former--equally.