CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Meaning of life - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"5de1091e-ea5a-425e-b7b0-a6ab8899e5d9","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Meaning_of_life","wgTitle":"Meaning of life","wgCurRevisionId":1266529074,"wgRevisionId":1266529074,"wgArticleId":20347,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["CS1: unfit URL","CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list","CS1 errors: missing periodical","Articles containing Sanskrit-language text","CS1 maint: location missing publisher","CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list","CS1 maint: others","Pages with numeric Bible version references","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages","Use dmy dates from September 2019","All articles with unsourced statements" ,"Articles with unsourced statements from December 2009","Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019","Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text","Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011","Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets via Module:Annotated link","Pages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback via Module:Annotated link","Pages displaying short descriptions with no spaces via Module:Annotated link","Metaphysical properties","Existentialist concepts","Philosophical problems","Philosophy of life","Religious philosophical concepts","Teleology"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Meaning_of_life","wgRelevantArticleId":20347,"wgIsProbablyEditable":false,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":false,"wgRestrictionEdit":["autoconfirmed"],"wgRestrictionMove":["sysop"],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{ "tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":200000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q223675","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready", "user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","ext.scribunto.logs","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming", "ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.8"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Meaning of life - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Meaning_of_life rootpage-Meaning_of_life skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" > Main menu </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z">Main page</a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia">Contents</a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events">Current events</a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x">Random article</a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works">About Wikipedia</a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia">Contact us</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia">Help</a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia">Learn to edit</a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors">Community portal</a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r">Recent changes</a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia">Upload file</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"> Search </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" > Appearance </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class="">Donate</a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Meaning+of+life" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class="">Create account</a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Meaning+of+life" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class="">Log in</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" > Personal tools </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en">Donate</a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Meaning+of+life" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"> Create account</a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Meaning+of+life" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"> Log in</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing">learn more</a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y">Contributions</a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n">Talk</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Origin_of_the_expression" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Origin_of_the_expression"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 1 Origin of the expression </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Origin_of_the_expression-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Origin_of_the_question" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Origin_of_the_question"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 2 Origin of the question </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Origin_of_the_question-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Scientific_inquiry_and_perspectives" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Scientific_inquiry_and_perspectives"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3 Scientific inquiry and perspectives </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Scientific_inquiry_and_perspectives-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> Toggle Scientific inquiry and perspectives subsection </button> <ul id="toc-Scientific_inquiry_and_perspectives-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Psychological_significance_and_value_in_life" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Psychological_significance_and_value_in_life"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3.1 Psychological significance and value in life </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Psychological_significance_and_value_in_life-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Origin_and_nature_of_biological_life" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Origin_and_nature_of_biological_life"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3.2 Origin and nature of biological life </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Origin_and_nature_of_biological_life-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Origins_and_ultimate_fate_of_the_universe" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Origins_and_ultimate_fate_of_the_universe"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3.3 Origins and ultimate fate of the universe </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Origins_and_ultimate_fate_of_the_universe-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Scientific_questions_about_the_mind" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Scientific_questions_about_the_mind"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3.4 Scientific questions about the mind </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Scientific_questions_about_the_mind-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Parapsychology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Parapsychology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3.4.1 Parapsychology </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Parapsychology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nature_of_meaning_in_life" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nature_of_meaning_in_life"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 3.5 Nature of meaning in life </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nature_of_meaning_in_life-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Western_philosophical_perspectives" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Western_philosophical_perspectives"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4 Western philosophical perspectives </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Western_philosophical_perspectives-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> Toggle Western philosophical perspectives subsection </button> <ul id="toc-Western_philosophical_perspectives-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Ancient_Greek_philosophy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ancient_Greek_philosophy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1 Ancient Greek philosophy </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ancient_Greek_philosophy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Platonism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Platonism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1.1 Platonism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Platonism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Aristotelianism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Aristotelianism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1.2 Aristotelianism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Aristotelianism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cynicism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cynicism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1.3 Cynicism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cynicism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cyrenaicism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cyrenaicism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1.4 Cyrenaicism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cyrenaicism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Epicureanism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Epicureanism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1.5 Epicureanism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Epicureanism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Stoicism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Stoicism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.1.6 Stoicism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Stoicism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Enlightenment_philosophy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Enlightenment_philosophy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.2 Enlightenment philosophy </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Enlightenment_philosophy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Kantianism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kantianism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.2.1 Kantianism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kantianism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-19th-century_philosophy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#19th-century_philosophy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.3 19th-century philosophy </div> </a> <ul id="toc-19th-century_philosophy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Utilitarianism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Utilitarianism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.3.1 Utilitarianism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Utilitarianism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nihilism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nihilism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.3.2 Nihilism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nihilism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-20th-century_philosophy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#20th-century_philosophy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4 20th-century philosophy </div> </a> <ul id="toc-20th-century_philosophy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Pragmatism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Pragmatism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.1 Pragmatism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Pragmatism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Theism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Theism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.2 Theism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Theism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Existentialism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Existentialism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.3 Existentialism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Existentialism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Absurdism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Absurdism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.4 Absurdism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Absurdism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Secular_humanism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Secular_humanism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.5 Secular humanism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Secular_humanism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Logical_positivism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Logical_positivism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.6 Logical positivism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Logical_positivism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Postmodernism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Postmodernism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.7 Postmodernism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Postmodernism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Naturalistic_pantheism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Naturalistic_pantheism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.8 Naturalistic pantheism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Naturalistic_pantheism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Embodied_cognition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Embodied_cognition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 4.4.9 Embodied cognition </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Embodied_cognition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-East_Asian_philosophical_perspectives" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#East_Asian_philosophical_perspectives"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 5 East Asian philosophical perspectives </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-East_Asian_philosophical_perspectives-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> Toggle East Asian philosophical perspectives subsection </button> <ul id="toc-East_Asian_philosophical_perspectives-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Mohism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mohism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 5.1 Mohism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Mohism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Confucianism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Confucianism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 5.2 Confucianism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Confucianism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Legalism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Legalism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 5.3 Legalism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Legalism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Religious_perspectives" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Religious_perspectives"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6 Religious perspectives </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Religious_perspectives-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> Toggle Religious perspectives subsection </button> <ul id="toc-Religious_perspectives-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Abrahamic_religions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Abrahamic_religions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.1 Abrahamic religions </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Abrahamic_religions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Judaism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Judaism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.1.1 Judaism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Judaism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Christianity" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Christianity"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.1.2 Christianity </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Christianity-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Denominations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Denominations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.1.2.1 Denominations </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Denominations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Islam" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Islam"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.1.3 Islam </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Islam-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Baháʼí_Faith" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Baháʼí_Faith"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.1.4 Baháʼí Faith </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Baháʼí_Faith-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-South_Asian_religions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#South_Asian_religions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2 South Asian religions </div> </a> <ul id="toc-South_Asian_religions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Hindu_philosophies" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hindu_philosophies"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.1 Hindu philosophies </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hindu_philosophies-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Advaita_and_Dvaita_Hinduism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Advaita_and_Dvaita_Hinduism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.1.1 Advaita and Dvaita Hinduism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Advaita_and_Dvaita_Hinduism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Vaishnavism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Vaishnavism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.1.2 Vaishnavism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Vaishnavism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Jainism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Jainism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.2 Jainism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Jainism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Buddhism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Buddhism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.3 Buddhism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Buddhism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Early_Buddhism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Early_Buddhism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.3.1 Early Buddhism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Early_Buddhism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Mahayana_Buddhism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mahayana_Buddhism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.3.2 Mahayana Buddhism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Mahayana_Buddhism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sikhism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sikhism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.2.4 Sikhism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sikhism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-East_Asian_religions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#East_Asian_religions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.3 East Asian religions </div> </a> <ul id="toc-East_Asian_religions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Taoism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Taoism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.3.1 Taoism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Taoism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shinto" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shinto"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.3.2 Shinto </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shinto-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-New_religions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#New_religions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.3.3 New religions </div> </a> <ul id="toc-New_religions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Iranian_religions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Iranian_religions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.4 Iranian religions </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Iranian_religions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Zoroastrianism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Zoroastrianism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 6.4.1 Zoroastrianism </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Zoroastrianism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Popular_views" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Popular_views"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7 Popular views </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Popular_views-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> Toggle Popular views subsection </button> <ul id="toc-Popular_views-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-To_realize_one's_potential_and_ideals" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#To_realize_one's_potential_and_ideals"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.1 To realize one's potential and ideals </div> </a> <ul id="toc-To_realize_one's_potential_and_ideals-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-To_evolve,_or_to_achieve_biological_perfection" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#To_evolve,_or_to_achieve_biological_perfection"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.2 To evolve, or to achieve biological perfection </div> </a> <ul id="toc-To_evolve,_or_to_achieve_biological_perfection-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-To_seek_wisdom_and_knowledge" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#To_seek_wisdom_and_knowledge"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.3 To seek wisdom and knowledge </div> </a> <ul id="toc-To_seek_wisdom_and_knowledge-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-To_do_good,_to_do_the_right_thing" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#To_do_good,_to_do_the_right_thing"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.4 To do good, to do the right thing </div> </a> <ul id="toc-To_do_good,_to_do_the_right_thing-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Meanings_relating_to_religion" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Meanings_relating_to_religion"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.5 Meanings relating to religion </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Meanings_relating_to_religion-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-To_love,_to_feel,_to_enjoy_the_act_of_living" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#To_love,_to_feel,_to_enjoy_the_act_of_living"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.6 To love, to feel, to enjoy the act of living </div> </a> <ul id="toc-To_love,_to_feel,_to_enjoy_the_act_of_living-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-To_have_power,_to_be_better" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#To_have_power,_to_be_better"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.7 To have power, to be better </div> </a> <ul id="toc-To_have_power,_to_be_better-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Life_has_no_meaning" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Life_has_no_meaning"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.8 Life has no meaning </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Life_has_no_meaning-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-One_should_not_seek_to_know_and_understand_the_meaning_of_life" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#One_should_not_seek_to_know_and_understand_the_meaning_of_life"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 7.9 One should not seek to know and understand the meaning of life </div> </a> <ul id="toc-One_should_not_seek_to_know_and_understand_the_meaning_of_life-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-In_popular_culture" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#In_popular_culture"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 8 In popular culture </div> </a> <ul id="toc-In_popular_culture-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Related_concepts" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Related_concepts"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 9 Related concepts </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Related_concepts-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> Toggle Related concepts subsection </button> <ul id="toc-Related_concepts-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Existential_crisis" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Existential_crisis"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 9.1 Existential crisis </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Existential_crisis-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Importance" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Importance"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 9.2 Importance </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Importance-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 10 See also </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 11 References </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> 12 External links </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" > Toggle the table of contents </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading">Meaning of life</h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 52 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-52" aria-hidden="true" > 52 languages </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_van_die_lewe" title="Sin van die lewe – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Sin van die lewe" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target">Afrikaans</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%89_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A9" title="معنى الحياة – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="معنى الحياة" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target">العربية</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C9%99yat%C4%B1n_m%C9%99nas%C4%B1" title="Həyatın mənası – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Həyatın mənası" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target">Azərbaycanca</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A5" title="জীবনের অর্থ – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="জীবনের অর্থ" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target">বাংলা</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentit_de_la_vida" title="Sentit de la vida – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Sentit de la vida" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target">Català</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cv mw-list-item"><a href="https://cv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%C4%83%C3%A7_%D1%82%D1%83%D0%BF%D1%81%C4%83%D0%BC%C4%95" title="Пурнăç тупсăмĕ – Chuvash" lang="cv" hreflang="cv" data-title="Пурнăç тупсăмĕ" data-language-autonym="Чӑвашла" data-language-local-name="Chuvash" class="interlanguage-link-target">Чӑвашла</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smysl_%C5%BEivota" title="Smysl života – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Smysl života" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target">Čeština</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningen_med_livet" title="Meningen med livet – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Meningen med livet" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target">Dansk</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinn_des_Lebens" title="Sinn des Lebens – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Sinn des Lebens" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target">Deutsch</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elu_m%C3%B5te" title="Elu mõte – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Elu mõte" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Eesti</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentido_de_la_vida" title="Sentido de la vida – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Sentido de la vida" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target">Español</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizitzaren_zentzua" title="Bizitzaren zentzua – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Bizitzaren zentzua" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target">Euskara</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%86%DB%8C_%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%DB%8C" title="معنی زندگی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="معنی زندگی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target">فارسی</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sens_de_la_vie" title="Sens de la vie – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Sens de la vie" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target">Français</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%82%B6%EC%9D%98_%EC%9D%98%EB%AF%B8" title="삶의 의미 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="삶의 의미" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target">한국어</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%BF%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6%D6%84%D5%AB_%D5%AB%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%BD%D5%BF" title="Կյանքի իմաստ – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Կյանքի իմաստ" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Հայերեն</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5" title="जीवन का अर्थ – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="जीवन