On the Meaning of Life

by Guest Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:11 pm

In the Fall of 1930 Will Durant found himself outside his home in Lake Hill, New York, raking leaves. He was approached by a well-dressed man who told him in a quiet tone that he was going to kill himself unless the philosopher could give him a valid reason not to. Not having the time to wax philosophic on the matter, Durant did his best to furnish the man with reasons to continue his existence. Haunted by the encounter with the despondent stranger, Durant contacted 100 luminaries in the arts, politics, religion and sciences, challenging them to respond not only to the fundamental question of life's meaning (in the abstract) but also to relate how they each (in the particular) found meaning, purpose and fulfillment in their own lives. Durant turned their answers and his own into a book entitled "On The Meaning Of Life", which was released to the general public in 1932. Unpromoted, the litte treasure found its way into few hands, and almost no copies of the book exist today. Now available for a new generation through Promethean Press, "On The Meaning Of Life" is a powerful book on a very powerful topic. In this book Will Durant has fashioned an unprecedented "dream team" of luminaries that is both profound and diverse: poets, philosophers, saints, inmates, athletes, Nobel Prize winners, college professors, psychologists, entertainers, musicians, authors and leaders. Within their varied insights, despite their uniqueness as individuals and the very different lives they led, the reader will note a consistent thread running through their viewpoints, revealing a commonality among human beings who not only seek meaning in life, but who actually achieve it.

http://www.amazon.com/On-The-Meaning-Of-Life/dp/1258116294/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330905864&sr=8-2

by MaxEntropy_Man Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:18 pm

i don't think there is any meaning to life outside of our brain. that is to say there is no externally assigned meaning to life. it is what we make it out to be.

by Guest Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:21 pm

MaxEntropy_Man wrote:i don't think there is any meaning to life outside of our brain. that is to say there is no externally assigned meaning to life. it is what we make it out to be.

had you been in will durant's position and some one accosted you and said he would kill himself unless you gave him reasons not to, what would you tell that person?

by MaxEntropy_Man Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:25 pm

i would have given him the origin of the species to read.

by Guest Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:42 pm

One of the people Durant wrote to was Pandit Nehru. The following is an extract from Pandit Nehru's response, taken from Durant's book 'On the Meaning of Life':

Indians are supposed to find pleasure in metaphysics but i have deliberately kept aloof from them, as i found long ago that they only confused me and brought no solace or guidance for future action. Religion in its limited sense did not appeal to me. I dabbled a little in the various sciences, as a dilettante might, and found some pleasure in them and my horizon seemed to widen. But i still drifted and doubted and became somewhat cynical. Vague ideals possessed me, socialistic and nationalistic, and gradually they seemed to combine and i grew to desire the freedom of India passionately, and the freedom of India signified to me not national freedom only, but the relief of the millions of her men and women from suffering and exploitation. And India became the symbol of the suffering of all the exploited in the world and i sought to make of my intense nationalism an internationalism which included in its fold all the nations and peoples that were being exploited.

I was troubled by these feelings and felt my helplessness. These seemed to be no obvious way of realizing my heart's desire. Then came Mr Gandhi and pointed a way which seemed to promise results, or at any rate which was a way worth trying and afforded an outlet for my pent up feeling. I plunged in, and I discovered what i had long sought. It was in action that i found this--action on behalf of a great cause which i held dear. Ever since then i have used all my strength in battling for this cause and the recompense i have had has strengthened me, for the reward has been a fuller life with a new meaning and a purpose to it ...

I have believed in science and logic and reason, and believe in them still, but at times they seem to lack something, and life seems to be governed by other and stronger forces--instinct or an irresistible drive towards something--which for the moment does not fit in with science and logic as we know them. ...But in spite of all this i have a feeling that the future is full of hope for humanity and for my country and the fight for freedom that we are waging in India is bringing us nearer the realization of this hope.

Do not ask me to justify this feeling that i have for i can give you no sufficient reasons. I can only tell you that i have found mental equilibrium and strength and inspiration in the thought that i am doing my bit for a mighty cause and that my labor cannot be in vain. i work for results, of course. I want to go rapidly towards my objective. But fundamentally even the results of action do not worry me so much. Action itself, so long as i am convinced that it is right action, gives me satisfaction. ...

I am afraid i have avoided your principal question--what is the meaning or worth of human life? I cannot answer it except by telling you how i have looked upon life and what motives have driven me to action.

Sincerely yours,
Jawaharlal Nehru

---------
Nehru's philosophy of life very obviously follows from the life philosophy articulated in the Bhagavada Gita where Lord Krishna advices to place emphasis on action, and also not to worry about the results of action so long as one is undertaking right action.

by MaxEntropy_Man Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:50 pm

i too like the bhagavad gita and much of the philosophy embedded in it without getting into questions of the existence of god.

however, i also firmly believe that it is possible to find meaning to one's own life without a belief in god. the real mysteries of the universe are already sufficiently absorbing to me that i don't find the need to ask theological questions of myself.

i wish durant had written to indians like satyendranath bose, meghnad saha, c.v.raman, or harish chandra. they were people who were already very well known when durant wrote to nehru. their answers would have held far more interest to me.

by Guest Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:09 pm

MaxEntropy_Man wrote:i too like the bhagavad gita and much of the philosophy embedded in it without getting into questions of the existence of god.

however, i also firmly believe that it is possible to find meaning to one's own life without a belief in god. the real mysteries of the universe are already sufficiently absorbing to me that i don't find the need to ask theological questions of myself.

i wish durant had written to indians like satyendranath bose, meghnad saha, c.v.raman, or harish chandra. they were people who were already very well known when durant wrote to nehru. their answers would have held far more interest to me.

