Does Life Have Meaning? Hedonism —Epicurus  The aim of a blessed life is the soul’s freedom from disturbance.  The standard by which we judge every good is pleasure.  Excessive drinking, reveling, and luxurious eating cannot produce a pleasant life.

Does Life Have Meaning? Hedonism —Epicurus Death is nothing to us, because as long as we exist, death is not with us, but when death comes, then we do not exist. It is not possible to live pleasantly without living virtuously.

Does Life Have Meaning? Life Is Absurd —Albert Camus The question of the meaning of life is the most urgent of questions. Being aware of one’s life and one’s freedom is living to the maximum. The myth of Sisyphus is tragic because its hero is conscious.

Does Life Have Meaning? Life Is Absurd —Albert Camus The sense of the absence of a profound reason for living is the feeling of absurdity. Sisyphus is a hero.

Does Life Have Meaning? Religion Gives Meaning to Life —Louis Pojman If theism is true and there is a benevolent sovereign of the universe, we have an answer to the problem of why be moral. If theism is true and there is a benevolent sovereign of the universe, there is life after death.

Does Life Have Meaning? Religion Gives Meaning to Life — Louis Pojman Since we don’t know whether theism is true, we should live as if theism is true. The argument that we cannot have both autonomy and purpose in life presents a false dilemma.

Does Life Have Meaning? Reflections on Suffering —Bertrand Russell The loneliness of the human soul is unendurable. Only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair can the soul’s habitation be safely built.