का अर्थ" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target">हिन्दी</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makna_kehidupan" title="Makna kehidupan – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Makna kehidupan" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Bahasa Indonesia</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilgangur_l%C3%ADfsins" title="Tilgangur lífsins – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Tilgangur lífsins" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target">Íslenska</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senso_della_vita" title="Senso della vita – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Senso della vita" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Italiano</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%94%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D" title="משמעות החיים – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="משמעות החיים" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target">עברית</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sw mw-list-item"><a href="https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maana_ya_maisha" title="Maana ya maisha – Swahili" lang="sw" hreflang="sw" data-title="Maana ya maisha" data-language-autonym="Kiswahili" data-language-local-name="Swahili" class="interlanguage-link-target">Kiswahili</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-la mw-list-item"><a href="https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensus_vitae" title="Sensus vitae – Latin" lang="la" hreflang="la" data-title="Sensus vitae" data-language-autonym="Latina" data-language-local-name="Latin" class="interlanguage-link-target">Latina</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dz%C4%ABves_j%C4%93ga" title="Dzīves jēga – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Dzīves jēga" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Latviešu</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyvenimo_prasm%C4%97" title="Gyvenimo prasmė – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Gyvenimo prasmė" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Lietuvių</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lfn mw-list-item"><a href="https://lfn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinifia_de_vive" title="Sinifia de vive – Lingua Franca Nova" lang="lfn" hreflang="lfn" data-title="Sinifia de vive" data-language-autonym="Lingua Franca Nova" data-language-local-name="Lingua Franca Nova" class="interlanguage-link-target">Lingua Franca Nova</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Az_%C3%A9let_%C3%A9rtelme_(filoz%C3%B3fia)" title="Az élet értelme (filozófia) – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Az élet értelme (filozófia)" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Magyar</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mg mw-list-item"><a href="https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antom-pisian%27ny_olona" title="Antom-pisian'ny olona – Malagasy" lang="mg" hreflang="mg" data-title="Antom-pisian'ny olona" data-language-autonym="Malagasy" data-language-local-name="Malagasy" class="interlanguage-link-target">Malagasy</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makna_kehidupan" title="Makna kehidupan – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Makna kehidupan" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target">Bahasa Melayu</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zin_van_het_leven" title="Zin van het leven – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Zin van het leven" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target">Nederlands</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BA%BA%E7%94%9F%E3%81%AE%E6%84%8F%E7%BE%A9" title="人生の意義 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="人生の意義" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target">日本語</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningen_med_livet" title="Meningen med livet – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Meningen med livet" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target">Norsk bokmål</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayotning_ma%CA%BCnosi" title="Hayotning maʼnosi – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Hayotning maʼnosi" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target">Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pa mw-list-item"><a href="https://pa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A8%9C%E0%A9%80%E0%A8%B5%E0%A8%A8_%E0%A8%A6%E0%A8%BE_%E0%A8%AE%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%B2%E0%A8%AC" title="ਜੀਵਨ ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ – Punjabi" lang="pa" hreflang="pa" data-title="ਜੀਵਨ ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ" data-language-autonym="ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" data-language-local-name="Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target">ਪੰਜਾਬੀ</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sens_%C5%BCycia" title="Sens życia – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Sens życia" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target">Polski</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentido_da_vida" title="Sentido da vida – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Sentido da vida" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target">Português</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensul_vie%C8%9Bii" title="Sensul vieții – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Sensul vieții" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Română</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-rm mw-list-item"><a href="https://rm.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senn_da_la_vita" title="Senn da la vita – Romansh" lang="rm" hreflang="rm" data-title="Senn da la vita" data-language-autonym="Rumantsch" data-language-local-name="Romansh" class="interlanguage-link-target">Rumantsch</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BC%D1%8B%D1%81%D0%BB_%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BD%D0%B8" title="Смысл жизни – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Смысл жизни" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Русский</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuptimi_i_jet%C3%ABs" title="Kuptimi i jetës – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Kuptimi i jetës" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Shqip</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life" title="Meaning of life – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Meaning of life" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target">Simple English</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zmysel_%C5%BEivota" title="Zmysel života – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Zmysel života" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target">Slovenčina</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BE_%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0" title="Смисао живота – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Смисао живота" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Српски / srpski</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/El%C3%A4m%C3%A4n_tarkoitus" title="Elämän tarkoitus – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Elämän tarkoitus" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target">Suomi</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningen_med_livet" title="Meningen med livet – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Meningen med livet" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target">Svenska</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tl mw-list-item"><a href="https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahulugan_ng_buhay" title="Kahulugan ng buhay – Tagalog" lang="tl" hreflang="tl" data-title="Kahulugan ng buhay" data-language-autonym="Tagalog" data-language-local-name="Tagalog" class="interlanguage-link-target">Tagalog</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tt mw-list-item"><a href="https://tt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y%C3%A4%C5%9F%C3%A4w_m%C3%A4%C4%9Fn%C3%A4se" title="Yäşäw mäğnäse – Tatar" lang="tt" hreflang="tt" data-title="Yäşäw mäğnäse" data-language-autonym="Татарча / tatarça" data-language-local-name="Tatar" class="interlanguage-link-target">Татарча / tatarça</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%95" title="ความหมายของชีวิต – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ความหมายของชีวิต" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target">ไทย</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayat%C4%B1n_anlam%C4%B1" title="Hayatın anlamı – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Hayatın anlamı" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target">Türkçe</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81_%D0%B6%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%82%D1%8F" title="Сенс життя – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Сенс життя" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target">Українська</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9D_ngh%C4%A9a_cu%E1%BB%99c_s%E1%BB%91ng" title="Ý nghĩa cuộc sống – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Ý nghĩa cuộc sống" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target">Tiếng Việt</a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%94%9F%E5%91%BD%E7%9A%84%E6%84%8F%E7%BE%A9" title="生命的意義 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="生命的意義" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target">中文</a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q223675#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Meaning_of_life" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c">Article</a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Meaning_of_life" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t">Talk</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" >English </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Meaning_of_life">Read</a></li><li id="ca-viewsource" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&action=edit" title="This page is protected.
You can view its source [e]" accesskey="e">View source</a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h">View history</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" >Tools </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Meaning_of_life">Read</a></li><li id="ca-more-viewsource" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&action=edit">View source</a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&action=history">View history</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Meaning_of_life" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j">What links here</a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Meaning_of_life" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k">Related changes</a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u">Upload file</a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q">Special pages</a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&oldid=1266529074" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page">Permanent link</a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&action=info" title="More information about this page">Page information</a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Meaning_of_life&id=1266529074&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page">Cite this page</a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMeaning_of_life">Get shortened URL</a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMeaning_of_life">Download QR code</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Meaning_of_life&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file">Download as PDF</a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p">Printable version</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-commons mw-list-item"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Meaning_of_life" hreflang="en">Wikimedia Commons</a></li><li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikiquote mw-list-item"><a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life" hreflang="en">Wikiquote</a></li><li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q223675" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g">Wikidata item</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> <div id="mw-indicator-pp-default" class="mw-indicator"><div class="mw-parser-output"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Protection_policy#semi" title="This article is semi-protected."><img alt="Page semi-protected" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/20px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/30px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/40px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></a></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Philosophical and spiritual question</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Theory of life" redirects here. For the work by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, see <a href="/wiki/Coleridge%27s_theory_of_life" title="Coleridge's theory of life">Coleridge's theory of life</a>. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Meaning_of_Life_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Meaning of Life (disambiguation)">Meaning of Life (disambiguation)</a>.</div> The meaning of life pertains to the <a href="/wiki/Intrinsic_value_(ethics)" title="Intrinsic value (ethics)">inherent significance</a> or <a href="/wiki/Meaning_(philosophy)" title="Meaning (philosophy)">philosophical meaning</a> of <a href="/wiki/Life" title="Life">living</a> (or <a href="/wiki/Existence" title="Existence">existence</a> in general). There is no consensus on a definitive answer, and <a href="/wiki/Thinking" class="mw-redirect" title="Thinking">thinking</a> or <a href="/wiki/Discourse" title="Discourse">discourse</a> on the topic is sought in the English language through the <a href="/wiki/Question" title="Question">question</a>, "What is the meaning of life?" (or the related "Why are <a href="/wiki/Human_beings" class="mw-redirect" title="Human beings">we</a> <a href="/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">here</a>?" or "What is the purpose of existence?"). There have been many proposed answers to these questions from many different <a href="/wiki/Cultural" class="mw-redirect" title="Cultural">cultural</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ideological" class="mw-redirect" title="Ideological">ideological</a> backgrounds. The search for life's meaning has produced much <a href="/wiki/Philosophical" class="mw-redirect" title="Philosophical">philosophical</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scientific" class="mw-redirect" title="Scientific">scientific</a>, <a href="/wiki/Theological" class="mw-redirect" title="Theological">theological</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Metaphysics" title="Metaphysics">metaphysical</a> speculation throughout history. Different people and cultures believe different things for the answer to this question. Opinions vary on the usefulness of using <a href="/wiki/Time" title="Time">time</a> and <a href="/wiki/Resource" title="Resource">resources</a> in the pursuit of an answer. Excessive pondering can be indicative of, or lead to, an <a href="/wiki/Existential_crisis" title="Existential crisis">existential crisis</a>. The meaning of life can be derived from philosophical and religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about, <a href="/wiki/Existence" title="Existence">existence</a>, <a href="/wiki/Social_ties" class="mw-redirect" title="Social ties">social ties</a>, <a href="/wiki/Consciousness" title="Consciousness">consciousness</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Happiness" title="Happiness">happiness</a>. Many other issues are also involved, such as <a href="/wiki/Linguistic_meaning" class="mw-redirect" title="Linguistic meaning">symbolic meaning</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ontology" title="Ontology">ontology</a>, <a href="/wiki/Value_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Value (philosophy)">value</a>, <a href="/wiki/Teleology" title="Teleology">purpose</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ethics" title="Ethics">ethics</a>, <a href="/wiki/Good_and_evil" title="Good and evil">good and evil</a>, <a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Existence_of_God" title="Existence of God">existence of one or multiple gods</a>, <a href="/wiki/Conceptions_of_God" title="Conceptions of God">conceptions of God</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Soul_(spirit)" class="mw-redirect" title="Soul (spirit)">soul</a>, and the <a href="/wiki/Afterlife" title="Afterlife">afterlife</a>. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related <a href="/wiki/Empiricism" title="Empiricism">empirical</a> <a href="/wiki/Fact" title="Fact">facts</a> about the <a href="/wiki/Universe" title="Universe">universe</a>, exploring the context and parameters concerning the "how" of life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the <a href="/wiki/Positive_psychology" title="Positive psychology">pursuit of well-being</a> and a related <a href="/wiki/Science_of_morality" title="Science of morality">conception of morality</a>. An alternative, <a href="/wiki/Humanistic" class="mw-redirect" title="Humanistic">humanistic</a> approach poses the question, "What is the meaning of my life?" <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r886046785">.mw-parser-output .toclimit-2 .toclevel-1 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-3 .toclevel-2 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-4 .toclevel-3 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-5 .toclevel-4 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-6 .toclevel-5 ul,.mw-parser-output .toclimit-7 .toclevel-6 ul{display:none}</style><div class="toclimit-3"><meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Origin_of_the_expression">Origin of the expression</h2></div> The first English use of the expression "meaning of life" appears in <a href="/wiki/Thomas_Carlyle" title="Thomas Carlyle">Thomas Carlyle</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Sartor_Resartus" title="Sartor Resartus">Sartor Resartus</a> (1833–1834), book II chapter IX, "<a href="/wiki/The_Everlasting_Yea" class="mw-redirect" title="The Everlasting Yea">The Everlasting Yea</a>".<a href="#cite_note-:8-1">[1]</a> <blockquote>Our Life is compassed round with Necessity; yet is the meaning of Life itself no other than Freedom, than Voluntary Force: thus have we a warfare; in the beginning, especially, a hard-fought battle.<a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></blockquote>Carlyle may have been inspired by earlier usage of the equivalent German expression der Sinn des Lebens by <a href="/wiki/German_Romanticism" title="German Romanticism">German Romantic</a> writers <a href="/wiki/Novalis" title="Novalis">Novalis</a> and <a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Schlegel" title="Friedrich Schlegel">Friedrich Schlegel</a>. Schlegel was the first to use it in print by way of his novel Lucinde (1799), though Novalis had done so in a 1797–1798 manuscript, in which he wrote: "Only an artist can divine the meaning of life." Additionally, the word lebenssinn, translated as life's meaning, had been used by <a href="/wiki/Goethe" class="mw-redirect" title="Goethe">Goethe</a> in a 1796 letter to <a href="/wiki/Schiller" class="mw-redirect" title="Schiller">Schiller</a>.<a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a> These authors grappled with the <a href="/wiki/Rationalism" title="Rationalism">rationalism</a> and <a href="/wiki/Materialism" title="Materialism">materialism</a> of modernity. Carlyle called this the "Torch of Science", which burned "more fiercely than ever" and made religion "all parched away, under the Droughts of practical and spiritual Unbelief", resulting in the "<a href="/wiki/Temptation_of_Christ" title="Temptation of Christ">Wilderness</a>" of "the wide World in an <a href="/wiki/Atheism" title="Atheism">Atheistic</a> Century".<a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Origin_of_the_question">Origin of the question</h2></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82,_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82%2C_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg/170px-%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82%2C_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="222" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82%2C_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg/255px-%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82%2C_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82%2C_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg/340px-%CE%A3%CF%89%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82%2C_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_6616.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3464" data-file-height="4520" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Socrates" title="Socrates">Socrates</a></figcaption></figure> <a href="/wiki/Arthur_Schopenhauer" title="Arthur Schopenhauer">Arthur Schopenhauer</a> was the first to explicitly ask the question,<a href="#cite_note-:8-1">[1]</a> in an essay entitled "Character".<blockquote>Since a man does not alter, and his moral character remains absolutely the same all through his life; since he must play out the part which he has received, without the least deviation from the character; since neither experience, nor philosophy, nor religion can effect any improvement in him, the question arises, What is the meaning of life at all? To what purpose is it played, this farce in which everything that is essential is irrevocably fixed and determined?<a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></blockquote>Questions about the meaning of life, and similar, have been expressed in a broad variety of other ways, including: <ul><li>What is the meaning of life? What's it all about? Who are we?<a href="#cite_note-Westphal-6">[6]</a><a href="#cite_note-Nozick-7">[7]</a><a href="#cite_note-Baggini-8">[8]</a></li> <li>Why are we here? What are we here for?<a href="#cite_note-Thiemann_&_Placher-9">[9]</a><a href="#cite_note-Marcellino-10">[10]</a><a href="#cite_note-Hua-11">[11]</a></li> <li>What is the <a href="/wiki/Origin_of_life" class="mw-redirect" title="Origin of life">origin of life</a>?<a href="#cite_note-Davies-12">[12]</a></li> <li>What is the nature of life? What is the nature of <a href="/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">reality</a>?<a href="#cite_note-Davies-12">[12]</a><a href="#cite_note-Christiansen_&_Baum_&_Bass-Haugen-13">[13]</a><a href="#cite_note-Walker-14">[14]</a></li> <li>What is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of one's life?<a href="#cite_note-Christiansen_&_Baum_&_Bass-Haugen-13">[13]</a><a href="#cite_note-WITMOL-15">[15]</a><a href="#cite_note-Krishnamurti-16">[16]</a></li> <li>What is the significance of life?<a href="#cite_note-Krishnamurti-16">[16]</a> (See also <a href="#Psychological_significance_and_value_in_life">#Psychological significance and value in life</a>)</li> <li>What is meaningful and valuable in life?<a href="#cite_note-UIUC-17">[17]</a></li> <li>What is the <a href="/wiki/Value_of_life" title="Value of life">value of life</a>?<a href="#cite_note-Van_Hooft-18">[18]</a></li> <li>What is the reason to live? What are we living for?<a href="#cite_note-Hua-11">[11]</a><a href="#cite_note-Shafer-Landau_&_Cuneo-19">[19]</a></li></ul> These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and explications, from <a href="/wiki/Scientific" class="mw-redirect" title="Scientific">scientific</a> theories, to <a href="/wiki/Philosophical" class="mw-redirect" title="Philosophical">philosophical</a>, <a href="/wiki/Theological" class="mw-redirect" title="Theological">theological</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Spirituality" title="Spirituality">spiritual</a> explanations. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Scientific_inquiry_and_perspectives">Scientific inquiry and perspectives</h2></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Eudaimonia#Eudaimonia_and_modern_psychology" title="Eudaimonia">Eudaimonia § Eudaimonia and modern psychology</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Meaningful_Life" class="mw-redirect" title="Meaningful Life">Meaningful Life</a></div> Many members of the <a href="/wiki/Scientific_community" title="Scientific community">scientific community</a> and <a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_science" title="Philosophy of science">philosophy of science</a> communities think that science can provide the relevant context, and set of parameters necessary for dealing with topics related to the meaning of life. In their view, science can offer a wide range of insights on topics ranging from the <a href="/wiki/Positive_psychology" title="Positive psychology">science of happiness</a> to <a href="/wiki/Death_anxiety" title="Death anxiety">death anxiety</a>. Scientific inquiry facilitates this through <a href="/wiki/Nomology" title="Nomology">nomological</a> investigation into various aspects of <a href="/wiki/Life" title="Life">life</a> and <a href="/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">reality</a>, such as the <a href="/wiki/Big_Bang" title="Big Bang">Big Bang</a>, <a href="/wiki/Abiogenesis" title="Abiogenesis">the origin of life</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Evolution" title="Evolution">evolution</a>, and by studying the objective factors which correlate with the subjective experience of meaning and happiness. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Psychological_significance_and_value_in_life">Psychological significance and value in life</h3></div> Researchers in <a href="/wiki/Positive_psychology" title="Positive psychology">positive psychology</a> study empirical factors that lead to life satisfaction,<a href="#cite_note-:6-20">[20]</a> full <a href="/wiki/Flow_(psychology)" title="Flow (psychology)">engagement</a> in activities,<a href="#cite_note-Csíkszentmihályi,_Mihály_1990-21">[21]</a> making a fuller contribution by using one's personal strengths,<a href="#cite_note-:4-22">[22]</a> and meaning based on investing in something larger than the self.<a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a> Large-data studies of <a href="/wiki/Flow_(psychology)" title="Flow (psychology)">flow</a> experiences have consistently suggested that humans experience meaning and fulfillment when mastering challenging tasks and that the experience comes from the way tasks are approached and performed rather than the particular choice of task. For example, flow experiences can be obtained by prisoners in concentration camps with minimal facilities, and occur only slightly more often in billionaires. A classic example<a href="#cite_note-Csíkszentmihályi,_Mihály_1990-21">[21]</a> is of two workers on an apparently boring production line in a factory. One treats the work as a tedious chore while the other turns it into a game to see how fast they can make each unit and achieves flow in the process. <a href="/wiki/Neuroscience" title="Neuroscience">Neuroscience</a> describes <a href="/wiki/Reward_system" title="Reward system">reward</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pleasure" title="Pleasure">pleasure</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Motivation" title="Motivation">motivation</a> in terms of neurotransmitter activity, especially in the <a href="/wiki/Limbic_system" title="Limbic system">limbic system</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Ventral_tegmental_area" title="Ventral tegmental area">ventral tegmental area</a> in particular. If one believes that the meaning of life is to maximize pleasure and to ease general life, then this allows normative predictions about how to act to achieve this. Likewise, some ethical naturalists advocate a <a href="/wiki/Science_of_morality" title="Science of morality">science of morality</a>—the empirical pursuit of flourishing for all conscious creatures. <a href="/wiki/Experimental_philosophy" title="Experimental philosophy">Experimental philosophy</a> and <a href="/wiki/Neuroethics" title="Neuroethics">neuroethics</a> research collects data about human ethical decisions in controlled scenarios such as <a href="/wiki/Trolley_problems" class="mw-redirect" title="Trolley problems">trolley problems</a>. It has shown that many types of ethical judgment are universal across cultures, suggesting that they may be innate, whilst others are culture-specific. The findings show actual human ethical reasoning to be at odds with most philosophical theories, for example consistently showing distinctions between action by cause and action by omission which would be absent from utility-based theories. Cognitive science has theorized about differences between conservative and liberal ethics and how they may be based on different metaphors from family life such as strong fathers vs nurturing mother models. <a href="/wiki/Neurotheology" class="mw-redirect" title="Neurotheology">Neurotheology</a> is a controversial field which tries to find neural correlates and mechanisms of religious experience. Some researchers have suggested that the human brain has innate mechanisms for such experiences and that living without using them for their evolved purposes may be a cause of imbalance. Studies have reported conflicting results on correlating happiness with religious belief and it is difficult to find unbiased meta-analyses.