He did write to C.V. Raman. I did not find anything particularly inspirational or illuminating in Raman's response, but u may disagree with me. This is Raman's response in its entirety:

------
Dear Mr Durant,
I have never believed that life is worth living simply for the moment's pleasure or tomorrow's trivial hope. The mind of man is too feeble an instrument to fully penetrate into the great mystery of this world where we find ourselves; but I have always thought that life would be worth living in order to try and understand a little more of it than we do at present.

The intellectual and scientific impulse has indeed been the mainspring of my life and activities. Religious rituals and dogmas possess no significance for me; but the teachings of Budha and Christ, if not taken too literally , have a value which i recognize and which i believe time cannot diminish. The desire to labor, to achieve, and to help others to do likewise, these are the motive powers which have kept me going. I find self-control and not self-indulgence to be the real source of happiness. In the last resort, to win a victory over oneself is a greater thing than conquering the whole world.

With kind regards, I am,
Sincerely,
C.V. Raman

by MaxEntropy_Man Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:44 pm

raman's answer is direct, honest, and practical and more closely aligned to my own worldview than nehru's.

by chameli Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:28 am

Pandit Nehru wrote and thought lyrically .He was a dreamer

He was a better author than a politician His speech following Independence of India is a masterpiece and will be cherished forever.

Here too he describes the meaning of life honestly and wistfully

His draw back according to Max entropy i bet was that he was not a Tamilian lol

by Kris Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:57 am

Rashmun wrote:In the Fall of 1930 Will Durant found himself outside his home in Lake Hill, New York, raking leaves. He was approached by a well-dressed man who told him in a quiet tone that he was going to kill himself unless the philosopher could give him a valid reason not to. Not having the time to wax philosophic on the matter, Durant did his best to furnish the man with reasons to continue his existence. Haunted by the encounter with the despondent stranger, Durant contacted 100 luminaries in the arts, politics, religion and sciences, challenging them to respond not only to the fundamental question of life's meaning (in the abstract) but also to relate how they each (in the particular) found meaning, purpose and fulfillment in their own lives. Durant turned their answers and his own into a book entitled "On The Meaning Of Life", which was released to the general public in 1932. Unpromoted, the litte treasure found its way into few hands, and almost no copies of the book exist today. Now available for a new generation through Promethean Press, "On The Meaning Of Life" is a powerful book on a very powerful topic. In this book Will Durant has fashioned an unprecedented "dream team" of luminaries that is both profound and diverse: poets, philosophers, saints, inmates, athletes, Nobel Prize winners, college professors, psychologists, entertainers, musicians, authors and leaders. Within their varied insights, despite their uniqueness as individuals and the very different lives they led, the reader will note a consistent thread running through their viewpoints, revealing a commonality among human beings who not only seek meaning in life, but who actually achieve it.

http://www.amazon.com/On-The-Meaning-Of-Life/dp/1258116294/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330905864&sr=8-2

>>>The genlteman who posed the question to Durant seems to have had a serious case of existential ennui. As such, the only thing that could possibly have talked him off the ledge lay within his personal universe- the one he created for himself, based on his upbringing, belief systems, whathaveyou. The best Durant could have done is tell him to find what made him happy and pursue it. Unfortunately, when we get to the level of someone contemplating suicide, general philosophies come up seriously short.

by chameli Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:33 pm

my meaning of life goes somewhat like this ....

I didnt ask to be born now that i am born i dont wish to die

But I have no control over both ..

Life itself is beautiful It has been mapped out already for me .Let me enjoy it fully and as Robert Frost has eloquently said

"I shall pass this way but once ...any good i can do let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again "

by garam_kuta Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:54 pm

chameli wrote:my meaning of life goes somewhat like this ....

I didnt ask to be born .........
"I shall pass this way but once ...any good i can do let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again "

eh? are you sure about that..? may be Alzheimer is shadowing you, child ! :-}

sd/-
Garam God

by chameli Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:42 pm

God ,u want to send me into this world again and again ? O K

like i said ..nothing is upto me

aside * try not to give me Alzheimers .anything else chalega

by Guest Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:59 pm

There is no meaning to life. There is no purpose either. There is nothing to achieve. And there's no goal to reach. All we gotta is do is just 'be'.

by Guest Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:09 pm

kinnera wrote:There is no meaning to life. There is no purpose either. There is nothing to achieve. And there's no goal to reach. All we gotta is do is just 'be'.

if there is no meaning, no purpose, no goal, and nothing to achieve in life then why should all of us not commit suicide?

by Guest Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:11 pm

Rashmun wrote:
kinnera wrote:There is no meaning to life. There is no purpose either. There is nothing to achieve. And there's no goal to reach. All we gotta is do is just 'be'.

if there is no meaning, no purpose, no goal, and nothing to achieve in life then why should all of us not commit suicide?

why not just live, savor each moment, take life as it come and 'BE HERE NOW?'

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