The Meaning Of Life (Googled)

Ah, we live in a wonderful world. The mysteries of life appear to be just an ask away! One could almost get all giddy over the seemingly endless possibilities.

So last night I went, what's the meaning of life, anyway? I called Dr. Phil only to get his voicemail. So I thought, who better to know the meaning of life than one who isn't alive anymore? Peanut and I got out the Ouija board and dialed up a few dearly departed but suspiciously the pointer kept spelling out "cookie". (Never Ouija with your dog.) Finally, I did what any one of us in today's networked world would do. I Googled "the meaning of life is..." 35.1 million hits in less than a quarter of a second. Wow.

I got the expected responses: Monty Python, Hitchhiker's Guide, Wikipedia... some t-shirt offerings and some neat cartoons...

Then I stumbled on a study from a very reputable institution of higher learning. (Please excuse the following personal synopsis, no reflection on the original study.) It was interesting because the author(s) took the time set things up. The history of other people who had asked the question was explored. Then they defined exactly what was being asked and from what perspective. (It's like the "It depends on your definition of having sex'" thing in the news a few years ago.)

What is meant by the word "meaning" itself took maybe three pages of rational inquiry. What we are asking exactly and why do we want to know? Is meaningfulness a final good in a person's life that is distinct from happiness, rightness and worthwhileness? More questions.

Then, there was a methodical examination of meaning in life from different viewpoints. A supernaturalistic point of view is either a God-centered view or a soul-centered view. (If one lacks a soul, or treats it badly, then one's life is automatically meaningless.) The second major viewpoint is naturalism: either subjectivism (defining actions that one ought to concentrate on), or objectivism (all actions act together to make life meaningful). The third and final viewpoint is the nihilism theoretical account (if you believe that God or a soul is necessary for meaning in life, and if you believe that neither exists, then you are a nihilist: someone who denies that life has meaning.)

The last paragraph in this paper concludes the original question posed lacks conclusive answers. Their answer appears to be, "It depends." Which I sorta knew before. Which made me wonder why I spent the last two hours reading the paper. At last I had something of an answer.

Sometimes the process of examining different viewpoints is something of an answer in itself.