<a href="#cite_note-:5-24">[24]</a><a href="#cite_note-:7-25">[25]</a> <a href="/wiki/Sociology" title="Sociology">Sociology</a> examines value at a social level using theoretical constructs such as <a href="/wiki/Value_theory#Sociology" title="Value theory">value theory</a>, norms, <a href="/wiki/Anomie" title="Anomie">anomie</a>, etc. One value system suggested by <a href="/wiki/Social_psychology_(psychology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Social psychology (psychology)">social psychologists</a>, broadly called <a href="/wiki/Terror_Management_Theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Terror Management Theory">Terror Management Theory</a>, states that human meaning is derived from a fundamental fear of death, and values are selected when they allow us to escape the mental reminder of death. Alongside this, there are a number of theories about the way in which humans evaluate the positive and negative aspects of their existence and thus the value and meaning they place on their lives. For example, <a href="/wiki/Depressive_realism" title="Depressive realism">depressive realism</a> posits an exaggerated positivity in all except those experiencing depressive disorders who see life as it truly is, and <a href="/wiki/David_Benatar" title="David Benatar">David Benatar</a> theorises that more weight is generally given to positive experiences, providing bias towards an over-optimistic view of life. Emerging research shows that meaning in life predicts better physical health outcomes. Greater meaning has been associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease,<a href="#cite_note-26">[26]</a><a href="#cite_note-:0-27">[27]</a> reduced risk of heart attack among individuals with coronary heart disease,<a href="#cite_note-:1-28">[28]</a> reduced risk of stroke,<a href="#cite_note-:2-29">[29]</a> and increased longevity in both American and Japanese samples.<a href="#cite_note-30">[30]</a> There is also growing evidence for a small decline in purpose in life in the early stages of cognitive impairment.<a href="#cite_note-31">[31]</a> In 2014, the British <a href="/wiki/National_Health_Service" title="National Health Service">National Health Service</a> began recommending a five-step plan for mental well-being based on meaningful lives, whose steps are:<a href="#cite_note-32">[32]</a> <ol><li>Connect with community and family</li> <li>Physical exercise</li> <li>Lifelong learning</li> <li>Giving to others</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mindfulness" title="Mindfulness">Mindfulness</a> of the world around you</li></ol> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Origin_and_nature_of_biological_life">Origin and nature of biological life</h3></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:DNA_Overview.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/DNA_Overview.png/110px-DNA_Overview.png" decoding="async" width="110" height="275" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/DNA_Overview.png/165px-DNA_Overview.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/DNA_Overview.png/220px-DNA_Overview.png 2x" data-file-width="799" data-file-height="2000" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/DNA" title="DNA">DNA</a> contains the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all known <a href="/wiki/Life" title="Life">organisms</a>.</figcaption></figure> The exact mechanisms of <a href="/wiki/Abiogenesis" title="Abiogenesis">abiogenesis</a> are unknown: notable hypotheses include the <a href="/wiki/RNA_world_hypothesis" class="mw-redirect" title="RNA world hypothesis">RNA world hypothesis</a> (RNA-based replicators) and the <a href="/wiki/Iron-sulfur_world_hypothesis" class="mw-redirect" title="Iron-sulfur world hypothesis">iron-sulfur world hypothesis</a> (metabolism without genetics). The process by which different lifeforms have developed throughout history via <a href="/wiki/Gene" title="Gene">genetic</a> <a href="/wiki/Mutation" title="Mutation">mutation</a> and <a href="/wiki/Natural_selection" title="Natural selection">natural selection</a> is explained by <a href="/wiki/Evolution" title="Evolution">evolution</a>.<a href="#cite_note-33">[33]</a> At the end of the 20th century, based upon insight gleaned from the <a href="/wiki/Gene-centered_view_of_evolution" title="Gene-centered view of evolution">gene-centered view of evolution</a>, biologists <a href="/wiki/George_C._Williams_(biologist)" class="mw-redirect" title="George C. Williams (biologist)">George C. Williams</a>, <a href="/wiki/Richard_Dawkins" title="Richard Dawkins">Richard Dawkins</a>, and <a href="/wiki/David_Haig_(biologist)" title="David Haig (biologist)">David Haig</a>, among others, concluded that if there is a primary function to life, it is the replication of DNA and the survival of one's genes.<a href="#cite_note-Dawkins_selfish_gene-34">[34]</a><a href="#cite_note-Dawkins_river-35">[35]</a> Responding to an interview question from Richard Dawkins about "what it is all for", <a href="/wiki/James_Watson" title="James Watson">James Watson</a> stated "I don't think we're for anything. We're just the products of evolution."<a href="#cite_note-36">[36]</a> Though scientists have intensively studied <a href="/wiki/Organism" title="Organism">life on Earth</a>, defining <a href="/wiki/Life" title="Life">life</a> in unequivocal terms is still a challenge.<a href="#cite_note-37">[37]</a><a href="#cite_note-38">[38]</a> Physically, one may say that life "feeds on <a href="/wiki/Negentropy" title="Negentropy">negative entropy</a>"<a href="#cite_note-worldtransformation.com-39">[39]</a><a href="#cite_note-40">[40]</a><a href="#cite_note-41">[41]</a> which refers to the process by which living entities decrease their internal <a href="/wiki/Entropy" title="Entropy">entropy</a> at the expense of some form of <a href="/wiki/Energy" title="Energy">energy</a> taken in from the environment.<a href="#cite_note-42">[42]</a><a href="#cite_note-43">[43]</a><a href="#cite_note-44">[44]</a> Biologists generally agree that lifeforms are <a href="/wiki/Self-organization" title="Self-organization">self-organizing</a> systems <a href="/wiki/Homeostasis" title="Homeostasis">which regulate their internal environments as to maintain this organized state</a>, <a href="/wiki/Metabolism" title="Metabolism">metabolism</a> serves to provide energy, and <a href="/wiki/Reproduction" title="Reproduction">reproduction</a> causes life to continue over a span of multiple generations. Typically, organisms are responsive to stimuli and genetic information changes from generation to generation, resulting in adaptation through evolution; this optimizes the chances of survival for the individual organism and its descendants respectively.<a href="#cite_note-45">[45]</a> Non-cellular replicating agents, notably <a href="/wiki/Virus" title="Virus">viruses</a>, are generally not considered to be organisms because they are incapable of independent reproduction or metabolism. This classification is problematic, though, since some <a href="/wiki/Parasite" class="mw-redirect" title="Parasite">parasites</a> and <a href="/wiki/Endosymbiont" title="Endosymbiont">endosymbionts</a> are also incapable of independent life. <a href="/wiki/Astrobiology" title="Astrobiology">Astrobiology</a> studies the possibility of different forms of life on other worlds, including replicating structures made from materials other than DNA. All forms of life that are in existence today possess a self-replicating informational molecule (genome), and such an informational molecule is presumably intrinsic to life. Thus the earliest forms of life also likely possessed a self-replicating informational molecule, possibly RNA<a href="#cite_note-46">[46]</a><a href="#cite_note-47">[47]</a> or perhaps an informational molecule more primitive than RNA. The specific genomic sequences in all currently extant organisms contain order generating information that promotes survival, <a href="/wiki/Reproduction" title="Reproduction">reproduction</a>, and the ability to acquire resources necessary for reproduction. Sequences with such basic functions probably emerged early in the evolution of life. It has been proposed<a href="#cite_note-Bernstein1983-48">[48]</a> that both the evolution of macroscopic order in life (including its basic functions) and the evolution of order in particular physical systems obey a common fundamental principle that was termed the Darwinian dynamic. This principal was formulated by considering, first, how macroscopic order is generated in a simple physical, non-biological system far from thermodynamic equilibrium, and then extending consideration to short RNA replicating molecules and then further to more complex forms of life. It was concluded that the fundamental order-generating process was basically similar for both types of process.<a href="#cite_note-Bernstein1983-48">[48]</a><a href="#cite_note-49">[49]</a> Thus the idea that life likely emerged as a natural extension of simpler non- or pre-biological physical processes should logically be included in the concept "meaning of life". <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Origins_and_ultimate_fate_of_the_universe">Origins and ultimate fate of the universe</h3></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg/350px-CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg" decoding="async" width="350" height="231" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg/525px-CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg/700px-CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="1980" /></a><figcaption>Modern view of the <a href="/wiki/Expansion_of_space" class="mw-redirect" title="Expansion of space">expansion of space</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Inflationary_epoch" title="Inflationary epoch">inflationary epoch</a> is a period of rapidly accelerating expansion at left.</figcaption></figure> Though the <a href="/wiki/Big_Bang" title="Big Bang">Big Bang</a> theory was met with much skepticism when first introduced, it has become well-supported by several independent observations.<a href="#cite_note-50">[50]</a> However, current physics can only describe the early universe from around 10−43 seconds after the Big Bang (where zero time corresponds to infinite temperature); a theory of <a href="/wiki/Quantum_gravity" title="Quantum gravity">quantum gravity</a> would be required to understand events before that time. Nevertheless, many physicists have speculated about what would have preceded this limit, and how the universe came into being.<a href="#cite_note-Prantzos_&_Lyle-51">[51]</a> For example, one interpretation is that the Big Bang occurred coincidentally, and when considering the <a href="/wiki/Anthropic_principle" title="Anthropic principle">anthropic principle</a>, it is sometimes interpreted as implying the existence of a <a href="/wiki/Multiverse" title="Multiverse">multiverse</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Edwards-52">[52]</a> The ultimate fate of the universe, and implicitly of humanity, is hypothesized as one in which biological life will eventually become unsustainable, such as through a <a href="/wiki/Big_Freeze" class="mw-redirect" title="Big Freeze">Big Freeze</a>, <a href="/wiki/Big_Rip" title="Big Rip">Big Rip</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Big_Crunch" title="Big Crunch">Big Crunch</a>. Theoretical <a href="/wiki/Cosmology" title="Cosmology">cosmology</a> studies many alternative speculative models for the origin and fate of the universe beyond the Big Bang theory. A recent trend has been models of the creation of 'baby universes' inside <a href="/wiki/Black_holes" class="mw-redirect" title="Black holes">black holes</a>, with our own <a href="/wiki/Big_Bang" title="Big Bang">Big Bang</a> being a <a href="/wiki/White_hole" title="White hole">white hole</a> on the inside of a <a href="/wiki/Black_hole" title="Black hole">black hole</a> in another parent universe.<a href="#cite_note-Poplawski-53">[53]</a> <a href="/wiki/Many-worlds" class="mw-redirect" title="Many-worlds">Many-worlds</a> theories claim that every possibility of <a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">quantum mechanics</a> is played out in parallel universes. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Scientific_questions_about_the_mind">Scientific questions about the mind</h3></div> The nature and origin of <a href="/wiki/Consciousness" title="Consciousness">consciousness</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Mind" title="Mind">mind</a> are also widely debated in science. The <a href="/wiki/Explanatory_gap" title="Explanatory gap">explanatory gap</a> is generally equated with the <a href="/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness" title="Hard problem of consciousness">hard problem of consciousness</a>, and the question of <a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a> is also considered to be of fundamental importance. These subjects are mostly addressed in the fields of <a href="/wiki/Cognitive_science" title="Cognitive science">cognitive science</a>, <a href="/wiki/Neuroscience" title="Neuroscience">neuroscience</a> (e.g. the <a href="/wiki/Neuroscience_of_free_will" title="Neuroscience of free will">neuroscience of free will</a>) and <a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_mind" title="Philosophy of mind">philosophy of mind</a>, though some <a href="/wiki/Evolutionary_biologist" class="mw-redirect" title="Evolutionary biologist">evolutionary biologists</a> and <a href="/wiki/Theoretical_physicist" class="mw-redirect" title="Theoretical physicist">theoretical physicists</a> have also made several allusions to the subject.<a href="#cite_note-Whitehouse-54">[54]</a><a href="#cite_note-Gray-55">[55]</a> <a href="/wiki/Reductionistic" class="mw-redirect" title="Reductionistic">Reductionistic</a> and <a href="/wiki/Eliminative_materialism" title="Eliminative materialism">eliminative materialistic</a> approaches, for example the <a href="/wiki/Multiple_Drafts_Model" class="mw-redirect" title="Multiple Drafts Model">Multiple Drafts Model</a>, hold that consciousness can be wholly explained by neuroscience through the workings of the <a href="/wiki/Human_brain" title="Human brain">brain</a> and its <a href="/wiki/Neuron" title="Neuron">neurons</a>, thus adhering to <a href="/wiki/Biological_naturalism" title="Biological naturalism">biological naturalism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Gray-55">[55]</a><a href="#cite_note-Churchland-56">[56]</a><a href="#cite_note-Dennett-57">[57]</a> On the other hand, some scientists, like <a href="/wiki/Andrei_Linde" title="Andrei Linde">Andrei Linde</a>, have considered that <a href="/wiki/Consciousness" title="Consciousness">consciousness</a>, like <a href="/wiki/Spacetime" title="Spacetime">spacetime</a>, might have its own intrinsic degrees of freedom, and that one's perceptions may be as real as (or even more real than) material objects.<a href="#cite_note-Barrow,_Davies,_Harper-58">[58]</a> Hypotheses of consciousness and spacetime explain consciousness in describing a "space of conscious elements",<a href="#cite_note-Barrow,_Davies,_Harper-58">[58]</a> often encompassing a number of extra dimensions.<a href="#cite_note-Millay,_Heinze-59">[59]</a> <a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_theories_of_consciousness" title="Electromagnetic theories of consciousness">Electromagnetic theories of consciousness</a> solve the <a href="/wiki/Binding_problem" title="Binding problem">binding problem</a> of consciousness in saying that the <a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_field" title="Electromagnetic field">electromagnetic field</a> generated by the brain is the actual carrier of conscious experience; there is however disagreement about the implementations of such a theory relating to other workings of the mind.<a href="#cite_note-60">[60]</a><a href="#cite_note-Buccheri_&_Di_Gesù_&_Saniga-61">[61]</a> <a href="/wiki/Quantum_mind" title="Quantum mind">Quantum mind</a> theories use <a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">quantum theory</a> in explaining certain properties of the mind. Explaining the process of <a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a> through <a href="/wiki/Quantum" title="Quantum">quantum</a> phenomena is an alternative to <a href="/wiki/Determinism" title="Determinism">determinism</a>. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Parapsychology">Parapsychology</h4></div> Based on the premises of non-materialistic explanations of the mind, some have suggested the existence of a <a href="/wiki/Cosmic_consciousness" class="mw-redirect" title="Cosmic consciousness">cosmic consciousness</a>, asserting that consciousness is actually the "ground of all being".<a href="#cite_note-Walker-14">[14]</a><a href="#cite_note-Bruce-62">[62]</a><a href="#cite_note-Ho-63">[63]</a> Proponents of this view cite accounts of <a href="/wiki/Paranormal" title="Paranormal">paranormal</a> phenomena, primarily <a href="/wiki/Extrasensory_perception" title="Extrasensory perception">extrasensory perceptions</a> and <a href="/wiki/Psychic" title="Psychic">psychic</a> powers, as evidence for an <a href="/wiki/Incorporeal" class="mw-redirect" title="Incorporeal">incorporeal</a> <a href="/wiki/Higher_consciousness" title="Higher consciousness">higher consciousness</a>. In hopes of proving the existence of these phenomena, <a href="/wiki/Parapsychologist" class="mw-redirect" title="Parapsychologist">parapsychologists</a> have orchestrated various experiments, but successful results might be due to poor experimental controls and might have alternative explanations.<a href="#cite_note-Akers-64">[64]</a><a href="#cite_note-65">[65]</a><a href="#cite_note-66">[66]</a><a href="#cite_note-67">[67]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nature_of_meaning_in_life">Nature of meaning in life</h3></div> Reker and <a href="/wiki/Paul_T._P._Wong" title="Paul T. P. Wong">Wong</a> define personal meaning as the "cognizance of order, coherence and purpose in one's existence, the pursuit and attainment of worthwhile goals, and an accompanying sense of fulfillment" (p. 221).<a href="#cite_note-68">[68]</a> In 2016, Martela and Steger defined meaning as coherence, purpose, and significance.<a href="#cite_note-69">[69]</a> In contrast, <a href="/wiki/Paul_T._P._Wong" title="Paul T. P. Wong">Wong</a> has proposed a four-component solution to the question of meaning in life,<a href="#cite_note-70">[70]</a><a href="#cite_note-:3-71">[71]</a> with the four components purpose, understanding, responsibility, and enjoyment (PURE): <ol><li>You need to choose a worthy purpose or a significant life goal.</li> <li>You need to have sufficient understanding of who you are, what life demands of you, and how you can play a significant role in life.</li> <li>You and you alone are responsible for deciding what kind of life you want to live, and what constitutes a significant and worthwhile life goal.</li> <li>You will enjoy a deep sense of significance and satisfaction only when you have exercised your responsibility for <a href="/wiki/Self-determination" title="Self-determination">self-determination</a> and actively pursue a worthy life-goal.</li></ol> Thus, a sense of significance permeates every dimension of meaning, rather than standing as a separate factor. Although most psychology researchers consider meaning in life as a subjective feeling or judgment, most philosophers (e.g., <a href="/wiki/Thaddeus_Metz" title="Thaddeus Metz">Thaddeus Metz</a>, Daniel Haybron) propose that there are also objective, concrete criteria for what constitutes meaning in life.<a href="#cite_note-72">[72]</a><a href="#cite_note-73">[73]</a> Wong has proposed that whether life is meaningful depends not only on subjective feelings but, more importantly, on whether a person's goal-striving and life as a whole is meaningful according to some objective <a href="/wiki/Normative_ethics" title="Normative ethics">normative standard</a>.<a href="#cite_note-:3-71">[71]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Western_philosophical_perspectives">Western philosophical perspectives</h2></div> The philosophical perspectives on the meaning of life are those ideologies that explain life in terms of ideals or abstractions defined by humans. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ancient_Greek_philosophy">Ancient Greek philosophy</h3></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg/150px-Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="196" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg/225px-Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg/300px-Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg 2x" data-file-width="804" data-file-height="1052" /></a><figcaption>Plato and Aristotle in <a href="/wiki/The_School_of_Athens" title="The School of Athens">The School of Athens</a> fresco by <a href="/wiki/Raphael" title="Raphael">Raphael</a>. Plato is pointing heavenwards, and Aristotle is gesturing to the world.</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Platonism">Platonism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Platonism" title="Platonism">Platonism</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a>, a pupil of <a href="/wiki/Socrates" title="Socrates">Socrates</a>, was one of the earliest, most influential philosophers. His reputation comes from his <a href="/wiki/Philosophical_idealism" class="mw-redirect" title="Philosophical idealism">idealism</a> of believing in the existence of <a href="/wiki/Universals_(metaphysics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Universals (metaphysics)">universals</a>. His <a href="/wiki/Theory_of_forms" title="Theory of forms">theory of forms</a> proposes that universals do not physically exist, like objects, but as heavenly forms. In the <a href="/wiki/Dialogue" title="Dialogue">dialogue</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Republic_(Plato)" title="Republic (Plato)">Republic</a>, the character of <a href="/wiki/Socrates" title="Socrates">Socrates</a> describes the <a href="/wiki/Form_of_the_Good" title="Form of the Good">Form of the Good</a>. His theory on justice in the soul relates to the idea of happiness relevant to the question of the meaning of life. In <a href="/wiki/Platonism" title="Platonism">Platonism</a>, the meaning of life is in attaining the highest form of knowledge, which is the <a href="/wiki/Platonic_idealism" class="mw-redirect" title="Platonic idealism">Idea</a> (<a href="/wiki/Platonic_realism" class="mw-redirect" title="Platonic realism">Form</a>) of the Good, from which all good and just things derive utility and value. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Aristotelianism">Aristotelianism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Aristotelian_ethics" title="Aristotelian ethics">Aristotelian ethics</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle">Aristotle</a>, an apprentice of <a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a>, was another early and influential philosopher, who argued that ethical knowledge is not certain knowledge (such as <a href="/wiki/Metaphysics" title="Metaphysics">metaphysics</a> and <a href="/wiki/Epistemology" title="Epistemology">epistemology</a>), but is general knowledge. Because it is not a <a href="/wiki/Theoretical" class="mw-redirect" title="Theoretical">theoretical</a> discipline, a person had to study and practice in order to become "good"; thus if the person were to become <a href="/wiki/Virtuous" class="mw-redirect" title="Virtuous">virtuous</a>, he could not simply study what virtue is, he had to be virtuous, via virtuous activities. To do this, Aristotle established what is virtuous: <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote">Every skill and every inquiry, and similarly, every action and choice of action, is thought to have some good as its object. This is why the good has rightly been defined as the object of all endeavor [...] Everything is done with a goal, and that goal is "good".<div class="templatequotecite">— <cite><a href="/wiki/Nicomachean_Ethics" title="Nicomachean Ethics">Nicomachean Ethics</a> 1.1</cite></div></blockquote> Yet, if action A is done towards achieving goal B, then goal B also would have a goal, goal C, and goal C also would have a goal, and so would continue this pattern, until something stopped its <a href="/wiki/Infinite_regression" class="mw-redirect" title="Infinite regression">infinite regression</a>. Aristotle's solution is the <a href="/wiki/Summum_bonum" title="Summum bonum">Highest Good</a>, which is desirable for its own sake. It is its own goal. The Highest Good is not desirable for the sake of achieving some other good, and all other "goods" desirable for its sake. This involves achieving <a href="/wiki/Eudaemonia" class="mw-redirect" title="Eudaemonia">eudaemonia</a>, usually translated as "happiness", "well-being", "flourishing", and "excellence". <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote">What is the highest good in all matters of action? To the name, there is an almost complete agreement; for uneducated and educated alike call it happiness, and make happiness identical with the good life and successful living. They disagree, however, about the meaning of happiness.<div class="templatequotecite">— <cite><a href="/wiki/Nicomachean_Ethics" title="Nicomachean Ethics">Nicomachean Ethics</a> 1.4</cite></div></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Cynicism">Cynicism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Cynicism_(philosophy)" title="Cynicism (philosophy)">Cynicism (philosophy)</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Antisthenes" title="Antisthenes">Antisthenes</a>, a pupil of <a href="/wiki/Socrates" title="Socrates">Socrates</a>, first outlined the themes of Cynicism, stating that the purpose of life is living a life of <a href="/wiki/Virtue" title="Virtue">Virtue</a> which agrees with <a href="/wiki/Nature" title="Nature">Nature</a>. Happiness depends upon being self-sufficient and master of one's mental attitude; suffering is the consequence of false judgments of value, which cause negative <a href="/wiki/Emotions" class="mw-redirect" title="Emotions">emotions</a> and a concomitant vicious character. The Cynical life rejects conventional desires for <a href="/wiki/Wealth" title="Wealth">wealth</a>, <a href="/wiki/Power_(sociology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Power (sociology)">power</a>, <a href="/wiki/Health" title="Health">health</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Celebrity" title="Celebrity">fame</a>, by being free of the possessions acquired in pursuing the conventional.<a href="#cite_note-74">[74]</a><a href="#cite_note-75">[75]</a> As reasoning creatures, people could achieve happiness via rigorous training, by living in a way natural to <a href="/wiki/Human" title="Human">human</a> beings. The <a href="/wiki/World" title="World">world</a> equally belongs to everyone, so <a href="/wiki/Suffering" title="Suffering">suffering</a> is caused by false judgments of what is valuable and what is worthless per the <a href="/wiki/Tradition" title="Tradition">customs</a> and <a href="/wiki/Convention_(norm)" title="Convention (norm)">conventions</a> of <a href="/wiki/Society" title="Society">society</a>. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Cyrenaicism">Cyrenaicism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Cyrenaics" title="Cyrenaics">Cyrenaics</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Aristippus_of_Cyrene" class="mw-redirect" title="Aristippus of Cyrene">Aristippus of Cyrene</a>, a pupil of <a href="/wiki/Socrates" title="Socrates">Socrates</a>, founded an early Socratic school that emphasized only one side of Socrates's teachings—that happiness is one of the ends of moral action and that pleasure is the supreme good; thus a <a href="/wiki/Hedonistic" class="mw-redirect" title="Hedonistic">hedonistic</a> world view, wherein bodily gratification is more intense than mental pleasure. Cyrenaics prefer immediate gratification to the long-term gain of delayed gratification; denial is unpleasant unhappiness.<a href="#cite_note-76">[76]</a><a href="#cite_note-77">[77]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Epicureanism">Epicureanism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Epicureanism" title="Epicureanism">Epicureanism</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg/170px-Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="223" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg/255px-Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg/340px-Agostino_Scilla._The_philosopher_Epicurus.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1920" data-file-height="2520" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Epicurus" title="Epicurus">Epicurus</a> by Agostino Scilla, circa 1670–1680. The philosopher holds a text that reads "whatever you do, do wisely and think of consequences"</figcaption></figure> <a href="/wiki/Epicurus" title="Epicurus">Epicurus</a>, a pupil of the Platonist Pamphilus of Samos, taught that the greatest good is in seeking modest pleasures, to attain tranquility and freedom from fear (<a href="/wiki/Ataraxia" title="Ataraxia">ataraxia</a>) via knowledge, friendship, and virtuous, temperate living; bodily pain (<a href="/wiki/Aponia" class="mw-redirect" title="Aponia">aponia</a>) is absent through one's knowledge of the workings of the world and of the limits of one's desires. Combined, freedom from pain and freedom from fear are happiness in its highest form. Epicurus' lauded enjoyment of simple pleasures is quasi-ascetic "abstention" from sex and the appetites: <blockquote>"When we say ... that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality, as we are understood to do, by some, through ignorance, prejudice or willful misrepresentation. By pleasure, we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul. It is not by an unbroken succession of drinking bouts and of revelry, not by sexual lust, nor the enjoyment of fish, and other delicacies of a luxurious table, which produce a pleasant life; it is sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of every choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs through which the greatest tumults take possession of the soul."<a href="#cite_note-78">[78]</a></blockquote> The Epicurean meaning of life rejects immortality and mysticism; there is a soul, but it is as mortal as the body. There is no <a href="/wiki/Afterlife" title="Afterlife">afterlife</a>, yet, one need not fear death, because "Death is nothing to us; for that which is dissolved, is without sensation, and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us."