Is There Any Objective Purpose of Life?

The question of whether there is an objective purpose of life is a deeply philosophical one, with perspectives varying widely across different cultures, religions, and philosophical traditions. Here are a few key viewpoints on this objective purpose of life from various perspectives.

Religious Perspectives

Many religions propose that life has an objective purpose, often related to fulfilling the will of a deity or achieving spiritual enlightenment. For example, in Christianity, the purpose of life is often seen as serving God and preparing for an afterlife. In Buddhism, it involves seeking enlightenment and helping others.

Philosophical Perspectives

Existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre argue that life inherently has no objective purpose and it is up to individuals to create their own meaning through choices and actions. In contrast, utilitarian thinkers might suggest that the purpose of life is to maximize happiness and reduce suffering.

Scientific Perspectives

From a biological standpoint, the purpose of life could be argued to be to survive, reproduce, and pass on genes. This view is more descriptive than prescriptive, focusing on how life operates rather than suggesting an inherent purpose.

Personal Perspectives

Many people find purpose through personal fulfillment, relationships, creativity, or contributing to society. This subjective approach emphasizes that meaning can be derived from individual experiences and aspirations.

Pragmatic Purpose

Practically, many people decide that their lives have more meaning if they strive towards a chosen ideal. They might decide that meaning comes from creating beauty, reducing suffering, promoting justice, or seeking pleasure. Any of those might be effective at making their existence meaningful.

Objective vs. Subjective Purposes

Lets consider an analogy. If I need a specific kind of table and gather all my requirements to prepare a specification, draw a design, gather tools and materials, and build it, the completed table has an objective purpose one for which it was conceived and created. In contrast, if I am not a carpenter and merely find a cardboard box that is the right shape to meet my needs, that box clearly serves its purpose but it is not inherent it only happens to be the right shape, I happened to find it, and I chose to use it as a table.

The same is true for the meaning of life. If God created me for a reason, then quite objectively, that is my purpose. If I was not created, then I can adopt any purpose I choose; it might bring me comfort, but it is not objectively true.

It might appear that we have been stopped by the unanswerable question: does God exist? But surprisingly, I dont think that is the case. You dont need to convince yourself that God exists. If you can conclude that God is reasonably possible, you can choose to adopt his purpose. You may choose to ignore the possibility and instead adopt some other purpose. If you do so, there is no possible way for your purpose to be objectively correct.

Embracing a Teleological Authority

However, if you choose to embrace the possibility and adopt Gods purpose, then your purpose may be objectively correct. Purpose is objective if it is assigned by a teleological authority.

Critics and Objectivity

I find it ironic that critics accuse Christians of avoiding objective truth to live with subjective delusion when those same critics aspire to a purpose which cannot possibly be objectively true.

Critics have raised a number of objections, such as:

God is a wishful delusion. But it is not a wish; it is a purpose deliberately chosen. An atheist who chooses humanism as a purpose is exercising control over his own life. Choosing to serve God is exactly the same. God is not objectively true. But God could be objectively true while all the other options are certainly objectively false. It is choosing an unknown possibility instead of a known lie.

Conclusion

Whether life has an objective purpose is a matter of personal belief and interpretation. Different frameworks provide various answers, and individuals often derive their own meanings based on their experiences, values, and beliefs. It is up to you to find your own sense of purpose and meaning in life.