Meaning Of Life In Thomas Negel's 'The Absurd'

The Meaning of Life

Author of, “The Absurd”, Thomas Negel argues that many are persuaded that our lives are meaningless or absurd due to the idea that that our lives will not matter in a million years from now. Negel contends that although our lives are meaningless and absurd, this is not a reason for despair. On the contrary, A.J. Ayer, author of “The Claims of Philosophy”, argues that there is no meaning of life. For there to be meaning, there must be value, and there is no ultimate value. While examining the question of the meaning of life, it does not make sense to say that our lives are meaningful, because we create meaning for ourselves and abide by that. I will argue, using Ayer’s work, that there is no “final” meaning of life as there

I don’t believe that life is meaningless however, I believe in creating meaning for our lives and adding value, in whatever way that may be. We tend to value our lives more when we find happiness, which makes sense, as Ayer explains that happiness has become a way of describing any end that is being pursued, it has become a life goal. The problem with asking the meaning of life is the differing opinions and answers. Everyone has a different way their life has meaning, this is often reflected in an individual’s goals, values, religion, and their everyday lives. When I have not been productive or if I have not connected with God, I feel as if my life is meaningless. When I work towards my goals, my life feels like it’s headed in a good direction. We may also often attribute “meaning” in our lives to the contribution we have in society. As I believe that there is no factual nor correct answer to the “meaning of life”, a better question to ask is, “How do you bring meaning to your life?”. This again, depends on an individual, but it brings about multiple answers. I bring meaning to my life by living a life full of laughter, happiness, and helping others. At the end of the night, if I can go to sleep peacefully, with a genuine connection with my Lord, I feel as if there is meaning to my life and I am