<a href="#cite_note-Russel-79">[79]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Stoicism">Stoicism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Stoicism" title="Stoicism">Stoicism</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Zeno_of_Citium" title="Zeno of Citium">Zeno of Citium</a>, a pupil of <a href="/wiki/Crates_of_Thebes" title="Crates of Thebes">Crates of Thebes</a>, established the school which teaches that living according to reason and virtue is to be in harmony with the universe's divine order, entailed by one's recognition of the universal <a href="/wiki/Logos" title="Logos">logos</a>, or reason, an essential value of all people. The meaning of life is "freedom from <a href="/wiki/Suffering" title="Suffering">suffering</a>" through <a href="/wiki/Apatheia" title="Apatheia">apatheia</a> (Gr: απαθεια), that is, being <a href="/wiki/Objectivity_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Objectivity (philosophy)">objective</a> and having "clear judgement", not indifference. Stoicism's prime directives are <a href="/wiki/Virtue" title="Virtue">virtue</a>, <a href="/wiki/Reason" title="Reason">reason</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Natural_law" title="Natural law">natural law</a>, abided to develop personal self-control and mental fortitude as means of overcoming destructive <a href="/wiki/Emotion" title="Emotion">emotions</a>. The Stoic does not seek to extinguish emotions, only to avoid emotional troubles, by developing clear judgment and inner calm through diligently practiced logic, reflection, and concentration. The Stoic ethical foundation is that "good lies in the state of the soul", itself, exemplified in <a href="/wiki/Wisdom" title="Wisdom">wisdom</a> and self-control, thus improving one's spiritual well-being: "Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature."<a href="#cite_note-Russel-79">[79]</a> The principle applies to one's personal relations thus: "to be free from anger, envy, and jealousy".<a href="#cite_note-Russel-79">[79]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Enlightenment_philosophy">Enlightenment philosophy</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Enlightenment_philosophy" class="mw-redirect" title="Enlightenment philosophy">Enlightenment philosophy</a></div> The <a href="/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment" title="Age of Enlightenment">Enlightenment</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Colonialism" title="Colonialism">colonial era</a> both changed the nature of European philosophy and exported it worldwide. Devotion and subservience to God were largely replaced by notions of inalienable natural rights and the potentialities of reason, and universal ideals of love and compassion gave way to civic notions of freedom, equality, and citizenship. The meaning of life changed as well, focusing less on humankind's relationship to God and more on the relationship between individuals and their society. This era is filled with theories that equate meaningful existence with the social order. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Kantianism">Kantianism</h4></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg/170px-Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="222" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg/255px-Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg/340px-Immanuel_Kant_-_Gemaelde_1.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1009" data-file-height="1317" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Immanuel_Kant" title="Immanuel Kant">Immanuel Kant</a></figcaption></figure> <a href="/wiki/Kantianism" title="Kantianism">Kantianism</a> is a philosophy based on the <a href="/wiki/Ethical" class="mw-redirect" title="Ethical">ethical</a>, <a href="/wiki/Epistemological" class="mw-redirect" title="Epistemological">epistemological</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Metaphysics" title="Metaphysics">metaphysical</a> works of <a href="/wiki/Immanuel_Kant" title="Immanuel Kant">Immanuel Kant</a>. Kant is known for his <a href="/wiki/Deontology" title="Deontology">deontological</a> theory where there is a single moral obligation, the "<a href="/wiki/Categorical_Imperative" class="mw-redirect" title="Categorical Imperative">Categorical Imperative</a>", derived from the concept of <a href="/wiki/Duty" title="Duty">duty</a>. Kantians believe all actions are performed in accordance with some underlying <a href="/wiki/Maxim_(philosophy)" title="Maxim (philosophy)">maxim</a> or principle, and for actions to be ethical, they must adhere to the categorical imperative. Simply put, the test is that one must universalize the maxim (imagine that all people acted in this way) and then see if it would still be possible to perform the maxim in the world without contradiction. In Groundwork, Kant gives the example of a person who seeks to borrow money without intending to pay it back. This is a contradiction because if it were a <a href="/wiki/Moral_universalism" title="Moral universalism">universal action</a>, no person would lend money anymore as he knows that he will never be paid back. The maxim of this action, says Kant, results in a contradiction in conceivability (and thus contradicts perfect duty). Kant also denied that the consequences of an act in any way contribute to the moral worth of that act, his reasoning being that the physical world is outside one's full control and thus one cannot be held accountable for the events that occur in it. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="19th-century_philosophy">19th-century philosophy</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/19th-century_philosophy" title="19th-century philosophy">19th-century philosophy</a></div>The first English use of the expression "meaning of life" appeared in <a href="/wiki/Thomas_Carlyle" title="Thomas Carlyle">Thomas Carlyle</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Sartor_Resartus" title="Sartor Resartus">Sartor Resartus</a> (1833–August 1834): "Our Life is compassed round with Necessity; yet is the meaning of Life itself no other than Freedom, than Voluntary Force: thus have we a warfare; in the beginning, especially, a hard-fought battle."<a href="#cite_note-80">[80]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Utilitarianism">Utilitarianism</h4></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg/150px-Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="204" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg/225px-Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg/300px-Jeremy_Bentham_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill_detail.jpg 2x" data-file-width="536" data-file-height="728" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a></figcaption></figure> The origins of <a href="/wiki/Utilitarianism" title="Utilitarianism">utilitarianism</a> can be traced back as far as <a href="/wiki/Epicurus" title="Epicurus">Epicurus</a>, but, as a school of thought, it is credited to <a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a>,<a href="#cite_note-81">[81]</a> who found that "nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure"; then, from that moral insight, he derived the Rule of Utility: "that the good is whatever brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people". He defined the meaning of life as the "<a href="/wiki/Greatest_happiness_principle" class="mw-redirect" title="Greatest happiness principle">greatest happiness principle</a>". <a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a>'s foremost proponent was <a href="/wiki/James_Mill" title="James Mill">James Mill</a>, a significant philosopher in his day, and father of <a href="/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill" title="John Stuart Mill">John Stuart Mill</a>. The younger Mill was educated per Bentham's principles, including transcribing and summarizing much of his father's work.<a href="#cite_note-Mill-82">[82]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Nihilism">Nihilism</h4></div> <a href="/wiki/Nihilism" title="Nihilism">Nihilism</a> suggests that life is without objective meaning. <a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche" title="Friedrich Nietzsche">Friedrich Nietzsche</a> characterized nihilism as emptying the world, and especially human existence, of meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, and essential value; succinctly, nihilism is the process of "the devaluing of the highest values".<a href="#cite_note-Bindé-83">[83]</a> Seeing the nihilist as a natural result of the idea that <a href="/wiki/God_is_dead" title="God is dead">God is dead</a>, and insisting it was something to overcome, his questioning of the nihilist's life-negating values returned meaning to the Earth.<a href="#cite_note-Reginster-84">[84]</a> To <a href="/wiki/Martin_Heidegger" title="Martin Heidegger">Martin Heidegger</a>, nihilism is the movement whereby "<a href="/wiki/Being" class="mw-redirect" title="Being">being</a>" is forgotten, and is transformed into value, in other words, the reduction of being to exchange value.<a href="#cite_note-Bindé-83">[83]</a> Heidegger, in accordance with Nietzsche, saw in the so-called "<a href="/wiki/God_is_dead" title="God is dead">death of God</a>" a potential source for nihilism: <blockquote>If God, as the supra-sensory ground and goal, of all reality, is dead; if the supra-sensory world of the Ideas has suffered the loss of its obligatory, and above it, its vitalizing and up-building power, then nothing more remains to which Man can cling, and by which he can orient himself.<a href="#cite_note-85">[85]</a></blockquote> The French philosopher <a href="/wiki/Albert_Camus" title="Albert Camus">Albert Camus</a> asserts that the <a href="/wiki/Absurdity" title="Absurdity">absurdity</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Human_condition" title="Human condition">human condition</a> is that people search for external values and meaning in a world which has none and is indifferent to them. Camus writes of value-nihilists such as <a href="/wiki/The_Stranger_(Camus_novel)" title="The Stranger (Camus novel)">Meursault</a>,<a href="#cite_note-86">[86]</a> but also of values in a nihilistic world, that people can instead strive to be "heroic nihilists", living with dignity in the face of absurdity, living with "secular saintliness", fraternal solidarity, and rebelling against and transcending the world's indifference.<a href="#cite_note-87">[87]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="20th-century_philosophy">20th-century philosophy</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/20th-century_philosophy" class="mw-redirect" title="20th-century philosophy">20th-century philosophy</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg/220px-Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="173" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg/330px-Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg/440px-Bertrand_Russell_photo.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="630" /></a><figcaption>Philosopher <a href="/wiki/Bertrand_Russell" title="Bertrand Russell">Bertrand Russell</a> said: "The good life is one inspired by <a href="/wiki/Love" title="Love">love</a> and guided by <a href="/wiki/Knowledge" title="Knowledge">knowledge</a>."</figcaption></figure> The current era has seen radical changes in both formal and popular conceptions of human nature. The knowledge disclosed by modern science has effectively rewritten the relationship of humankind to the natural world. Advances in medicine and technology have freed humans from significant limitations and ailments of previous eras;<a href="#cite_note-88">[88]</a> and philosophy—particularly following the <a href="/wiki/Linguistic_turn" title="Linguistic turn">linguistic turn</a>—has altered how the relationships people have with themselves and each other are conceived. Questions about the meaning of life have also seen radical changes, from attempts to reevaluate human existence in biological and scientific terms (as in <a href="#Pragmatism">pragmatism</a> and <a href="#Logical_positivism">logical positivism</a>) to efforts to meta-theorize about <a href="/wiki/Meaning-making" title="Meaning-making">meaning-making</a> as a personal, individual-driven activity (<a href="#Existentialism">existentialism</a>, <a href="#Secular_humanism">secular humanism</a>). <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Pragmatism">Pragmatism</h4></div> <a href="/wiki/Pragmatism" title="Pragmatism">Pragmatism</a> originated in the late-19th-century US, concerning itself (mostly) with <a href="/wiki/Truth" title="Truth">truth</a>, and positing that "only in struggling with the environment" do data, and derived theories, have meaning, and that consequences, like utility and practicality, are also components of truth. Moreover, pragmatism posits that anything useful and practical is not always true, arguing that what most contributes to the most human good in the long course is true. In practice, theoretical claims must be practically verifiable, i.e. one should be able to predict and test claims, and, that, ultimately, the needs of humankind should guide human intellectual inquiry. Pragmatic philosophers suggest that the practical, useful understanding of life is more important than searching for an impractical abstract truth about life. <a href="/wiki/William_James" title="William James">William James</a> argued that truth could be made, but not sought.<a href="#cite_note-James-89">[89]</a><a href="#cite_note-Corti-90">[90]</a> To a pragmatist, the meaning of life is discoverable only via experience. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Theism">Theism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Philosophical_theism" title="Philosophical theism">Philosophical theism</a></div> Theists believe God created the universe and that God had a purpose in doing so. Theists also hold the view that humans find their meaning and purpose for life in God's purpose in creating. Some theists further hold that if there were no God to give life ultimate meaning, value, and purpose, then life would be absurd.<a href="#cite_note-Theistic_Perspectives_on_the_Meaning_of_Life-91">[91]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Existentialism">Existentialism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Meaning_(existential)" title="Meaning (existential)">Meaning (existential)</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif/lossy-page1-170px-Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="213" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif/lossy-page1-255px-Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif/lossy-page1-340px-Edvard_Munch_Friedrich_Nietzsche_Thielska_292.tif.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2421" data-file-height="3040" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Edvard_Munch" title="Edvard Munch">Edvard Munch</a>, <a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche" title="Friedrich Nietzsche">Friedrich Nietzsche</a>, 1906</figcaption></figure> According to existentialism, each person creates the essence (meaning) of their life; life is not determined by a supernatural god or an earthly authority, one is free. As such, one's ethical prime directives are action, freedom, and decision, thus, existentialism opposes <a href="/wiki/Rationalism" title="Rationalism">rationalism</a> and <a href="/wiki/Positivism_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Positivism (philosophy)">positivism</a>. In seeking meaning to life, the existentialist looks to where people find meaning in life, in course of which using only reason as a source of meaning is insufficient; this gives rise to the emotions of <a href="/wiki/Anxiety_(mood)" class="mw-redirect" title="Anxiety (mood)">anxiety</a> and <a href="/wiki/Angst" title="Angst">dread</a>, felt in considering one's <a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a>, and the concomitant awareness of death. According to <a href="/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre" title="Jean-Paul Sartre">Jean-Paul Sartre</a>, <a href="/wiki/Existence_precedes_essence" title="Existence precedes essence">existence precedes essence</a>; the (<a href="/wiki/Essence" title="Essence">essence</a>) of one's life arises only after one comes to <a href="/wiki/Existence" title="Existence">existence</a>. <a href="/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard" title="Søren Kierkegaard">Søren Kierkegaard</a> spoke about a "<a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard#Misattributed" class="extiw" title="q:Søren Kierkegaard">leap</a>", arguing that <a href="/wiki/Absurdism" title="Absurdism">life is full of absurdity</a>, and one must make his and her own values in an indifferent world. One can live meaningfully (free of despair and anxiety) in an unconditional commitment to something finite and devotes that meaningful life to the commitment, despite the vulnerability inherent to doing so.<a href="#cite_note-Hall-92">[92]</a> <a href="/wiki/Arthur_Schopenhauer" title="Arthur Schopenhauer">Arthur Schopenhauer</a> answered: "What is the meaning of life?" by stating that one's life reflects one's will, and that the will (life) is an aimless, irrational, and painful drive. Salvation, deliverance, and escape from suffering are in aesthetic contemplation, sympathy for others, and <a href="/wiki/Asceticism" title="Asceticism">asceticism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Jacquette-93">[93]</a><a href="#cite_note-Murray-94">[94]</a> For <a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche" title="Friedrich Nietzsche">Friedrich Nietzsche</a>, life is worth living only if there are goals inspiring one to live. Accordingly, he saw nihilism ("all that happens is meaningless") as without goals. He stated that asceticism denies one's living in the world; stated that values are not objective facts, that are rationally necessary, universally binding commitments: our evaluations are interpretations, and not reflections of the world, as it is, in itself, and, therefore, <a href="/wiki/Perspectivism" title="Perspectivism">all ideations take place from a particular perspective</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Reginster-84">[84]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Absurdism">Absurdism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Absurdism" title="Absurdism">Absurdism</a></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1224211176">.mw-parser-output .quotebox{background-color:#F9F9F9;border:1px solid #aaa;box-sizing:border-box;padding:10px;font-size:88%;max-width:100%}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft{margin:.5em 1.4em .8em 0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright{margin:.5em 0 .8em 1.4em}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.centered{overflow:hidden;position:relative;margin:.5em auto .8em auto}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft span,.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright span{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox>blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;border-left:0;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-title{text-align:center;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote>:first-child{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote:last-child>:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:before{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" “ ";vertical-align:-45%;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:after{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" ” ";line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .left-aligned{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .right-aligned{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .center-aligned{text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quote-title,.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quotebox-quote{display:block}.mw-parser-output .quotebox cite{display:block;font-style:normal}@media screen and (max-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .quotebox{width:100%!important;margin:0 0 .8em!important;float:none!important}}</style><div class="quotebox pullquote floatright" style="width:30%; ;"> <blockquote class="quotebox-quote left-aligned" style=""> "... in spite of or in defiance of the whole of existence he wills to be himself with it, to take it along, almost defying his torment. For to hope in the possibility of help, not to speak of help by virtue of the absurd, that for God all things are possible—no, that he will not do. And as for seeking help from any other—no, that he will not do for all the world; rather than seek the help he would prefer to be himself—with all the tortures of hell if so it must be." </blockquote> <div style="padding-bottom: 0; padding-top: 0.5em"><cite class="left-aligned" style=""><a href="/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard" title="Søren Kierkegaard">Søren Kierkegaard</a>, <a href="/wiki/The_Sickness_Unto_Death" class="mw-redirect" title="The Sickness Unto Death">The Sickness Unto Death</a><a href="#cite_note-KierkegaardSuD-95">[95]</a></cite></div> </div> In absurdist philosophy, the Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual's search for meaning and the apparent meaninglessness of the universe. As beings looking for meaning in a meaningless world, humans have three ways of resolving the dilemma. Kierkegaard and Camus describe the solutions in their works, <a href="/wiki/The_Sickness_Unto_Death" class="mw-redirect" title="The Sickness Unto Death">The Sickness Unto Death</a> (1849) and <a href="/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus" title="The Myth of Sisyphus">The Myth of Sisyphus</a> (1942): <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Suicide" title="Suicide">Suicide</a> (or, "escaping existence"): a solution in which a person simply ends one's own life. Both Kierkegaard and Camus dismiss the viability of this option.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious" class="mw-redirect" title="Religious">Religious</a> belief in a <a href="/wiki/Transcendence_(religion)" title="Transcendence (religion)">transcendent</a> realm or being: a solution in which one believes in the existence of a reality that is beyond the Absurd, and, as such, has meaning. Kierkegaard stated that a belief in anything beyond the Absurd requires a non-rational but perhaps necessary religious acceptance in such an intangible and empirically unprovable thing (now commonly referred to as a "<a href="/wiki/Leap_of_faith" title="Leap of faith">leap of faith</a>"). However, Camus regarded this solution as "philosophical suicide".</li> <li>Acceptance of the Absurd: a solution in which one accepts and even embraces the Absurd and continues to live in spite of it. Camus endorsed this solution (notably in his 1947 allegorical novel The Plague or La Peste), while Kierkegaard regarded this solution as "demoniac madness": "He rages most of all at the thought that eternity might get it into its head to take his misery from him!"<a href="#cite_note-96">[96]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Secular_humanism">Secular humanism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Secular_humanism" title="Secular humanism">Secular humanism</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:HumanismSymbol.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/HumanismSymbol.svg/170px-HumanismSymbol.svg.png" decoding="async" width="170" height="168" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/HumanismSymbol.svg/255px-HumanismSymbol.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/HumanismSymbol.svg/340px-HumanismSymbol.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="312" data-file-height="308" /></a><figcaption>The "<a href="/wiki/Happy_Human" title="Happy Human">Happy Human</a>" symbol representing secular humanism</figcaption></figure> Per secular humanism, the <a href="/wiki/Human" title="Human">human species</a> came to be by reproducing successive generations in a progression of <a href="/wiki/Evolution" title="Evolution">unguided evolution</a> as an integral expression of <a href="/wiki/Nature" title="Nature">nature</a>, which is self-existing.<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto1-97">[97]</a><a href="#cite_note-humanifesto2-98">[98]</a> Human knowledge comes from human observation, experimentation, and rational analysis (the <a href="/wiki/Scientific_method" title="Scientific method">scientific method</a>), and not from supernatural sources; the nature of the <a href="/wiki/Universe" title="Universe">universe</a> is what people discern it to be.<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto1-97">[97]</a> Likewise, "<a href="/wiki/Intrinsic_value_(ethics)" title="Intrinsic value (ethics)">values</a> and realities" are determined "by means of intelligent inquiry"<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto1-97">[97]</a> and "are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience", that is, by <a href="/wiki/Critical_thinking" title="Critical thinking">critical intelligence</a>.<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto3-99">[99]</a><a href="#cite_note-CDSH-100">[100]</a> "As far as we know, the total personality is [a function] of the biological organism transacting in a social and cultural context."<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto2-98">[98]</a> People determine human purpose without supernatural influence; it is the human personality (general sense) that is the purpose of a human being's life which <a href="/wiki/Secular_humanism" title="Secular humanism">humanism</a> seeks to develop and fulfill:<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto1-97">[97]</a> "Humanism affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity".<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto3-99">[99]</a> Humanism aims to promote <a href="/wiki/Enlightened_self-interest" title="Enlightened self-interest">enlightened self-interest</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Common_good" title="Common good">common good</a> for all people. It is based on the premises that the <a href="/wiki/Happiness" title="Happiness">happiness</a> of the individual person is inextricably linked to the well-being of all humanity, in part because humans are social animals who find meaning in <a href="/wiki/Interpersonal_relationship" title="Interpersonal relationship">personal relations</a> and because cultural progress benefits everybody living in the <a href="/wiki/Culture" title="Culture">culture</a>.<a href="#cite_note-humanifesto2-98">[98]</a><a href="#cite_note-humanifesto3-99">[99]</a> The philosophical subgenres <a href="/wiki/Posthumanism" title="Posthumanism">posthumanism</a> and <a href="/wiki/Transhumanism" title="Transhumanism">transhumanism</a> (sometimes used synonymously) are extensions of humanistic values. One should seek the advancement of <a href="/wiki/Human" title="Human">humanity</a> and of <a href="/wiki/Biocentrism_(ethics)" title="Biocentrism (ethics)">all life</a> to the greatest degree feasible and seek to reconcile <a href="/wiki/Renaissance_humanism" title="Renaissance humanism">Renaissance humanism</a> with the 21st century's <a href="/wiki/Technoscientific" class="mw-redirect" title="Technoscientific">technoscientific</a> culture. In this light, every living creature has the right to determine its personal and social "meaning of life".<a href="#cite_note-101">[101]</a> From a <a href="/wiki/Secular_humanism" title="Secular humanism">humanism</a>-psychotherapeutic point of view, the question of the meaning of life could be reinterpreted as "What is the meaning of my life?"<a href="#cite_note-102">[102]</a> This approach emphasizes that the question is personal—and avoids focusing on cosmic or religious questions about overarching purpose. There are many therapeutic responses to this question. For example, <a href="/wiki/Viktor_Frankl" title="Viktor Frankl">Viktor Frankl</a> argues for "Dereflection", which translates largely as to cease endlessly reflecting on the self; instead, engage in life. On the whole, the therapeutic response is that the question itself—what is the meaning of life?—evaporates when one is fully engaged in life. (The question then morphs into more specific worries such as "What delusions am I under?"; "What is blocking my ability to enjoy things?"; "Why do I neglect loved-ones?".)<a href="#cite_note-103">[103]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Logical_positivism">Logical positivism</h4></div> <a href="/wiki/Logical_positivists" class="mw-redirect" title="Logical positivists">Logical positivists</a> ask: "What is the meaning of life?", "What is the meaning in asking?"<a href="#cite_note-104">[104]</a><a href="#cite_note-105">[105]</a> and "If there are no objective values, then, is life meaningless?"<a href="#cite_note-106">[106]</a> <a href="/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein" title="Ludwig Wittgenstein">Ludwig Wittgenstein</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Logical_positivists" class="mw-redirect" title="Logical positivists">logical positivists</a> said:[<a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] "Expressed in language, the question is meaningless"; because, in life the statement the "meaning of x", usually denotes the consequences of x, or the significance of x, or what is notable about x, etc., thus, when the meaning of life concept equals "x", in the statement the "meaning of x", the statement becomes <a href="/wiki/Recursion" title="Recursion">recursive</a>, and, therefore, nonsensical, or it might refer to the fact that biological life is essential to having a meaning in life. The things (people, events) in the life of a person can have meaning (importance) as parts of a whole, but a discrete meaning of (the) life, itself, aside from those things, cannot be discerned. A person's life has meaning (for themselves, others) as the life events resulting from their achievements, legacy, family, etc., but, to say that life, itself, has meaning, is a misuse of language, since any note of significance, or of consequence, is relevant only in life (to the living), so rendering the statement erroneous. <a href="/wiki/Bertrand_Russell" title="Bertrand Russell">Bertrand Russell</a> wrote that although he found that his distaste for torture was not like his distaste for broccoli, he found no satisfactory, empirical method of proving this:<a href="#cite_note-Russel-79">[79]</a> <blockquote>When we try to be definite, as to what we mean when we say that this or that is "the Good," we find ourselves involved in very great difficulties. Bentham's creed, that pleasure is the Good, roused furious opposition, and was said to be a pig's philosophy. Neither he nor his opponents could advance any argument. In a scientific question, evidence can be adduced on both sides, and, in the end, one side is seen to have the better case—or, if this does not happen, the question is left undecided. But in a question, as to whether this, or that, is the ultimate Good, there is no evidence, either way; each disputant can only appeal to his own emotions, and employ such rhetorical devices as shall arouse similar emotions in others ... Questions as to "values"—that is to say, as to what is good or bad on its own account, independently of its effects—lie outside the domain of science, as the defenders of religion emphatically assert. I think that, in this, they are right, but, I draw the further conclusion, which they do not draw, that questions as to "values" lie wholly outside the domain of knowledge. That is to say, when we assert that this, or that, has "value", we are giving expression to our own emotions, not to a fact, which would still be true if our personal feelings were different.