Exam 2: The Meaning of Life

Sometimes the meaning of something (a sign, a word)is what it refers to. If the meaning of one's life refers to something, then what would give one's life meaning would be contextual, as in a linguistic reference.

To say that "life is absurd" is to say

Much of our language of "relationships" conjures up a picture of two lonely souls trying to "get through" to one another.

The writer John Barth suggested that

People who think that children are the basis for a meaningful life tend to project abstractly into the future to a utopia, a place of total peace and happiness.

Which of the following would be an all-important question for someone who sees life as a disease ?

Believing that life's meaning lies in children has the odd consequence

German philosophers in the nineteenth century talked about life being a Bildungsroman, a story of personal development.

According to Camus, "one must imagine Sisyphus happy" because

Aristotle argues that one need not have friendships to live a good life.

Strictly speaking, the question of the meaning of life is purely theoretical, and there is no connection between your vision of the meaning of life and the life you will actually lead.

Children, God, and afterlife

Material acquisitions are a dependable test of success in life.

What is the similarity between the question of the meaning of life and the question of the meaning of a word?

In Homer's Iliad , the ancient Greeks found the meaning of life in honor and

The question about the meaning of life most typically arises during happy times, when we have the luxury of time to reflect.

Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and Faust are comedies.

How do you answer the question "What is the meaning of life?"   Your essay can draw on any of the options in the text, but can also develop a different image. In either case, be sure to explain the vision of meaning, and explain why this image is compelling to you. Solomon and Higgins say that the way one answers the question of the meaning of life indicates one's "general view of life."    What does your answer reveal about your general view of life?

What did the Stoics believe about human desires and emotions?

The vision of Sisyphus pushing his rock up the mountain only to have it fall back again is a good image for the conviction that life is suffering.