<a href="#cite_note-107">[107]</a></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Postmodernism">Postmodernism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Postmodernism" title="Postmodernism">Postmodernism</a></div> Postmodernist thought—broadly speaking—sees human nature as constructed by language, or by structures and institutions of human society. Unlike other forms of philosophy, postmodernism rarely seeks out <a href="/wiki/A_priori_and_a_posteriori" title="A priori and a posteriori">a priori</a> or innate meanings in human existence, but instead focuses on analyzing or critiquing given meanings in order to rationalize or reconstruct them. Anything resembling a "meaning of life", in postmodernist terms, can only be understood within a social and linguistic framework and must be pursued as an escape from the power structures that are already embedded in all forms of speech and interaction. As a rule, postmodernists see <a href="/wiki/Awareness" title="Awareness">awareness</a> of the constraints of language as necessary to escaping those constraints, but different theorists take different views on the nature of this process: from a radical reconstruction of meaning by individuals (as in <a href="/wiki/Deconstructionism" class="mw-redirect" title="Deconstructionism">deconstructionism</a>) to theories in which individuals are primarily extensions of language and society, without real autonomy (as in <a href="/wiki/Poststructuralism" class="mw-redirect" title="Poststructuralism">poststructuralism</a>). <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Naturalistic_pantheism">Naturalistic pantheism</h4></div> According to <a href="/wiki/Naturalistic_pantheism" title="Naturalistic pantheism">naturalistic pantheism</a>, the meaning of life is to care for and look after nature and the environment. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Embodied_cognition">Embodied cognition</h4></div> <a href="/wiki/Embodied_cognition" title="Embodied cognition">Embodied cognition</a> uses the neurological basis of emotion, speech, and cognition to understand the nature of thought. <a href="/wiki/Cognitive_neuropsychology" title="Cognitive neuropsychology">Cognitive neuropsychology</a> has identified brain areas necessary for these abilities, and genetic studies show that the gene <a href="/wiki/FOXP2" title="FOXP2">FOXP2</a> affects neuroplasticity which underlies language fluency. <a href="/wiki/George_Lakoff" title="George Lakoff">George Lakoff</a>, a professor of cognitive linguistics and philosophy, advances the view that metaphors are the usual basis of meaning, not the logic of verbal symbol manipulation.<a href="#cite_note-108">[108]</a> Computers use <a href="/wiki/Logic_programming" title="Logic programming">logic programming</a> to effectively query databases but humans rely on a trained <a href="/wiki/Biological_neural_network" class="mw-redirect" title="Biological neural network">biological neural network</a>. Postmodern philosophies that use the indeterminacy of <a href="/wiki/Symbolic_language_(literature)" class="mw-redirect" title="Symbolic language (literature)">symbolic language</a> to deny definite meaning ignore those who feel they know what they mean and feel that their <a href="/wiki/Interlocutor_(linguistics)" title="Interlocutor (linguistics)">interlocutors</a> know what they mean.[<a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] Choosing the correct metaphor results in enough common understanding to pursue questions such as the meaning of life.<a href="#cite_note-109">[109]</a> Improved knowledge of brain function should result in better treatments producing healthier brains. When combined with more effective training, a sound personal assessment as to the meaning of one's life should be straightforward.[<a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="East_Asian_philosophical_perspectives">East Asian philosophical perspectives</h2></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Chinese_philosophy" title="Chinese philosophy">Chinese philosophy</a>, <a href="/wiki/Japanese_philosophy" title="Japanese philosophy">Japanese philosophy</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Ikigai" title="Ikigai">Ikigai</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Mohism">Mohism</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Mohism" title="Mohism">Mohism</a></div> The Mohist philosophers believed that the purpose of life was universal, impartial <a href="/wiki/Love" title="Love">love</a>. Mohism promoted a philosophy of impartial caring—a person should care equally for all other individuals, regardless of their actual relationship with him or her.<a href="#cite_note-philosophers-110">[110]</a> The expression of this indiscriminate caring is what makes a man a righteous being in Mohist thought. This advocacy of impartiality was a target of attack by the other Chinese philosophical schools, most notably the <a href="/wiki/Confucian" class="mw-redirect" title="Confucian">Confucians</a> who believed that while love should be unconditional, it should not be indiscriminate. For example, children should hold a greater love for their parents than for random strangers. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Confucianism">Confucianism</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Confucianism" title="Confucianism">Confucianism</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Confucianism" title="Confucianism">Confucianism</a> recognizes human nature in accordance with the need for discipline and education. Because humankind is driven by both positive and negative influences, Confucianists see a goal in achieving virtue through strong relationships and reasoning as well as minimizing the negative. This emphasis on normal living is seen in the Confucianist scholar <a href="/wiki/Tu_Wei-Ming" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu Wei-Ming">Tu Wei-Ming</a>'s quote, "We can realize the ultimate meaning of life in ordinary human existence."<a href="#cite_note-111">[111]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Legalism">Legalism</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Legalism_(Chinese_philosophy)" title="Legalism (Chinese philosophy)">Legalism (Chinese philosophy)</a></div> The Legalists believed that finding the purpose of life was a meaningless effort. To the Legalists, only practical knowledge was valuable, especially as it related to the function and performance of the state. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Religious_perspectives">Religious perspectives</h2></div> The religious perspectives on the meaning of life are those ideologies that explain life in terms of an implicit purpose not defined by humans. According to the <a href="/wiki/Charter_for_Compassion" title="Charter for Compassion">Charter for Compassion</a>, signed by many of the world's leading religious and secular organizations, the core of religion is the <a href="/wiki/Golden_rule" class="mw-redirect" title="Golden rule">golden rule</a> of 'treat others as you would have them treat you'. The Charter's founder, <a href="/wiki/Karen_Armstrong" title="Karen Armstrong">Karen Armstrong</a>, quotes the ancient Rabbi <a href="/wiki/Hillel_the_Elder" title="Hillel the Elder">Hillel</a> who suggested that 'the rest is commentary'. This is not to reduce the commentary's importance, and Armstrong considers that its study, interpretation, and ritual are the means by which religious people <a href="/wiki/Internalisation_(sociology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Internalisation (sociology)">internalize</a> and live the golden rule. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Abrahamic_religions">Abrahamic religions</h3></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG/170px-ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG" decoding="async" width="170" height="179" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG/255px-ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG/340px-ReligionSymbolAbr.PNG 2x" data-file-width="440" data-file-height="463" /></a><figcaption>Symbols of the three main Abrahamic religions – <a href="/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism">Judaism</a>, <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christianity</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Islam" title="Islam">Islam</a></figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Abrahamic_religion" class="mw-redirect" title="Abrahamic religion">Abrahamic religion</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Judaism">Judaism</h4></div> In the <a href="/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism">Judaic</a> worldview, the meaning of life is to elevate the physical world ('Olam HaZeh') and prepare it for the world to come ('<a href="/wiki/Jewish_eschatology" title="Jewish eschatology">Olam HaBa</a>'), the <a href="/wiki/Jewish_messianism" class="mw-redirect" title="Jewish messianism">messianic era</a>. This is called <a href="/wiki/Tikkun_Olam" class="mw-redirect" title="Tikkun Olam">Tikkun Olam</a> ("Fixing the World"). Olam HaBa can also mean the spiritual afterlife, and there is debate concerning the eschatological order. However, Judaism is not focused on personal salvation, but on communal (between man and man) and individual (between man and God) spiritualised actions in this world. Judaism's most important feature is the worship of a single, incomprehensible, <a href="/wiki/Transcendence_(religion)" title="Transcendence (religion)">transcendent</a>, one, indivisible, <a href="/wiki/God_in_Judaism" title="God in Judaism">absolute Being</a>, who created and governs the universe. Closeness with the God of Israel is through a study of His <a href="/wiki/Torah" title="Torah">Torah</a>, and adherence to its <a href="/wiki/Mitzvot" class="mw-redirect" title="Mitzvot">mitzvot</a> (divine laws). In traditional Judaism, God established a special <a href="/wiki/Covenant_(Israel)" class="mw-redirect" title="Covenant (Israel)">covenant</a> with a people, the people of Israel, at <a href="/wiki/Mount_Sinai" title="Mount Sinai">Mount Sinai</a>, giving the <a href="/wiki/613_mitzvot" class="mw-redirect" title="613 mitzvot">Jewish commandments</a>. Torah comprises the written <a href="/wiki/Pentateuch" class="mw-redirect" title="Pentateuch">Pentateuch</a> and the transcribed <a href="/wiki/Oral_Torah" title="Oral Torah">oral tradition</a>, further developed through the generations. The Jewish people are intended as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"<a href="#cite_note-112">[112]</a> and a "<a href="/wiki/Light_Unto_the_Nations" class="mw-redirect" title="Light Unto the Nations">light to the Nations</a>", influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical <a href="/wiki/Seven_Laws_of_Noah" title="Seven Laws of Noah">Seven Laws of Noah</a>. The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God. Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative, and prohibitive injunctions. Modern <a href="/wiki/Jewish_denominations" class="mw-redirect" title="Jewish denominations">Jewish denominations</a> differ over the nature, relevance, and emphases of mitzvot. <a href="/wiki/Jewish_philosophy" title="Jewish philosophy">Jewish philosophy</a> emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. The rationalist <a href="/wiki/Maimonides" title="Maimonides">Maimonides</a> sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe.<a href="#cite_note-113">[113]</a> Among fundamental <a href="/wiki/Jewish_ethics" title="Jewish ethics">values</a> in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education.<a href="#cite_note-Cohn-Sherbok-114">[114]</a><a href="#cite_note-Heschel-115">[115]</a> The world to come,<a href="#cite_note-Shuchat-116">[116]</a> prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God.<a href="#cite_note-Braham-117">[117]</a> <a href="/wiki/Simeon_the_Just" title="Simeon the Just">Simeon the Righteous</a> says, "The world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness." The <a href="/wiki/Siddur" title="Siddur">prayer book</a> relates, "Blessed is our God who created us for his honor ... and planted within us everlasting life." Of this context, the <a href="/wiki/Talmud" title="Talmud">Talmud</a> states, "Everything that God does is for the good." including suffering. The Jewish mystical <a href="/wiki/Kabbalah" title="Kabbalah">Kabbalah</a> gives complementary esoteric meanings of life. As well as Judaism providing an <a href="/wiki/Divine_immanence" class="mw-redirect" title="Divine immanence">immanent</a> relationship with God (personal <a href="/wiki/Theism" title="Theism">theism</a>), in Kabbalah, the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of God's Being (<a href="/wiki/Panentheism" title="Panentheism">panentheism</a>), related to the <a href="/wiki/Shekhinah" title="Shekhinah">Shekhinah</a> (Divine feminine). Jewish observance unites the <a href="/wiki/Sephirot" class="mw-redirect" title="Sephirot">sephirot</a> (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. In <a href="/wiki/Lurianic_Kabbalah" title="Lurianic Kabbalah">Lurianic Kabbalah</a>, the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of God's persona, exiled in physical existence (the <a href="/wiki/Kelipot" class="mw-redirect" title="Kelipot">Kelipot</a> shells), through the actions of Jewish observance.<a href="#cite_note-118">[118]</a> Through this, in <a href="/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism" title="Hasidic Judaism">Hasidic Judaism</a> the ultimate essential "desire" of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by a man from within his limited physical realm when the body will give life to the soul.<a href="#cite_note-119">[119]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Christianity">Christianity</h4></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg/170px-Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="255" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg/255px-Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg/340px-Christ_the_Redeemer_-_Cristo_Redentor.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2497" data-file-height="3744" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Christ_the_Redeemer_(statue)" title="Christ the Redeemer (statue)">Christ the Redeemer</a> statue in <a href="/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro" title="Rio de Janeiro">Rio de Janeiro</a> is symbolic of Christianity,<a href="#cite_note-120">[120]</a> illustrating the concept of seeking <a href="/wiki/Redemption_(theology)" title="Redemption (theology)">redemption</a> through <a href="/wiki/Jesus_Christ" class="mw-redirect" title="Jesus Christ">Jesus Christ</a>.</figcaption></figure> <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christianity</a> has its roots in Judaism, and shares much of the latter faith's <a href="/wiki/Ontology" title="Ontology">ontology</a>. Its central beliefs derive from the teachings of <a href="/wiki/Jesus_Christ" class="mw-redirect" title="Jesus Christ">Jesus Christ</a> as presented in the <a href="/wiki/New_Testament" title="New Testament">New Testament</a>. Life's purpose in Christianity is to seek divine <a href="/wiki/Salvation_in_Christianity" title="Salvation in Christianity">salvation</a> through the grace of God and intercession of Christ.<a href="#cite_note-121">[121]</a> The New Testament speaks of God wanting to have a relationship with humans both in this life and the life to come, which can happen only if one's <a href="/wiki/Atonement_in_Christianity" class="mw-redirect" title="Atonement in Christianity">sins are forgiven</a>.<a href="#cite_note-122">[122]</a> In the Christian view, humankind was made in the <a href="/wiki/Image_of_God" title="Image of God">Image of God</a> and perfect, but the <a href="/wiki/Fall_of_Man" class="mw-redirect" title="Fall of Man">Fall of Man</a> caused the progeny of the <a href="/wiki/Adam_and_Eve" title="Adam and Eve">First Parents</a> to inherit <a href="/wiki/Original_Sin" class="mw-redirect" title="Original Sin">Original Sin</a> and its consequences. Christ's <a href="/wiki/Passion_of_Jesus" title="Passion of Jesus">passion</a>, <a href="/wiki/Crucifixion_of_Jesus" title="Crucifixion of Jesus">death</a> and <a href="/wiki/Resurrection_of_Jesus" title="Resurrection of Jesus">resurrection</a> provide the means for transcending that impure state (<a href="/wiki/Epistle_to_the_Romans" title="Epistle to the Romans">Romans</a> 6:23). That this restoration from sin is possible is called the <a href="/wiki/Gospel" title="Gospel">gospel</a>. The Apostle Paul explains the meaning of life in his speech on the <a href="/wiki/Areopagus" title="Areopagus">Areopagus</a> in <a href="/wiki/Athens" title="Athens">Athens</a>: "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."<a href="#cite_note-123">[123]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Denominations">Denominations</h5></div> The specific process of appropriating salvation through Christ and maintaining a relationship with God varies between different <a href="/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations" title="List of Christian denominations">denominations</a> of Christians, but all rely on faith in Christ and the gospel as the fundamental starting point. Salvation through faith in God is found in <a href="/wiki/Epistle_to_the_Ephesians" title="Epistle to the Ephesians">Ephesians</a> 2:8–9[8] "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;[9] not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (<a href="/wiki/New_American_Standard_Bible" title="New American Standard Bible">NASB</a>; 1973). The gospel maintains that through this belief, the barrier that sin has created between man and God is destroyed, thereby allowing believers to be <a href="/wiki/Regeneration_(theology)" title="Regeneration (theology)">regenerated</a> by God and to instill in them a new heart after God's own will with the ability to live righteously before him. This is what the term <a href="/wiki/Salvation_in_Christianity" title="Salvation in Christianity">saved</a> almost always refer to. In Reformed theology, it is believed the purpose of life is to glorify God. In the <a href="/wiki/Westminster_Shorter_Catechism" title="Westminster Shorter Catechism">Westminster Shorter Catechism</a>, an important creed for Reformed Christians,<a href="#cite_note-124">[124]</a> the first question is: "What is the chief end of Man?" (that is, "What is Man's main purpose?"). The answer is: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever". God requires one to obey the revealed moral law, saying: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself".<a href="#cite_note-Westminster-125">[125]</a> The <a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Catechism" title="Baltimore Catechism">Baltimore Catechism</a> answers the question "Why did God make you?" by saying "God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven."<a href="#cite_note-126">[126]</a> <a href="/wiki/Catholicism" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholicism">Catholicism</a>'s meaning of life is explained in Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 294. The Universe exists for the manifestation and communication of God's glory, while mankind exists for the <a href="/wiki/Beatific_vision" title="Beatific vision">beatific vision</a>.<a href="#cite_note-127">[127]</a> Catechism of the Catholic Church 601 explains the meaning of Jesus' life: to fulfill the Scripture, in particular the plan of salvation.<a href="#cite_note-128">[128]</a> <a href="/wiki/Mormonism" title="Mormonism">Mormonism</a> teaches that the purpose of life on Earth is to gain knowledge and experience and to have joy.<a href="#cite_note-Gospel_Principles-129">[129]</a> Mormons believe that humans are literally the spirit children of God the Father, and thus have the potential to progress to become like Him. Mormons teach that God provided his children the choice to come to Earth, which is considered a crucial stage in their development—wherein a mortal body, coupled with the freedom to choose, makes for an environment to learn and grow.<a href="#cite_note-Gospel_Principles-129">[129]</a> The Fall of Adam is not viewed as an unfortunate or unplanned cancellation of God's original plan for a paradise; rather, the opposition found in mortality is an essential element of God's plan because the process of enduring and overcoming challenges, difficulties, and temptations provides opportunities to gain wisdom and strength, thereby learning to appreciate and choose good and reject evil.<a href="#cite_note-130">[130]</a><a href="#cite_note-131">[131]</a> Because God is just, he allows those who were not taught the gospel during mortality to receive it after death in the spirit world,<a href="#cite_note-132">[132]</a> so that all of his children have the opportunity to return to live with God, and reach their full potential. A recent alternative Christian theological discourse interprets Jesus as revealing that the purpose of life is to elevate our compassionate response to human suffering;<a href="#cite_note-133">[133]</a> nonetheless, the conventional Christian position is that people are justified by belief in the <a href="/wiki/Propitiation" title="Propitiation">propitiatory sacrifice</a> of Jesus' death on the cross. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Islam">Islam</h4></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca,_Saudi_Arabia.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca%2C_Saudi_Arabia.jpg/220px-Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca%2C_Saudi_Arabia.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca%2C_Saudi_Arabia.jpg/330px-Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca%2C_Saudi_Arabia.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca%2C_Saudi_Arabia.jpg/440px-Supplicating_Pilgrim_at_Masjid_Al_Haram._Mecca%2C_Saudi_Arabia.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1200" /></a><figcaption>Supplicating <a href="/wiki/Pilgrim" class="mw-redirect" title="Pilgrim">Pilgrim</a> at <a href="/wiki/Masjid_Al_Haram" class="mw-redirect" title="Masjid Al Haram">Masjid Al Haram</a>. <a href="/wiki/Mecca" title="Mecca">Mecca</a></figcaption></figure> In <a href="/wiki/Islam" title="Islam">Islam</a>, humanity's ultimate purpose is to worship their creator, <a href="/wiki/Allah" title="Allah">Allah</a> (English: The God), through his signs, and be grateful to him through sincere love and devotion. This is practically shown by following the divine guidelines revealed in the <a href="/wiki/Qur%27an" class="mw-redirect" title="Qur'an">Qur'an</a> and the tradition of the <a href="/wiki/Muhammad" title="Muhammad">Prophet</a> (with the exception of <a href="/wiki/Quranism" title="Quranism">Quranists</a>). Earthly life is a test, determining one's position of closeness to <a href="/wiki/Allah" title="Allah">Allah</a> in the hereafter. A person will either be close to him and his love in <a href="/wiki/Jannah" title="Jannah">Jannah</a> (Paradise) or far away in <a href="/wiki/Jahannam" title="Jahannam">Jahannam</a> (Hell). For Allah's satisfaction, via the Qur'an, all Muslims must believe in God, his revelations, his <a href="/wiki/Angels_in_Islam" title="Angels in Islam">angels</a>, his <a href="/wiki/Prophets_in_Islam" class="mw-redirect" title="Prophets in Islam">messengers</a>, and in the "<a href="/wiki/Qiyamah" class="mw-redirect" title="Qiyamah">Day of Judgment</a>".<a href="#cite_note-134">[134]</a> The Qur'an describes the purpose of creation as follows: "Blessed be he in whose hand is the kingdom, he is powerful over all things, who created death and life that he might examine which of you is best in deeds, and he is the almighty, the forgiving." (Qur'an 67:1–2) and "And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should be obedient (to Allah)." (Qur'an 51:56). Obedience testifies to the <a href="/wiki/Tawhid" title="Tawhid">oneness of God</a> in his lordship, his names, and his attributes. Terrenal life is a test; how one acts (behaves) determines whether one's soul goes to Jannat (Heaven) or to Jahannam (Hell).<a href="#cite_note-135">[135]</a>[<a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] However, on the day of Judgement the final decision is of Allah alone.<a href="#cite_note-136">[136]</a> The <a href="/wiki/Five_Pillars_of_Islam" title="Five Pillars of Islam">Five Pillars of Islam</a> are duties incumbent to every Muslim; they are: <a href="/wiki/Shahada" title="Shahada">Shahadah</a> (profession of faith); <a href="/wiki/Salah" title="Salah">Salat</a> (ritual prayer); <a href="/wiki/Zakat" title="Zakat">Zakat</a> (charity); <a href="/wiki/Sawm" class="mw-redirect" title="Sawm">Sawm</a> (fasting during <a href="/wiki/Ramadan" title="Ramadan">Ramadan</a>), and <a href="/wiki/Hajj" title="Hajj">Hajj</a> (pilgrimage to <a href="/wiki/Mecca" title="Mecca">Mecca</a>).<a href="#cite_note-137">[137]</a> They derive from the <a href="/wiki/Hadith" title="Hadith">Hadith</a> works, notably of <a href="/wiki/Sahih_Al-Bukhari" class="mw-redirect" title="Sahih Al-Bukhari">Sahih Al-Bukhari</a> and <a href="/wiki/Sahih_Muslim" title="Sahih Muslim">Sahih Muslim</a>. The five pillars are not mentioned directly in the Quran. Beliefs differ among the <a href="/wiki/Kalam" title="Kalam">Kalam</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Sunni" class="mw-redirect" title="Sunni">Sunni</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Ahmadiyya" title="Ahmadiyya">Ahmadiyya</a> concept of pre-destination is <a href="/wiki/Qadr_(doctrine)" class="mw-redirect" title="Qadr (doctrine)">divine decree</a>;<a href="#cite_note-138">[138]</a> the <a href="/wiki/Shi%27a" class="mw-redirect" title="Shi'a">Shi'a</a> concept of pre-destination is <a href="/wiki/Adalah_(Islam)" title="Adalah (Islam)">divine justice</a>; in the <a href="/wiki/Esoteric" class="mw-redirect" title="Esoteric">esoteric</a> view of the <a href="/wiki/Sufi" class="mw-redirect" title="Sufi">Sufis</a>, the universe exists only for God's pleasure; Creation is a grand game, wherein Allah is the greatest prize. The Sufi view of the meaning of life stems from the <a href="/wiki/Hadith_qudsi" class="mw-redirect" title="Hadith qudsi">hadith qudsi</a> that states "I (God) was <a href="/wiki/A_Hidden_Treasure" title="A Hidden Treasure">a Hidden Treasure</a> and loved to be known. Therefore I created the Creation that I might be known." One possible interpretation of this view is that the meaning of life for an individual is to know the nature of God, and the purpose of all of creation is to reveal that nature and to prove its value as the ultimate treasure, that is God. However, this hadith is stated in various forms and interpreted in various ways by people, such, as <a href="/wiki/%27Abdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" class="mw-redirect" title="'Abdu'l-Bahá">'Abdu'l-Bahá</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Baháʼí Faith">Baháʼí Faith</a>,<a href="#cite_note-Commentary_on_the_Islamic_Tradition_"I_Was_a_Hidden_Treasure_..."-139">[139]</a> and in <a href="/wiki/Ibn_Arabi" title="Ibn Arabi">Ibn'Arabī</a>'s Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam.<a href="#cite_note-SUMMARY_OF_THE_FUSÛS-140">[140]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Baháʼí_Faith">Baháʼí Faith</h4></div> The <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Baháʼí Faith">Baháʼí Faith</a> emphasizes the unity of humanity.<a href="#cite_note-141">[141]</a> To Baháʼís, the purpose of life is focused on spiritual growth and service to humanity. Human beings are viewed as intrinsically spiritual beings. People's lives in this material world provide extended opportunities to grow, to develop divine qualities and virtues, and the <a href="/wiki/Manifestation_of_God_(Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith)" title="Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)">prophets</a> were sent by God to facilitate this.<a href="#cite_note-142">[142]</a><a href="#cite_note-143">[143]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="South_Asian_religions">South Asian religions</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Indian_religions" title="Indian religions">Indian religions</a> and <a href="/wiki/Indian_philosophy" title="Indian philosophy">Indian philosophy</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Hindu_philosophies">Hindu philosophies</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy">Hindu philosophy</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">Dharma</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Golden_Aum.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Golden_Aum.png/170px-Golden_Aum.png" decoding="async" width="170" height="170" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Golden_Aum.png/255px-Golden_Aum.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Golden_Aum.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="300" /></a><figcaption>A golden <a href="/wiki/Om" title="Om">Aum</a> written in <a href="/wiki/Devanagari" title="Devanagari">Devanagari</a>. The Aum is sacred in <a href="/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hindu</a>, <a href="/wiki/Jainism" title="Jainism">Jain</a> and <a href="/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhist</a> religions.</figcaption></figure> <a href="/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a> is a religious category including many beliefs and traditions. Since Hinduism was the way of expressing meaningful living for a long time before there was a need for naming it as a separate religion, Hindu doctrines are supplementary and complementary in nature, generally non-exclusive, suggestive, and tolerant in content.<a href="#cite_note-weightman-144">[144]</a> Most believe that the <a href="/wiki/%C4%80tman_(Hinduism)" title="Ātman (Hinduism)">ātman</a> (spirit, soul)—the person's true self—is eternal.<a href="#cite_note-monierwilliams-145">[145]</a> In part, this stems from Hindu beliefs that spiritual development occurs across many lifetimes, and goals should match the state of development of the individual. There are four possible aims to human life, known as the <a href="/wiki/Purusharthas" class="mw-redirect" title="Purusharthas">purusharthas</a> (ordered from least to greatest): (i) <a href="/wiki/K%C4%81ma" class="mw-redirect" title="Kāma">Kāma</a> (wish, desire, love and sensual pleasure), (ii) <a href="/wiki/Artha" title="Artha">Artha</a> (wealth, prosperity, glory), (iii) <a href="/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">Dharma</a> (righteousness, duty, morality, <a href="/wiki/Virtue" title="Virtue">virtue</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ethics" title="Ethics">ethics</a>), encompassing notions such as <a href="/wiki/Ahimsa" title="Ahimsa">ahimsa</a> (non-violence) and <a href="/wiki/Satya" title="Satya">satya</a> (truth) and (iv) <a href="/wiki/Moksha" title="Moksha">Moksha</a> (liberation, i.e. liberation from <a href="/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra" title="Saṃsāra">Saṃsāra</a>, the cycle of <a href="/wiki/Reincarnation" title="Reincarnation">reincarnation</a>).<a href="#cite_note-146">[146]</a><a href="#cite_note-147">[147]</a><a href="#cite_note-148">[148]</a> In all schools of Hinduism, the meaning of life is tied up in the concepts of <a href="/wiki/Karma" title="Karma">karma</a> (causal action), <a href="/wiki/Sansara" class="mw-redirect" title="Sansara">sansara</a> (the cycle of birth and rebirth), and <a href="/wiki/Moksha" title="Moksha">moksha</a> (liberation). Existence is conceived as the progression of the ātman (similar to the western concept of a <a href="/wiki/Soul_(spirit)" class="mw-redirect" title="Soul (spirit)">soul</a>) across numerous lifetimes, and its ultimate progression towards liberation from karma. Particular goals for life are generally subsumed under broader <a href="/wiki/Yoga" title="Yoga">yogas</a> (practices) or <a href="/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">dharma</a> (correct living) which are intended to create more favorable reincarnations, though they are generally positive acts in this life as well. Traditional schools of Hinduism often worship <a href="/wiki/Deva_(Hinduism)" title="Deva (Hinduism)">Devas</a> which are manifestations of <a href="/wiki/Ishvara" title="Ishvara">Ishvara</a> (a personal or chosen God); these Devas are taken as ideal forms to be identified with, as a form of spiritual improvement. In short, the goal is to realize the fundamental truth about oneself. This thought is conveyed in the <a href="/wiki/Mah%C4%81v%C4%81kyas" title="Mahāvākyas">Mahāvākyas</a> ("<a href="/wiki/Tat_Tvam_Asi" class="mw-redirect" title="Tat Tvam Asi">Tat Tvam Asi</a>" (thou art that), "Aham Brahmāsmi", "Prajñānam Brahma" and "Ayam Ātmā Brahma" (This Ātman is Brahman)). <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Advaita_and_Dvaita_Hinduism">Advaita and Dvaita Hinduism</h5></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita Vedanta</a> and <a href="/wiki/Dvaita_Vedanta" title="Dvaita Vedanta">Dvaita Vedanta</a></div> Later schools reinterpreted the <a href="/wiki/Vedas" title="Vedas">vedas</a> to focus on <a href="/wiki/Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a>, "The One Without a Second",<a href="#cite_note-bhaskaranandaessential-149">[149]</a> as a central God-like figure. In <a href="/wiki/Monist" class="mw-redirect" title="Monist">monist</a> Advaita Vedanta, ātman is ultimately indistinguishable from Brahman, and the goal of life is to know or realize that one's <a href="/wiki/%C4%80tman_(Hinduism)" title="Ātman (Hinduism)">Ātman</a> (soul) is identical to <a href="/wiki/Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a>.<a href="#cite_note-150">[150]</a> To the <a href="/wiki/Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a>, whoever becomes fully aware of the Ātman, as one's core of self, realizes identity with Brahman, and, thereby, achieves <a href="/wiki/Moksha" title="Moksha">Moksha</a> (liberation, freedom).<a href="#cite_note-monierwilliams-145">[145]</a><a href="#cite_note-werner-151">[151]</a><a href="#cite_note-152">[152]</a> Dvaita Vedanta and other <a href="/wiki/Bhakti" title="Bhakti">bhakti</a> schools have a <a href="/wiki/Theistic_dualism" class="mw-redirect" title="Theistic dualism">dualist</a> interpretation. <a href="/wiki/Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a> is seen as a supreme being with a personality and manifest qualities. The Ātman depends upon Brahman for its existence; the meaning of life is achieving Moksha through the love of God and upon His grace.<a href="#cite_note-werner-151">[151]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</h5></div> <a href="/wiki/Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</a> is a branch of Hinduism in which the principal belief is the identification of <a href="/wiki/Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a> or <a href="/wiki/Narayana" title="Narayana">Narayana</a> as the one supreme God. This belief contrasts with the <a href="/wiki/Krishnaism" title="Krishnaism">Krishna-centered</a> traditions, such as <a href="/wiki/Vallabha" title="Vallabha">Vallabha</a>, <a href="/wiki/Nimbaraka" class="mw-redirect" title="Nimbaraka">Nimbaraka</a> and <a href="/wiki/Gaudiya" class="mw-redirect" title="Gaudiya">Gaudiya</a>, in which <a href="/wiki/Krishna" title="Krishna">Krishna</a> is considered to be the One and only Supreme God and the <a href="/wiki/Svayam_Bhagavan" title="Svayam Bhagavan">source of all avataras</a>.<a href="#cite_note-153">[153]</a> Vaishnava theology includes the central beliefs of Hinduism such as <a href="/wiki/Monotheism" title="Monotheism">monotheism</a>, <a href="/wiki/Reincarnation" title="Reincarnation">reincarnation</a>, <a href="/wiki/Samsara" class="mw-redirect" title="Samsara">samsara</a>, <a href="/wiki/Karma" title="Karma">karma</a>, and the various <a href="/wiki/Yoga" title="Yoga">Yoga</a> systems, but with a particular emphasis on devotion (<a href="/wiki/Bhakti" title="Bhakti">bhakti</a>) to Vishnu through the process of <a href="/wiki/Bhakti_yoga" title="Bhakti yoga">Bhakti yoga</a>, often including singing Vishnu's name's (<a href="/wiki/Bhajan" title="Bhajan">bhajan</a>), meditating upon his form (<a href="/wiki/Dharana" class="mw-redirect" title="Dharana">dharana</a>) and performing <a href="/wiki/Deity" title="Deity">deity</a> worship (<a href="/wiki/Puja_(Hinduism)" title="Puja (Hinduism)">puja</a>). The practices of deity worship are primarily based on texts such as <a href="/wiki/Pa%C3%B1caratra" class="mw-redirect" title="Pañcaratra">Pañcaratra</a> and various <a href="/wiki/Samhita" title="Samhita">Samhitas</a>.<a href="#cite_note-154">[154]</a> One popular school of thought, <a href="/wiki/Gaudiya_Vaishnavism" title="Gaudiya Vaishnavism">Gaudiya Vaishnavism</a>, teaches the concept of <a href="/wiki/Achintya_Bheda_Abheda" title="Achintya Bheda Abheda">Achintya Bheda Abheda</a>. In this, Krishna is worshipped as the single true God, and all living entities are eternal parts and the Supreme Personality of the Godhead Krishna. Thus the constitutional position of a living entity is to serve the Lord with love and devotion. The purpose of human life especially is to think beyond the animalistic way of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending and engage the higher intelligence to revive the lost relationship with Krishna. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Jainism">Jainism</h4></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Jainism" title="Jainism">Jainism</a> and <a href="/wiki/Jain_philosophy" title="Jain philosophy">Jain philosophy</a></div> <a href="/wiki/Jainism" title="Jainism">Jainism</a> is a religion originating in <a href="/wiki/Iron_Age_India" class="mw-redirect" title="Iron Age India">ancient India</a>, its ethical system promotes self-discipline above all else. Through following the <a href="/wiki/Asceticism" title="Asceticism">ascetic</a> teachings of <a href="/wiki/Tirthankara" title="Tirthankara">Jina</a>, a <a href="/wiki/Human" title="Human">human</a> achieves <a href="/wiki/Moksa_(Jainism)" class="mw-redirect" title="Moksa (Jainism)">enlightenment (perfect knowledge)</a>. Jainism divides the universe into living and non-living beings. Only when the living becomes attached to the non-living does suffering result. Therefore, happiness is the result of self-conquest and freedom from external objects. The meaning of life may then be said to be to use the physical body to achieve self-realization and bliss.<a href="#cite_note-155">[155]</a> Jains believe that every human is responsible for his or her actions and all living beings have an eternal <a href="/wiki/Soul_(spirit)" class="mw-redirect" title="Soul (spirit)">soul</a>, <a href="/wiki/Jiva" title="Jiva">jiva</a>. Jains believe all souls are equal because they all possess the potential of being liberated and attaining <a href="/wiki/Moksa_(Jainism)" class="mw-redirect" title="Moksa (Jainism)">Moksha</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Karma_in_Jainism" title="Karma in Jainism">Jain view of karma</a> is that every action, every word, every thought has effect on the soul. Jainism includes strict adherence to <a href="/wiki/Ahimsa_in_Jainism" title="Ahimsa in Jainism">ahimsa</a> (or ahinsā), a form of <a href="/wiki/Nonviolence" title="Nonviolence">nonviolence</a> that goes far beyond <a href="/wiki/Vegetarianism" title="Vegetarianism">vegetarianism</a>. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. Many practice a lifestyle similar to <a href="/wiki/Veganism" title="Veganism">veganism</a> due to the violence of modern dairy farms, and others exclude <a href="/wiki/Root_vegetable" title="Root vegetable">root vegetables</a> from their diets in order to preserve the lives of the plants from which they eat.<a href="#cite_note-156">[156]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Buddhism">Buddhism</h4></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Early_Buddhism">Early Buddhism</h5></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg/220px-Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="146" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg/330px-Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg/440px-Tian_Tan_Buddha_by_Beria.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="1993" /></a><figcaption>Statue of <a href="/wiki/Gautama_Buddha" class="mw-redirect" title="Gautama Buddha">Gautama Buddha</a></figcaption></figure> Buddhists practice embracing mindfulness, the ill-being (suffering) and well-being that is present in life. Buddhists practice seeing the causes of ill-being and well-being in life. For example, one of the causes of suffering is an unhealthy attachment to objects material or non-material. The Buddhist <a href="/wiki/S%C5%ABtras" class="mw-redirect" title="Sūtras">sūtras</a> and <a href="/wiki/Tantras_(Buddhism)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tantras (Buddhism)">tantras</a> do not speak about "the meaning of life" or "the purpose of life", but about the potential of human life to end suffering, for example through embracing (not suppressing or denying) cravings and conceptual attachments. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of <a href="/wiki/Nirvana" title="Nirvana">Nirvana</a>. Nirvana means freedom from both <a href="/wiki/Dukkha" class="mw-redirect" title="Dukkha">suffering</a> and <a href="/wiki/Rebirth_(Buddhism)" title="Rebirth (Buddhism)">rebirth</a>.<a href="#cite_note-157">[157]</a> <a href="/wiki/Theravada" title="Theravada">Theravada Buddhism</a> is generally considered to be close to the early Buddhist practice. It promotes the concept of <a href="/wiki/Vibhajjavada" class="mw-redirect" title="Vibhajjavada">Vibhajjavada</a> (<a href="/wiki/P%C4%81li" class="mw-redirect" title="Pāli">Pali</a>), literally "Teaching of Analysis", which says that insight must come from the aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and reasoning instead of by blind faith. However, the Theravadin tradition also emphasizes heeding the advice of the wise, considering such advice and evaluation of one's own experiences to be the two tests by which practices should be judged. The Theravadin goal is liberation (or freedom) from suffering, according to the <a href="/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths" title="Four Noble Truths">Four Noble Truths</a>. This is attained in the achievement of <a href="/wiki/Nirvana" title="Nirvana">Nirvana</a>, or Unbinding which also ends the <a href="/wiki/Reincarnation" title="Reincarnation">repeated cycle</a> of birth, old age, sickness, and death. The way to attain Nirvana is by following and practicing the <a href="/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path" title="Noble Eightfold Path">Noble Eightfold Path</a>. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Mahayana_Buddhism">Mahayana Buddhism</h5></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Mahayana" title="Mahayana">Mahayana</a></div> Mahayana Buddhist schools de-emphasize the traditional view (still practiced in <a href="/wiki/Theravada" title="Theravada">Theravada</a>) of the release from individual Suffering (<a href="/wiki/Du%E1%B8%A5kha" title="Duḥkha">Duhkha</a>) and attainment of Awakening (<a href="/wiki/Nirvana" title="Nirvana">Nirvana</a>). In Mahayana, the Buddha is seen as an eternal, immutable, inconceivable, <a href="/wiki/Omnipresent" class="mw-redirect" title="Omnipresent">omnipresent</a> being. The fundamental principles of Mahayana doctrine are based on the possibility of universal liberation from suffering for all beings, and the existence of the transcendent <a href="/wiki/Buddha-nature" title="Buddha-nature">Buddha-nature</a>, which is the eternal Buddha essence present, but hidden and unrecognised, in all living beings.<a href="#cite_note-158">[158]</a> Philosophical schools of Mahayana Buddhism, such as <a href="/wiki/Zen" title="Zen">Chan/Zen</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Vajrayana" title="Vajrayana">Vajrayana</a> Tibetan and Shingon schools, explicitly teach that <a href="/wiki/Bodhisattva" title="Bodhisattva">Bodhisattva</a> should refrain from full liberation, allowing themselves to be reincarnated into the world until all beings achieve enlightenment. Devotional schools such as <a href="/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism" title="Pure Land Buddhism">Pure Land Buddhism</a> seek the aid of celestial buddhas—individuals who have spent lifetimes accumulating positive karma, and use that accumulation to aid all.<a href="#cite_note-159">[159]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Sikhism">Sikhism</h4></div> The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten <a href="/wiki/Sikh_Gurus" class="mw-redirect" title="Sikh Gurus">Sikh Gurus</a>, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the <a href="/wiki/Gur%C5%AB_Granth_S%C4%81hib" class="mw-redirect" title="Gurū Granth Sāhib">Gurū Granth Sāhib</a>, which includes selected works of many philosophers from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The Sikh Gurus say that salvation can be obtained by following various spiritual paths, so Sikhs do not have a monopoly on salvation: "The Lord dwells in every heart, and every heart has its own way to reach Him."<a href="#cite_note-Singh-160">[160]</a> Sikhs believe that all people are equally important before <a href="/wiki/Waheguru" title="Waheguru">God</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Mayled-161">[161]</a> Sikhs balance their moral and spiritual values with the quest for knowledge, and they aim to promote a life of peace and equality but also of positive action.<a href="#cite_note-162">[162]</a> A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-<a href="/wiki/Anthropomorphism#In_religion_and_mythology" title="Anthropomorphism">anthropomorphic</a> concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the <a href="/wiki/Universe" title="Universe">Universe</a> itself (<a href="/wiki/Pantheism" title="Pantheism">pantheism</a>). Sikhism thus sees life as an opportunity to understand this God as well as to discover the divinity which lies in each individual. While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings,<a href="#cite_note-p252-163">[163]</a> <a href="/wiki/Guru_Nanak_Dev" class="mw-redirect" title="Guru Nanak Dev">Nanak</a> described God as not wholly unknowable, and stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must <a href="/wiki/Meditate" class="mw-redirect" title="Meditate">meditate</a> to progress towards enlightenment and the ultimate destination of a Sikh is to lose the ego completely in the love of the lord and finally merge into the almighty creator. Nanak emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.<a href="#cite_note-p252-163">[163]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="East_Asian_religions">East Asian religions</h3></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Taoism">Taoism</h4></div> <a href="/wiki/Taoist" class="mw-redirect" title="Taoist">Taoist</a> <a href="/wiki/Cosmogony" title="Cosmogony">cosmogony</a> emphasizes the need for all sentient beings and all men to return to the primordial or to rejoin with the Oneness of the Universe by way of self-cultivation and self-realization. All adherents should understand and be in tune with the ultimate truth. Taoists believe all things were originally from <a href="/wiki/Taiji_(philosophy)" title="Taiji (philosophy)">Taiji</a> and <a href="/wiki/Tao" title="Tao">Tao</a>, and the meaning in life for the adherents is to realize the temporal nature of the existence. "Only introspection can then help us to find our innermost reasons for living ... the simple answer is here within ourselves."<a href="#cite_note-Ming-Dao-164">[164]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Shinto">Shinto</h4></div> <a href="/wiki/Shinto" title="Shinto">Shinto</a> is the native religion of Japan. Shinto means "the path of the <a href="/wiki/Kami" title="Kami">kami</a>", but more specifically, it can be taken to mean "the divine crossroad where the kami chooses his way". The "divine" crossroad signifies that all the universe is divine spirit. This foundation of <a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a>, choosing one's way, means that life is a creative process. Shinto wants life to live, not to die. Shinto sees death as pollution and regards life as the realm where the divine spirit seeks to purify itself by rightful self-development. Shinto wants individual human life to be prolonged forever on earth as a victory of the divine spirit in preserving its objective personality in its highest forms. The presence of evil in the world, as conceived by Shinto, does not stultify the divine nature by imposing on divinity responsibility for being able to relieve human suffering while refusing to do so. The sufferings of life are the sufferings of the divine spirit in search of progress in the objective world.<a href="#cite_note-Mason-165">[165]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="New_religions">New religions</h4></div> There are many <a href="/wiki/New_religious_movements" class="mw-redirect" title="New religious movements">new religious movements</a> in East Asia, and some with millions of followers: <a href="/wiki/Chondogyo" class="mw-redirect" title="Chondogyo">Chondogyo</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tenrikyo" title="Tenrikyo">Tenrikyo</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cao_%C4%90%C3%A0i" class="mw-redirect" title="Cao Đài">Cao Đài</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Seicho-No-Ie" class="mw-redirect" title="Seicho-No-Ie">Seicho-No-Ie</a>. New religions typically have unique explanations for the meaning of life. For example, in Tenrikyo, one is expected to live a <a href="/wiki/Joyous_Life" title="Joyous Life">Joyous Life</a> by participating in practices that create happiness for oneself and others. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Iranian_religions">Iranian religions</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Iranian_philosophy" title="Iranian philosophy">Iranian philosophy</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Zoroastrianism">Zoroastrianism</h4></div> Zoroastrians believe in a universe created by a transcendent God, <a href="/wiki/Ahura_Mazda" title="Ahura Mazda">Ahura Mazda</a>, to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Ahura Mazda's creation is <a href="/wiki/Asha" title="Asha">asha</a>, truth and order, and it is in conflict with its <a href="/wiki/Antithesis" title="Antithesis">antithesis</a>, druj, falsehood and disorder.<a href="#cite_note-166">[166]</a> Since humanity possesses <a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a>, people must be responsible for their moral choices. By using free will, people must take an active role in the universal conflict, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Popular_views">Popular views</h2></div> "What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of life?".<a href="#cite_note-WITMOL-15">[15]</a> Some popular answers include: <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="To_realize_one's_potential_and_ideals">To realize one's potential and ideals</h3></div> <ul><li>To chase dreams.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To live one's dreams.<a href="#cite_note-Ellerton-168">[168]</a></li> <li>To spend it for something that will outlast it.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To expand one's potential in life.<a href="#cite_note-Ellerton-168">[168]</a></li> <li>To become the person you've always wanted to be.<a href="#cite_note-Chandler-170">[170]</a></li> <li>To become the best version of yourself.<a href="#cite_note-Kelly-171">[171]</a></li> <li>To seek happiness<a href="#cite_note-172">[172]</a> and flourish.<a href="#cite_note-Baggini-8">[8]</a></li> <li>To be a true authentic human being.<a href="#cite_note-Kultgen-173">[173]</a></li> <li>To be able to put the whole of oneself into one's feelings, one's work, one's beliefs.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To follow or submit to our destiny.<a href="#cite_note-Cappannelli-174">[174]</a><a href="#cite_note-West-175">[175]</a><a href="#cite_note-Madorsky-176">[176]</a></li> <li>To achieve <a href="/wiki/Eudaimonia" title="Eudaimonia">eudaimonia</a>,<a href="#cite_note-177">[177]</a> a flourishing of human spirit.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="To_evolve,_or_to_achieve_biological_perfection">To evolve, or to achieve biological perfection</h3></div> <ul><li>To <a href="/wiki/Introduction_to_evolution" title="Introduction to evolution">evolve</a>,<a href="#cite_note-178">[178]</a> changing from generation to generation.</li> <li>To <a href="/wiki/Self-preservation" title="Self-preservation">survive</a>,<a href="#cite_note-179">[179]</a> that is, to live as long as possible,<a href="#cite_note-180">[180]</a> including pursuit of <a href="/wiki/Immortality" title="Immortality">immortality</a> (through scientific means).<a href="#cite_note-Kurweil_&_Grossmann-181">[181]</a></li> <li>To <a href="/wiki/Immortality" title="Immortality">live forever</a><a href="#cite_note-Kurweil_&_Grossmann-181">[181]</a> or die <a href="/wiki/Life_extension" title="Life extension">trying</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Appleyard-182">[182]</a></li> <li>To maximize one's genes' advantage in terms of natural selection, by having many children or indirect descendants via relatives.<a href="#cite_note-183">[183]</a></li> <li>To replicate, to reproduce.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a> "The 'dream' of every cell is to become two cells."<a href="#cite_note-Lane-184">[184]</a><a href="#cite_note-Weiss_&_Buchanan-185">[185]</a><a href="#cite_note-Ackerman-186">[186]</a><a href="#cite_note-Rensberger-187">[187]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="To_seek_wisdom_and_knowledge">To seek wisdom and knowledge</h3></div> <ul><li>To expand one's perception of the world.<a href="#cite_note-Ellerton-168">[168]</a></li> <li>To follow the clues and walk out the exit.<a href="#cite_note-Chris_Grau-188">[188]</a></li> <li>To learn as many things as possible in life.<a href="#cite_note-Cooper_&_Hutchinson-189">[189]</a></li> <li>To know as much as possible about as many things as possible.<a href="#cite_note-Findling_&_Thackeray-190">[190]</a></li> <li>To seek <a href="/wiki/Wisdom" title="Wisdom">wisdom</a> and <a href="/wiki/Knowledge" title="Knowledge">knowledge</a> and to tame the <a href="/wiki/Mind" title="Mind">mind</a>, as to avoid <a href="/wiki/Suffering" title="Suffering">suffering</a> caused by <a href="/wiki/Ignorance" title="Ignorance">ignorance</a> and find <a href="/wiki/Happiness" title="Happiness">happiness</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Dalai_Lama-191">[191]</a></li> <li>To face our <a href="/wiki/Fear" title="Fear">fears</a> and accept the <a href="/wiki/Lesson" title="Lesson">lessons</a> life offers us.<a href="#cite_note-Cappannelli-174">[174]</a></li> <li>To find the meaning or purpose of life.<a href="#cite_note-Simmons-192">[192]</a><a href="#cite_note-Bowell-193">[193]</a></li> <li>To find a reason to live.<a href="#cite_note-Gibbs_&_Basinger_&_Fuller-194">[194]</a></li> <li>To resolve the imbalance of the mind by understanding the nature of reality.<a href="#cite_note-Tang-195">[195]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="To_do_good,_to_do_the_right_thing">To do good, to do the right thing</h3></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Ethics" title="Ethics">ethics</a></div> <ul><li>To leave the world as a better place than you found it.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To do your best to leave every situation better than you found it.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To benefit others.<a href="#cite_note-Hua-11">[11]</a></li> <li>To give more than you take.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To end suffering.<a href="#cite_note-Roberts-196">[196]</a><a href="#cite_note-Costigan-197">[197]</a><a href="#cite_note-Jeffers_&_Smith-198">[198]</a></li> <li>To create <a href="/wiki/Social_equality" title="Social equality">equality</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Jeffrey-199">[199]</a><a href="#cite_note-Williams-200">[200]</a><a href="#cite_note-Muller-201">[201]</a></li> <li>To challenge <a href="/wiki/Oppression" title="Oppression">oppression</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Nash_&_Stewart-202">[202]</a></li> <li>To <a href="/wiki/Redistribution_of_income_and_wealth" title="Redistribution of income and wealth">distribute wealth</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Yao-203">[203]</a><a href="#cite_note-Turner_&_Rojek-204">[204]</a></li> <li>To be generous.<a href="#cite_note-Goonewardene-205">[205]</a><a href="#cite_note-Ferry-206">[206]</a></li> <li>To contribute to the <a href="/wiki/Well-being" title="Well-being">well-being</a> and spirit of others.<a href="#cite_note-Stephan_&_Pace-207">[207]</a><a href="#cite_note-208">[208]</a></li> <li>To help others,<a href="#cite_note-Baggini-8">[8]</a><a href="#cite_note-Ferry-206">[206]</a> to help one another.<a href="#cite_note-Steinberg-209">[209]</a></li> <li>To take every chance to help another while on your journey here.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To be creative and innovative.<a href="#cite_note-Stephan_&_Pace-207">[207]</a></li> <li>To forgive.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To accept and forgive human flaws.<a href="#cite_note-Caunt-210">[210]</a><a href="#cite_note-211">[211]</a></li> <li>To be emotionally sincere.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To be responsible.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To be honorable.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To <a href="/wiki/Pacifism" title="Pacifism">seek peace</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Meanings_relating_to_religion">Meanings relating to religion</h3></div> <ul><li>To reach the highest heaven and be at the heart of the Divine.<a href="#cite_note-Halevi-212">[212]</a></li> <li>To have a pure soul and experience God.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To understand the mystery of God.<a href="#cite_note-Cappannelli-174">[174]</a></li> <li>To know or attain union with God.<a href="#cite_note-Girard-213">[213]</a><a href="#cite_note-Kashmir_Shaivism-214">[214]</a></li> <li>To know oneself, know others, and know the will of heaven.<a href="#cite_note-Mahadevan-215">[215]</a></li> <li>To love something bigger, greater, and beyond ourselves, something we did not create or have the power to create, something intangible and made holy by our very belief in it.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To love God<a href="#cite_note-Girard-213">[213]</a> and all of his creations.<a href="#cite_note-Scully-216">[216]</a></li> <li>To glorify God by enjoying him forever.<a href="#cite_note-Piper-217">[217]</a></li> <li>To spread your religion and share it with others.<a href="#cite_note-Harrison-218">[218]</a><a href="#cite_note-Worsham2-219">[219]</a></li> <li>To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.<a href="#cite_note-Worsham-220">[220]</a></li> <li>To be fruitful and multiply.<a href="#cite_note-Burke-221">[221]</a> (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Genesis%201:28&version=nrsv">Genesis 1:28</a>)</li> <li>To obtain freedom. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Romans%208:20–21&version=nrsv">Romans 8:20–21</a>)</li> <li>To fill the Earth and subdue it.<a href="#cite_note-Burke-221">[221]</a> (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Genesis%201:28&version=nrsv">Genesis 1:28</a>)</li> <li>To serve humankind,<a href="#cite_note-222">[222]</a> to prepare to meet<a href="#cite_note-223">[223]</a> and become more like God,<a href="#cite_note-224">[224]</a><a href="#cite_note-225">[225]</a><a href="#cite_note-226">[226]</a><a href="#cite_note-227">[227]</a> to choose good over evil,<a href="#cite_note-228">[228]</a> and have joy.<a href="#cite_note-229">[229]</a><a href="#cite_note-230">[230]</a></li> <li>˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving. —Quran <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://quran.com/67?startingVerse=2">67:2</a></li> <li>To worship God and enter heaven in afterlife.<a href="#cite_note-Quran-231">[231]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="To_love,_to_feel,_to_enjoy_the_act_of_living">To love, to feel, to enjoy the act of living</h3></div> <ul><li>To love more.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To love those who mean the most. Every life you touch will touch you back.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To treasure every enjoyable sensation one has.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To seek <a href="/wiki/Beauty" title="Beauty">beauty</a> in all its forms.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To have fun or enjoy life.<a href="#cite_note-Cappannelli-174">[174]</a><a href="#cite_note-Stephan_&_Pace-207">[207]</a></li> <li>To seek pleasure<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a> and avoid pain.<a href="#cite_note-Mitchell-232">[232]</a></li> <li>To be compassionate.<a href="#cite_note-Cook-169">[169]</a></li> <li>To be moved by the tears and pain of others, and try to help them out of love and compassion.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To love others as best we possibly can.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>To eat, drink, and be merry.<a href="#cite_note-Ecclesiastes8:15-233">[233]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="To_have_power,_to_be_better">To have power, to be better</h3></div> <ul><li>To <a href="/wiki/Will_to_power" title="Will to power">strive for power</a><a href="#cite_note-Reginster-84">[84]</a> and superiority.<a href="#cite_note-Mitchell-232">[232]</a></li> <li>To rule the world.<a href="#cite_note-West-175">[175]</a></li> <li>To know and master the world.<a href="#cite_note-Harrison-218">[218]</a><a href="#cite_note-Dillon-234">[234]</a></li> <li>To know and master nature.<a href="#cite_note-Aron-235">[235]</a></li> <li>To help life become as powerful as possible.<a href="#cite_note-236">[236]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Life_has_no_meaning">Life has no meaning</h3></div> <ul><li>Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because human existence occurred out of a random <a href="/wiki/Contingency_(philosophy)" title="Contingency (philosophy)">chance</a> in nature, and anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose.<a href="#cite_note-Tang-195">[195]</a></li> <li>Life has no meaning, but as humans we try to associate a meaning or purpose so we can justify our existence.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>There is no point in life, and that is exactly what makes it so special.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="One_should_not_seek_to_know_and_understand_the_meaning_of_life">One should not seek to know and understand the meaning of life</h3></div> <ul><li>The answer to the meaning of life is too profound to be known and understood.<a href="#cite_note-Tang-195">[195]</a></li> <li>You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>The meaning of life is to forget about the search for the meaning of life.<a href="#cite_note-Seaman-167">[167]</a></li> <li>Ultimately, a person should not ask what the meaning of their life is, but rather must recognize that it is they themselves who are asked. In a word, each person is questioned by life; and they can only answer to life by answering for their own life; to life they can only respond by being responsible.<a href="#cite_note-237">[237]</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="In_popular_culture">In popular culture</h2></div> The mystery of life and its true meaning is an often recurring subject in <a href="/wiki/Popular_culture" title="Popular culture">popular culture</a>, featured in <a href="/wiki/Mass_media" title="Mass media">entertainment media</a> and <a href="/wiki/The_arts" title="The arts">various forms</a> of art. <a href="/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_The_Meaning_of_Life" title="Monty Python's The Meaning of Life">Monty Python's The Meaning of Life</a> includes a character played by <a href="/wiki/Michael_Palin" title="Michael Palin">Michael Palin</a> being handed an envelope containing "the meaning of life", which she opens and reads out to the audience: "Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try to be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations."<a href="#cite_note-useless_website-238">[238]</a><a href="#cite_note-Burnham-239">[239]</a><a href="#cite_note-Fernandez-240">[240]</a> In <a href="/wiki/Douglas_Adams" title="Douglas Adams">Douglas Adams</a>' book <a href="/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy" title="The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Answer_to_the_Ultimate_Question_of_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything" class="mw-redirect" title="Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything">Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything</a> is given the numeric solution "<a href="/wiki/42_(number)" title="42 (number)">42</a>", after seven and a half million years of calculation by a giant <a href="/wiki/Supercomputer" title="Supercomputer">supercomputer</a> called <a href="/wiki/Minor_characters_from_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Deep_Thought" class="mw-redirect" title="Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy">Deep Thought</a>. When this answer is met with confusion and anger from its constructors, Deep Thought explains that "I think the problem such as it was, was too broadly based. You never actually stated what the question was."<a href="#cite_note-241">[241]</a><a href="#cite_note-Baggini-8">[8]</a><a href="#cite_note-Yeffeth-242">[242]</a><a href="#cite_note-Badke-243">[243]</a><a href="#cite_note-Adams_H2G2_book1-244">[244]</a> Deep Thought then constructs another computer—the Earth—to calculate what the Ultimate Question actually is. Later Ford and Arthur manage to extract the question as the Earth computer would have rendered it. That question turns out to be "what do you get if you multiply six by nine",<a href="#cite_note-245">[245]</a> and it is realised that <a href="/wiki/Garbage_in,_garbage_out" title="Garbage in, garbage out">the program was ruined by the unexpected arrival of the Golgafrinchans</a> on Earth, and so the actual Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, And Everything remains unknown. In <a href="/wiki/Person_of_Interest_(TV_series)" title="Person of Interest (TV series)">Person of Interest</a> season 5 episode 13, an artificial intelligence referred to as The Machine tells Harold Finch that the secret of life is "Everyone dies alone. But if you mean something to someone, if you help someone, or love someone. If even a single person remembers you then maybe you never really die at all." This phrase is then repeated at the very end of the show to add emphasis to the finale.<a href="#cite_note-246">[246]</a> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Related_concepts">Related concepts</h2></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Existential_crisis">Existential crisis</h3></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Allisvanity.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Allisvanity.jpg/220px-Allisvanity.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="335" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Allisvanity.jpg/330px-Allisvanity.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Allisvanity.jpg/440px-Allisvanity.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="2438" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Charles_Allan_Gilbert" title="Charles Allan Gilbert">Charles Allan Gilbert</a>'s All is Vanity, an example of <a href="/wiki/Vanitas" title="Vanitas">vanitas</a>, depicts a young woman amidst her makeup and perfumes, preoccupied with her own beauty at the mirror of her <a href="/wiki/Vanity_table" class="mw-redirect" title="Vanity table">vanity</a>. But all is positioned in such a way as to make the image of a skull appear, expressing <a href="/wiki/Memento_mori" title="Memento mori">memento mori</a>, that no matter how good she looks, it won't last, as death is inevitable.</figcaption></figure> <a href="/wiki/Existential_crises" class="mw-redirect" title="Existential crises">Existential crises</a> are crises of meaning. They are triggered by the impression that life lacks meaning.<a href="#cite_note-APAExistentialCrisis-247">[247]</a><a href="#cite_note-Andrews2016-248">[248]</a><a href="#cite_note-Butenaitė2016-249">[249]</a> This impression can lead to an inner conflict because there is a strong <a href="/wiki/Desire" title="Desire">desire</a> to find some form of meaning in life. In the <a href="/wiki/Existentialism" title="Existentialism">existentialist</a> literature, the discrepancy between the individual's desire for meaning and the world's apparent lack thereof is termed <a href="/wiki/Absurdism" title="Absurdism">the absurd</a>.<a href="#cite_note-StanfordExistentialism-250">[250]</a><a href="#cite_note-Blomme2013-251">[251]</a><a href="#cite_note-OxfordAbsurd-252">[252]</a> It may be summarized by the question "How does a being who needs meaning find meaning in a universe that has no meaning?".<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a> While this conflict may affect different people at least to some extent, it reaches a more severe level in the case of existential crises. This level leads to various negative <a href="/wiki/Experiences" class="mw-redirect" title="Experiences">experiences</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Stress_(biology)" title="Stress (biology)">stress</a>, <a href="/wiki/Anxiety" title="Anxiety">anxiety</a>, despair, and <a href="/wiki/Depression_(mood)" title="Depression (mood)">depression</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a><a href="#cite_note-Andrews2016-248">[248]</a><a href="#cite_note-Butenaitė2016-249">[249]</a> In the more serious cases, these symptoms disturb the individual's normal functioning in everyday life. A positive side effect of these negative experiences is that they push the affected individual to address the underlying issue. This opens the opportunity of <a href="/wiki/Personal_development" title="Personal development">developing as a person</a> and improving one's way of life.<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a><a href="#cite_note-Greer-254">[254]</a> Therapists often try to treat existential crises by helping their patients discover meaning in life. An important distinction in this regard is the difference between personal meaning and cosmic meaning.<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a><a href="#cite_note-IEPNihilism-255">[255]</a> In the cosmic sense, the term "meaning of life" refers to the purpose of the world as a whole or why we are here. One way to solve an existential crisis is to discover a satisfying answer to this question. This often takes the form of a <a href="/wiki/Religious" class="mw-redirect" title="Religious">religious</a> explanation involving a divine entity that created the world for a certain purpose.<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a><a href="#cite_note-Yang2010-256">[256]</a><a href="#cite_note-Zapffe1933-257">[257]</a> Another approach to solving existential crises is to seek meaning not on the cosmic but on the personal level. This usually takes a more secular form: the therapist helps the individual realize what matters to them or why their life is worth living.<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a><a href="#cite_note-IEPNihilism-255">[255]</a><a href="#cite_note-BritannicaNihilism-258">[258]</a> In this regard, they may discover how their personal life can be meaningful, for example, by dedicating themselves to their family or their career. This approach may mitigate or solve an existential crisis even if the individual still lacks an answer to the bigger question of the deeper meaning behind everything.<a href="#cite_note-Yalom2020-253">[253]</a><a href="#cite_note-Butenaitė2016-249">[249]</a><a href="#cite_note-Yang2010-256">[256]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Importance">Importance</h3></div> The question of the meaning of life is closely related to the question of what has <a href="/wiki/Importance" title="Importance">importance</a> or what matters. This is reflected in the fact that finding meaning in life is often associated with dedicating oneself to some kind of higher purpose, which is seen as having special importance.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2022-259">[259]</a><a href="#cite_note-Nozick1981-260">[260]</a> Nonetheless, some theorists have argued that the two concepts are not identical.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2022-259">[259]</a><a href="#cite_note-Nozick1990-261">[261]</a> This distinction is often motivated by the observation that seeking the meaning of life is usually regarded as an admirable goal associated with <a href="/wiki/Self-transcendence" title="Self-transcendence">self-transcendence</a>. Craving importance, on the other hand, seems to be a more <a href="/wiki/Egoism" title="Egoism">egoistic</a> or <a href="/wiki/Narcissism" title="Narcissism">narcissistic</a> aim in comparison.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2022-259">[259]</a> Various theorists have argued that to be important means to have an impact on the world or to make a difference. Some only require that this causal impact is big enough. Others include as an additional element that the difference in question has to affect the value of the world.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2021a-262">[262]</a><a href="#cite_note-Nozick1990-261">[261]</a><a href="#cite_note-Benatar2017-263">[263]</a> This is often interpreted with reference to <a href="/wiki/Well-being" title="Well-being">well-being</a>: the degree of importance of a thing is given by the extent to which it affects the well-being of sentient entities.<a href="#cite_note-Benbaji2001-264">[264]</a><a href="#cite_note-Nozick1990-261">[261]</a><a href="#cite_note-Tugendhat2016-265">[265]</a> However, the relation to a purpose is usually not required for importance. In this regard, some things may be important accidentally or <a href="/wiki/Intention" title="Intention">unintentionally</a> without being guided by a higher goal. For example, a person may by chance bump into something and thereby unwittingly trigger a <a href="/wiki/Butterfly_effect" title="Butterfly effect">butterfly effect</a> of extreme proportions. In such a case, the person's life has acquired high importance due to the consequences it caused. Nonetheless, this does not imply that it has also acquired some form of deeper meaning or higher purpose.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2022-259">[259]</a> Another difference is that seeking and realizing the meaning of life is usually seen by most theorists as a positive and worthwhile undertaking. Importance, however, can be either positive or negative depending on the type of value difference involved.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2022-259">[259]</a><a href="#cite_note-Nozick1990-261">[261]</a> For example, <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Fleming" title="Alexander Fleming">Alexander Fleming</a> was important in a positive sense since his discovery of <a href="/wiki/Penicillin" title="Penicillin">penicillin</a> helped many people cure their <a href="/wiki/Bacterial_infection" class="mw-redirect" title="Bacterial infection">bacterial infections</a>.<a href="#cite_note-266">[266]</a> <a href="/wiki/Adolf_Hitler" title="Adolf Hitler">Adolf Hitler</a>, on the other hand, was important in a negative sense since his policies caused widespread suffering to innumerous people.<a href="#cite_note-Kahane2021a-262">[262]</a> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1266661725">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Socrates.png/18px-Socrates.png" decoding="async" width="18" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Socrates.png/27px-Socrates.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Socrates.png/36px-Socrates.png 2x" data-file-width="326" data-file-height="500" /><a href="/wiki/Portal:Philosophy" title="Portal:Philosophy">Philosophy portal</a></li></ul> <dl><dt>Scientific explanations</dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Darwin%27s_Dangerous_Idea" title="Darwin's Dangerous Idea">Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life</a> – 1995 book by Daniel Dennett</li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Death_of_God_and_the_Meaning_of_Life" title="The Death of God and the Meaning of Life">The Death of God and the Meaning of Life</a> – 2014 book by Julian Young</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Power,_Sex,_Suicide" title="Power, Sex, Suicide"> Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life</a> – 2005 book by Nick Lane</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sex,_Death_and_the_Meaning_of_Life" title="Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life"> Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life</a> – 2010 three-part television documentary</li></ul> <dl><dt>Origin and nature of life and reality</dt></dl> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abiogenesis" title="Abiogenesis">Abiogenesis</a> – Life arising from non-living matter</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Awareness" title="Awareness">Awareness</a> – Perception or knowledge of something</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Being" class="mw-redirect" title="Being">Being</a> – State of being realPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Biosemiotics" title="Biosemiotics">Biosemiotics</a> – Biology interpreted as a sign system</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dao" class="mw-redirect" title="Dao">Dao</a> – Philosophical concept native to ChinaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Existence" title="Existence">Existence</a> – State of being real</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_condition" title="Human condition">Human condition</a> – Ultimate concerns of human existence</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Logos" title="Logos">Logos</a> – Concept in philosophy, religion, rhetoric, and psychology</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metaphysical_naturalism" title="Metaphysical naturalism">Metaphysical naturalism</a> – Philosophical worldview rejecting anything supernatural</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perception" title="Perception">Perception</a> – Interpretation of sensory information</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">Reality</a> – Sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simulated_reality" title="Simulated reality">Simulated reality</a> – Concept of a false version of reality</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theory_of_everything" title="Theory of everything">Theory of everything</a> – Hypothetical physical concept</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Teleology" title="Teleology">Teleology</a> – Thinking in terms of destiny or purpose</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe" title="Ultimate fate of the universe">Ultimate fate of the universe</a> – Theories about the end of the universe</li></ul> </div> <dl><dt>Value of life</dt></dl> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1184024115"><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Culture_of_life" title="Culture of life">Culture of life</a> – Way of life highlighting life's sanctity; opposes abortion and assisted suicide</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bioethics" title="Bioethics">Bioethics</a> – Study of the ethical issues emerging from advances in biology and medicine</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meaningful_life" title="Meaningful life">Meaningful life</a> – Fulfilling life guided by a purpose</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quality_of_life" title="Quality of life">Quality of life</a> – Degree of individual well-being</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Value_of_life" title="Value of life">Value of life</a> – Economic value</li></ul> </div> <dl><dt>Purpose of life</dt></dl> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1184024115"><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Destiny" title="Destiny">Destiny</a> – Predetermined course of events</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethical_living" title="Ethical living">Ethical living</a> – philosophyPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallbackPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intentional_living" title="Intentional living">Intentional living</a> – LifestylePages displaying short descriptions with no spaces</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Life_extension" title="Life extension">Life extension</a> – Concept of extending human lifespan by improvements in medicine or biotechnology</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Man%27s_Search_for_Meaning" title="Man's Search for Meaning">Man's Search for Meaning</a> – 1946 book by Viktor Frankl</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Means_to_an_end" class="mw-redirect" title="Means to an end">Means to an end</a> – Philosophical conceptPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_life" class="mw-redirect" title="Philosophy of life">Philosophy of life</a> – German philosophical movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuriesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</li></ul> </div> <dl><dt>Miscellaneous</dt></dl> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1184024115"><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Human_extinction" title="Human extinction">Human extinction</a> – Hypothetical end of the human species</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ikigai" title="Ikigai">Ikigai</a> – Giving a sense of purpose (Japanese)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Life_stance" title="Life stance">Life stance</a> – Person's relation with what they accept as being of ultimate importance</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meaning-making" title="Meaning-making">Meaning-making</a> – Process of understanding changes in life</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perennial_philosophy" title="Perennial philosophy">Perennial philosophy</a> – Idea that all religions share a single truth</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vale_of_tears" title="Vale of tears">Vale of tears</a> – Religious phrase in Christianity</li> <li><a href="/wiki/World_riddle" title="World riddle">World riddle</a> – Term in ontology and consciousness studies</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Worldview" title="Worldview">Worldview</a> – Fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society</li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-:8-1">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:8_1-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:8_1-1">b</a> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFO'Brien" class="citation web cs1">O'Brien, Wendell. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://iep.utm.edu/mean-ear/">"Meaning of Life, The: Early Continental and Analytic Perspectives"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Internet_Encyclopedia_of_Philosophy" title="Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy">Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy</a>. Retrieved 28 December 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Internet+Encyclopedia+of+Philosophy&rft.atitle=Meaning+of+Life%2C+The%3A+Early+Continental+and+Analytic+Perspectives&rft.aulast=O%27Brien&rft.aufirst=Wendell&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fiep.utm.edu%2Fmean-ear%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1051/1051-h/1051-h.htm">"Sartor Resartus by Thomas Carlyle"</a>. www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 28 December 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.gutenberg.org&rft.atitle=Sartor+Resartus+by+Thomas+Carlyle.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gutenberg.org%2Ffiles%2F1051%2F1051-h%2F1051-h.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLeachTartaglia2018" class="citation web cs1">Leach, Stephen; <a href="/wiki/James_Tartaglia" title="James Tartaglia">Tartaglia, James</a> (2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://philosophynow.org/issues/126/The_Original_Meaning_of_Life">"The Original Meaning of Life"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Philosophy_Now" title="Philosophy Now">Philosophy Now</a>. Retrieved 28 December 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Philosophy+Now&rft.atitle=The+Original+Meaning+of+Life&rft.date=2018&rft.aulast=Leach&rft.aufirst=Stephen&rft.au=Tartaglia%2C+James&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fphilosophynow.org%2Fissues%2F126%2FThe_Original_Meaning_of_Life&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://frankmartela.com/2020/12/04/how-meaning-of-life-was-invented-thomas-carlyle-on-how-to-overcome-an-existential-crisis/">"How meaning of life was invented: Thomas Carlyle on how to overcome an existential crisis"</a>. Frank Martela. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Frank+Martela&rft.atitle=How+meaning+of+life+was+invented%3A+Thomas+Carlyle+on+how+to+overcome+an+existential+crisis&rft.date=2020-12-04&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ffrankmartela.com%2F2020%2F12%2F04%2Fhow-meaning-of-life-was-invented-thomas-carlyle-on-how-to-overcome-an-existential-crisis%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/10739/10739-h/10739-h.htm">"The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer: on Human Nature., by Arthur Schopenhauer"</a>. www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 28 December 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.gutenberg.org&rft.atitle=The+Essays+of+Arthur+Schopenhauer%3A+on+Human+Nature.%2C+by+Arthur+Schopenhauer&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gutenberg.org%2Ffiles%2F10739%2F10739-h%2F10739-h.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Westphal-6"><a href="#cite_ref-Westphal_6-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJonathan_Westphal1998" class="citation book cs1">Jonathan Westphal (1998). Philosophical Propositions: An Introduction to Philosophy. Routledge. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-17053-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-415-17053-6"><bdi>978-0-415-17053-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Philosophical+Propositions%3A+An+Introduction+to+Philosophy&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=978-0-415-17053-6&rft.au=Jonathan+Westphal&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Nozick-7"><a href="#cite_ref-Nozick_7-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRobert_Nozick1981" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Nozick" title="Robert Nozick">Robert Nozick</a> (1981). <a href="/wiki/Philosophical_Explanations" title="Philosophical Explanations">Philosophical Explanations</a>. Harvard University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-66479-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-674-66479-1"><bdi>978-0-674-66479-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Philosophical+Explanations&rft.pub=Harvard+University+Press&rft.date=1981&rft.isbn=978-0-674-66479-1&rft.au=Robert+Nozick&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Baggini-8">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Baggini_8-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Baggini_8-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Baggini_8-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Baggini_8-3">d</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJulian_Baggini2004" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Julian_Baggini" title="Julian Baggini">Julian Baggini</a> (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/whatsitallaboutp0000bagg">What's It All About? Philosophy and the Meaning of Life</a>. US: Granta Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-86207-661-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-86207-661-7"><bdi>978-1-86207-661-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What%27s+It+All+About%3F+Philosophy+and+the+Meaning+of+Life&rft.place=US&rft.pub=Granta+Books&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-1-86207-661-7&rft.au=Julian+Baggini&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fwhatsitallaboutp0000bagg&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Thiemann_&_Placher-9"><a href="#cite_ref-Thiemann_&_Placher_9-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRonald_F._ThiemannWilliam_Carl_Placher1998" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Ronald_F._Thiemann" class="mw-redirect" title="Ronald F. Thiemann">Ronald F. Thiemann</a>; <a href="/wiki/William_Placher" title="William Placher">William Carl Placher</a> (1998). Why Are We Here?: Everyday Questions and the Christian Life. Continuum International Publishing Group. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56338-236-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-56338-236-9"><bdi>978-1-56338-236-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Why+Are+We+Here%3F%3A+Everyday+Questions+and+the+Christian+Life&rft.pub=Continuum+International+Publishing+Group&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=978-1-56338-236-9&rft.au=Ronald+F.+Thiemann&rft.au=William+Carl+Placher&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Marcellino-10"><a href="#cite_ref-Marcellino_10-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDennis_Marcellino1996" class="citation book cs1">Dennis Marcellino (1996). Why Are We Here?: The Scientific Answer to this Age-old Question (that you don't need to be a scientist to understand). Lighthouse Pub. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-945272-10-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-945272-10-6"><bdi>978-0-945272-10-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Why+Are+We+Here%3F%3A+The+Scientific+Answer+to+this+Age-old+Question+%28that+you+don%27t+need+to+be+a+scientist+to+understand%29&rft.pub=Lighthouse+Pub&rft.date=1996&rft.isbn=978-0-945272-10-6&rft.au=Dennis+Marcellino&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Hua-11">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Hua_11-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Hua_11-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Hua_11-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHsuan_Hua2003" class="citation book cs1">Hsuan Hua (2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/wordsofwisdomv1b0000hsua">Words of Wisdom: Beginning Buddhism</a>. Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-88139-302-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-88139-302-6"><bdi>978-0-88139-302-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Words+of+Wisdom%3A+Beginning+Buddhism&rft.pub=Dharma+Realm+Buddhist+Association&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-0-88139-302-6&rft.au=Hsuan+Hua&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fwordsofwisdomv1b0000hsua&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Davies-12">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Davies_12-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Davies_12-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPaul_Davies2000" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Paul_Davies" title="Paul Davies">Paul Davies</a> (2000). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20010616025035/http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/d/davies-miracle.html">The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life</a>. Simon & Schuster. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-684-86309-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-684-86309-2"><bdi>978-0-684-86309-2</bdi></a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/d/davies-miracle.html">the original</a> on 16 June 2001. Retrieved 17 September 2016.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Fifth+Miracle%3A+The+Search+for+the+Origin+and+Meaning+of+Life&rft.pub=Simon+%26+Schuster&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-684-86309-2&rft.au=Paul+Davies&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fbooks%2Ffirst%2Fd%2Fdavies-miracle.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Christiansen_&_Baum_&_Bass-Haugen-13">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Christiansen_&_Baum_&_Bass-Haugen_13-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Christiansen_&_Baum_&_Bass-Haugen_13-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCharles_ChristiansenCarolyn_Manville_BaumJulie_Bass-Haugen2005" class="citation book cs1">Charles Christiansen; Carolyn Manville Baum; Julie Bass-Haugen (2005). Occupational Therapy: Performance, Participation, and Well-Being. SLACK Incorporated. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55642-530-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55642-530-1"><bdi>978-1-55642-530-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Occupational+Therapy%3A+Performance%2C+Participation%2C+and+Well-Being&rft.pub=SLACK+Incorporated&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-1-55642-530-1&rft.au=Charles+Christiansen&rft.au=Carolyn+Manville+Baum&rft.au=Julie+Bass-Haugen&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Walker-14">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Walker_14-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Walker_14-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEvan_Harris_Walker2000" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Evan_Harris_Walker" title="Evan Harris Walker">Evan Harris Walker</a> (2000). The Physics of Consciousness: The Quantum Mind and the Meaning of Life. Perseus Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7382-0436-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7382-0436-9"><bdi>978-0-7382-0436-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Physics+of+Consciousness%3A+The+Quantum+Mind+and+the+Meaning+of+Life&rft.pub=Perseus+Books&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-7382-0436-9&rft.au=Evan+Harris+Walker&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-WITMOL-15">^ <a href="#cite_ref-WITMOL_15-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-WITMOL_15-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070824210257/http://www.philosophynow.org/issue59/59question.htm">"Question of the Month: What Is The Meaning of Life?"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Philosophy_Now" title="Philosophy Now">Philosophy Now</a>. Issue 59. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.philosophynow.org/issue59/59question.htm">the original</a> on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Philosophy+Now&rft.atitle=Question+of+the+Month%3A+What+Is+The+Meaning+of+Life%3F&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philosophynow.org%2Fissue59%2F59question.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Krishnamurti-16">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Krishnamurti_16-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Krishnamurti_16-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJiddu_Krishnamurti2001" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti" title="Jiddu Krishnamurti">Jiddu Krishnamurti</a> (2001). What Are You Doing With Your Life?. Krishnamurti Foundation of America. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-888004-24-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-888004-24-3"><bdi>978-1-888004-24-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+Are+You+Doing+With+Your+Life%3F&rft.pub=Krishnamurti+Foundation+of+America&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-1-888004-24-3&rft.au=Jiddu+Krishnamurti&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-UIUC-17"><a href="#cite_ref-UIUC_17-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPuolimatkaAiraksinen,_Timo2002" class="citation web cs1">Puolimatka, Tapio; Airaksinen, Timo (2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070926154148/http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/PES-Yearbook/2001/tapio%2001.pdf">"Education and the Meaning of Life"</a> (PDF). Philosophy of Education. <a href="/wiki/University_of_Helsinki" title="University of Helsinki">University of Helsinki</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/PES-Yearbook/2001/tapio%2001.pdf">the original</a> (PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Philosophy+of+Education&rft.atitle=Education+and+the+Meaning+of+Life&rft.date=2002&rft.aulast=Puolimatka&rft.aufirst=Tapio&rft.au=Airaksinen%2C+Timo&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ed.uiuc.edu%2FEPS%2FPES-Yearbook%2F2001%2Ftapio%252001.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Van_Hooft-18"><a href="#cite_ref-Van_Hooft_18-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStan_Van_Hooft2004" class="citation book cs1">Stan Van Hooft (2004). Life, Death, and Subjectivity: Moral Sources in Bioethics. Rodopi. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-420-1912-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-90-420-1912-6"><bdi>978-90-420-1912-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Life%2C+Death%2C+and+Subjectivity%3A+Moral+Sources+in+Bioethics&rft.pub=Rodopi&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-90-420-1912-6&rft.au=Stan+Van+Hooft&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Shafer-Landau_&_Cuneo-19"><a href="#cite_ref-Shafer-Landau_&_Cuneo_19-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRuss_Shafer-LandauTerence_Cuneo2007" class="citation book cs1">Russ Shafer-Landau; Terence Cuneo (2007). Foundations of Ethics: An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4051-2951-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4051-2951-0"><bdi>978-1-4051-2951-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Foundations+of+Ethics%3A+An+Anthology&rft.pub=Blackwell+Publishing&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-4051-2951-0&rft.au=Russ+Shafer-Landau&rft.au=Terence+Cuneo&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-:6-20"><a href="#cite_ref-:6_20-0">^</a> E. Diener, J.J. Sapyta, E. Suh (1998). "Subjective Well-Being Is Essential to Well-Being." Psychological Inquiry, Lawrence Erlbaum. </li> <li id="cite_note-Csíkszentmihályi,_Mihály_1990-21">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Csíkszentmihályi,_Mihály_1990_21-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Csíkszentmihályi,_Mihály_1990_21-1">b</a> Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-06-092043-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-06-092043-2">0-06-092043-2</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-:4-22"><a href="#cite_ref-:4_22-0">^</a> Peterson, Christopher; Seligman, Martin (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-516701-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-19-516701-5">0-19-516701-5</a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.meaningandhappiness.com/psychology-research/list-of-personal-strengths.html">"See brief summary"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=See+brief+summary&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meaningandhappiness.com%2Fpsychology-research%2Flist-of-personal-strengths.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a> Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York: Free Press. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7432-2297-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-7432-2297-0">0-7432-2297-0</a>. Paperback edition, 2004, Free Press, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7432-2298-9" title="Special:BookSources/0-7432-2298-9">0-7432-2298-9</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-:5-24"><a href="#cite_ref-:5_24-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLuGao2017" class="citation journal cs1">Lu, Jun; Gao, Qin (1 May 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1372-8">"Faith and Happiness in China: Roles of Religious Identity, Beliefs, and Practice"</a>. Social Indicators Research. 132 (1): 273–290. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11205-016-1372-8">10.1007/s11205-016-1372-8</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1573-0921">1573-0921</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:148091125">148091125</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Social+Indicators+Research&rft.atitle=Faith+and+Happiness+in+China%3A+Roles+of+Religious+Identity%2C+Beliefs%2C+and+Practice&rft.volume=132&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E273-%3C%2Fspan%3E290&rft.date=2017-05-01&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A148091125%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.issn=1573-0921&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1007%2Fs11205-016-1372-8&rft.aulast=Lu&rft.aufirst=Jun&rft.au=Gao%2C+Qin&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs11205-016-1372-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-:7-25"><a href="#cite_ref-:7_25-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRizviHossain2017" class="citation journal cs1">Rizvi, Mohd Ahsan Kabir; Hossain, Mohammad Zakir (1 October 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0332-6">"Relationship Between Religious Belief and Happiness: A Systematic Literature Review"</a>. Journal of Religion and Health. 56 (5): 1561–1582. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10943-016-0332-6">10.1007/s10943-016-0332-6</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1573-6571">1573-6571</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27909930">27909930</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:1389245">1389245</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Religion+and+Health&rft.atitle=Relationship+Between+Religious+Belief+and+Happiness%3A+A+Systematic+Literature+Review&rft.volume=56&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E1561-%3C%2Fspan%3E1582&rft.date=2017-10-01&rft.issn=1573-6571&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A1389245%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F27909930&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1007%2Fs10943-016-0332-6&rft.aulast=Rizvi&rft.aufirst=Mohd+Ahsan+Kabir&rft.au=Hossain%2C+Mohammad+Zakir&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs10943-016-0332-6&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSutinLuchettiAschwandenStephan2023" class="citation journal cs1">Sutin, DAR; Luchetti, M; Aschwanden, D; Stephan, Y; Sesker, AA; Terracciano, A (February 2023). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2809292">"Sense of meaning and purpose in life and risk of incident dementia: New data and meta-analysis"</a>. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 105: 104847. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.archger.2022.104847">10.1016/j.archger.2022.104847</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0167-4943">0167-4943</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMC (identifier)">PMC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10015423">10015423</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36347158">36347158</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Archives+of+Gerontology+and+Geriatrics&rft.atitle=Sense+of+meaning+and+purpose+in+life+and+risk+of+incident+dementia%3A+New+data+and+meta-analysis.&rft.volume=105&rft.pages=104847&rft.date=2023-02&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC10015423%23id-name%3DPMC&rft.issn=0167-4943&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F36347158&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1016%2Fj.archger.2022.104847&rft.aulast=Sutin&rft.aufirst=DAR&rft.au=Luchetti%2C+M&rft.au=Aschwanden%2C+D&rft.au=Stephan%2C+Y&rft.au=Sesker%2C+AA&rft.au=Terracciano%2C+A&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fjamanetwork.com%2Fjournals%2Fjamanetworkopen%2Ffullarticle%2F2809292&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-27"><a href="#cite_ref-:0_27-0">^</a> Boyle PA, Buchman AS, Barnes LL, Bennett DA. Effect of a purpose in life on risk of incident Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older persons. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2010;67:304–310. </li> <li id="cite_note-:1-28"><a href="#cite_ref-:1_28-0">^</a> Kim E, Sun J, Park N, <a href="/wiki/Laura_Kubzansky" title="Laura Kubzansky">Kubzansky L</a>, Peterson C. Purpose in life and reduced risk of myocardial infarction among older US adults with coronary heart disease: A two-year follow-up. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. (2):124–133. </li> <li id="cite_note-:2-29"><a href="#cite_ref-:2_29-0">^</a> Kim ES, Sun JK, Park N, Peterson C. Purpose in life and reduced incidence of stroke in older adults: The Health and Retirement Study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2013;74(5):427–432. </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a> Boyle PA, Barnes LL, Buchman AS, Bennett DA. Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2009;71:574–579. </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSutinLuchettiStephanTerracciano2023" class="citation journal cs1">Sutin, Angelina R.; Luchetti, Martina; Stephan, Yannick; Terracciano, Antonio (13 September 2023). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2809292">"Change in Purpose in Life Before and After Onset of Cognitive Impairment"</a>. JAMA Network Open. 6 (9): e2333489. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2023.33489">10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.33489</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2574-3805">2574-3805</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMC (identifier)">PMC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10500383">10500383</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37703016">37703016</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=JAMA+Network+Open&rft.atitle=Change+in+Purpose+in+Life+Before+and+After+Onset+of+Cognitive+Impairment&rft.volume=6&rft.issue=9&rft.pages=e2333489&rft.date=2023-09-13&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC10500383%23id-name%3DPMC&rft.issn=2574-3805&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F37703016&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2023.33489&rft.aulast=Sutin&rft.aufirst=Angelina+R.&rft.au=Luchetti%2C+Martina&rft.au=Stephan%2C+Yannick&rft.au=Terracciano%2C+Antonio&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fjamanetwork.com%2Fjournals%2Fjamanetworkopen%2Ffullarticle%2F2809292&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/improve-mental-wellbeing.aspx">"Five steps to mental wellbeing"</a>. nhs.uk. 21 December 2017.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=nhs.uk&rft.atitle=Five+steps+to+mental+wellbeing&rft.date=2017-12-21&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhs.uk%2FConditions%2Fstress-anxiety-depression%2FPages%2Fimprove-mental-wellbeing.aspx&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Charles_Darwin" title="Charles Darwin">Charles Darwin</a> (1859). <a href="/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species" title="On the Origin of Species">On the Origin of Species</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Dawkins_selfish_gene-34"><a href="#cite_ref-Dawkins_selfish_gene_34-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRichard_Dawkins1976" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Richard_Dawkins" title="Richard Dawkins">Richard Dawkins</a> (1976). <a href="/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene" title="The Selfish Gene">The Selfish Gene</a>. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-857519-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-857519-1"><bdi>978-0-19-857519-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Selfish+Gene&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=1976&rft.isbn=978-0-19-857519-1&rft.au=Richard+Dawkins&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Dawkins_river-35"><a href="#cite_ref-Dawkins_river_35-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRichard_Dawkins1995" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Richard_Dawkins" title="Richard Dawkins">Richard Dawkins</a> (1995). <a href="/wiki/River_out_of_Eden" class="mw-redirect" title="River out of Eden">River out of Eden</a>. New York: Basic Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-465-06990-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-465-06990-3"><bdi>978-0-465-06990-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=River+out+of+Eden&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=Basic+Books&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=978-0-465-06990-3&rft.au=Richard+Dawkins&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDawkins2006" class="citation book cs1">Dawkins, Richard (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/goddelusion00dawk_897">The God Delusion</a>. Houghton Mifflin. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/goddelusion00dawk_897/page/n109">99</a>–100. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-618-68000-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-618-68000-9"><bdi>978-0-618-68000-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+God+Delusion&rft.pages=99-100&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0-618-68000-9&rft.aulast=Dawkins&rft.aufirst=Richard&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fgoddelusion00dawk_897&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-unfit"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081013130816/http://www.astrobio.net/news/article226">"Complete Archive for Astrobiology Press Release, News Exclusive, News Briefs"</a>. Astrobiology Magazine. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Astrobiology+Magazine&rft.atitle=Complete+Archive+for+Astrobiology+Press+Release%2C+News+Exclusive%2C+News+Briefs&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astrobio.net%2Fnews%2Farticle226&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120314095044/http://www.nbi.dk/~emmeche/cePubl/97e.defLife.v3f.html">"Defining Life, Explaining Emergence"</a>. nbi.dk. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nbi.dk/~emmeche/cePubl/97e.defLife.v3f.html">the original</a> on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=nbi.dk&rft.atitle=Defining+Life%2C+Explaining+Emergence&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbi.dk%2F~emmeche%2FcePubl%2F97e.defLife.v3f.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-worldtransformation.com-39"><a href="#cite_ref-worldtransformation.com_39-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGriffith_J.2012" class="citation book cs1">Griffith J. (2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.worldtransformation.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/">"What is the Meaning of Life?"</a>. The Book of Real Answers to Everything!. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-74129-007-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-74129-007-3"><bdi>978-1-74129-007-3</bdi></a>. Retrieved 19 November 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=What+is+the+Meaning+of+Life%3F&rft.btitle=The+Book+of+Real+Answers+to+Everything%21&rft.date=2012&rft.isbn=978-1-74129-007-3&rft.au=Griffith+J.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldtransformation.com%2Fwhat-is-the-meaning-of-life%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSchrödinger1944" class="citation book cs1">Schrödinger, Erwin (1944). What is Life?. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-42708-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-42708-1"><bdi>978-0-521-42708-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+is+Life%3F&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1944&rft.isbn=978-0-521-42708-1&rft.aulast=Schr%C3%B6dinger&rft.aufirst=Erwin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMargulisSagan,_Dorion1995" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Lynn_Margulis" title="Lynn Margulis">Margulis, Lynn</a>; <a href="/wiki/Dorion_Sagan" title="Dorion Sagan">Sagan, Dorion</a> (1995). What is Life?. University of California Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-520-22021-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-520-22021-8"><bdi>978-0-520-22021-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+is+Life%3F&rft.pub=University+of+California+Press&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=978-0-520-22021-8&rft.aulast=Margulis&rft.aufirst=Lynn&rft.au=Sagan%2C+Dorion&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLovelock2000" class="citation book cs1">Lovelock, James (2000). Gaia – a New Look at Life on Earth. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-286218-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-286218-1"><bdi>978-0-19-286218-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Gaia+%E2%80%93+a+New+Look+at+Life+on+Earth&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-19-286218-1&rft.aulast=Lovelock&rft.aufirst=James&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAvery2003" class="citation book cs1">Avery, John (2003). Information Theory and Evolution. World Scientific. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-981-238-399-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-981-238-399-0"><bdi>978-981-238-399-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Information+Theory+and+Evolution&rft.pub=World+Scientific&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-981-238-399-0&rft.aulast=Avery&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFO'Dowd,_Matt,_Ph.D.2018" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Matt_O%27Dowd_(astrophysicist)" title="Matt O'Dowd (astrophysicist)">O'Dowd, Matt, Ph.D.</a> (11 April 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/GcfLZSL7YGw">"The Physics of Life (ft. It's Okay to be Smart & PBS Eons!) Space Time"</a>. PBS Space Time. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcfLZSL7YGw&t=3s&ab_channel=PBSSpaceTime">the original</a> on 30 October 2021.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Physics+of+Life+%28ft.+It%27s+Okay+to+be+Smart+%26+PBS+Eons%21%29+Space+Time&rft.pub=PBS+Space+Time&rft.date=2018-04-11&rft.au=O%27Dowd%2C+Matt%2C+Ph.D.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGcfLZSL7YGw%26t%3D3s%26ab_channel%3DPBSSpaceTime&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_web" title="Template:Cite web">cite web</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list">link</a>) </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDavison" class="citation web cs1">Davison, Paul G. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081101024755/http://www2.una.edu/pdavis/BI%20101/Overview%20Fall%202004.htm">"How to Define Life"</a>. The University of North Alabama. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www2.una.edu/pdavis/BI%20101/Overview%20Fall%202004.htm">the original</a> on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=How+to+Define+Life&rft.pub=The+University+of+North+Alabama&rft.aulast=Davison&rft.aufirst=Paul+G.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.una.edu%2Fpdavis%2FBI%2520101%2FOverview%2520Fall%25202004.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNeveuKimBenner2013" class="citation journal cs1">Neveu, M.; Kim, H.J.; Benner, S.A. (April 2013). "The "strong" RNA world hypothesis: fifty years old". Astrobiology. 13 (4): 391–403. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013AsBio..13..391N">2013AsBio..13..391N</a>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1089%2Fast.2012.0868">10.1089/ast.2012.0868</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23551238">23551238</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Astrobiology&rft.atitle=The+%22strong%22+RNA+world+hypothesis%3A+fifty+years+old&rft.volume=13&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E391-%3C%2Fspan%3E403&rft.date=2013-04&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F23551238&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1089%2Fast.2012.0868&rft_id=info%3Abibcode%2F2013AsBio..13..391N&rft.aulast=Neveu&rft.aufirst=M.&rft.au=Kim%2C+H.J.&rft.au=Benner%2C+S.A.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-47"><a href="#cite_ref-47">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCech2012" class="citation journal cs1">Cech, T.R. (July 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385955">"The RNA worlds in context"</a>. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 4 (7): a006742. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1101%2Fcshperspect.a006742">10.1101/cshperspect.a006742</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMC (identifier)">PMC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385955">3385955</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21441585">21441585</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Cold+Spring+Harb+Perspect+Biol&rft.atitle=The+RNA+worlds+in+context&rft.volume=4&rft.issue=7&rft.pages=a006742&rft.date=2012-07&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC3385955%23id-name%3DPMC&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F21441585&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1101%2Fcshperspect.a006742&rft.aulast=Cech&rft.aufirst=T.R.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC3385955&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bernstein1983-48">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bernstein1983_48-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bernstein1983_48-1">b</a> Bernstein, Harris; Byerly, Henry C.; Hopf, Frederick A.; Michod, Richard A.; Vemulapalli, G. Krishna (June 1983). "The Darwinian Dynamic". The Quarterly Review of Biology. 58 (2): 185. doi:10.1086/413216. JSTOR 2828805. S2CID 83956410 </li> <li id="cite_note-49"><a href="#cite_ref-49">^</a> Michod, Richard E. (2000). Darwinian Dynamics: Evolutionary Transitions in Fitness and Individuality. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05011-9 </li> <li id="cite_note-50"><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHelge_Kragh1996" class="citation book cs1">Helge Kragh (1996). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/cosmologycontrov00helg">Cosmology and Controversy</a>. Princeton University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-691-00546-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-691-00546-1"><bdi>978-0-691-00546-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Cosmology+and+Controversy&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=1996&rft.isbn=978-0-691-00546-1&rft.au=Helge+Kragh&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fcosmologycontrov00helg&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Prantzos_&_Lyle-51"><a href="#cite_ref-Prantzos_&_Lyle_51-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNikos_PrantzosStephen_Lyle2000" class="citation book cs1">Nikos Prantzos; Stephen Lyle (2000). Our Cosmic Future: Humanity's Fate in the Universe. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-77098-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-77098-9"><bdi>978-0-521-77098-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Our+Cosmic+Future%3A+Humanity%27s+Fate+in+the+Universe&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-521-77098-9&rft.au=Nikos+Prantzos&rft.au=Stephen+Lyle&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Edwards-52"><a href="#cite_ref-Edwards_52-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRem_B._Edwards2001" class="citation book cs1">Rem B. Edwards (2001). What Caused the Big Bang?. Rodopi. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-420-1407-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-90-420-1407-7"><bdi>978-90-420-1407-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+Caused+the+Big+Bang%3F&rft.pub=Rodopi&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-90-420-1407-7&rft.au=Rem+B.+Edwards&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Poplawski-53"><a href="#cite_ref-Poplawski_53-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPoplawski2010" class="citation book cs1">Poplawski, Nikodem J. (April 2010). Radial motion into an Einstein-Rosen bridge, Physics Letters B. Vol. 687. pp. 110–113.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Radial+motion+into+an+Einstein-Rosen+bridge%2C+Physics+Letters+B&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E110-%3C%2Fspan%3E113&rft.date=2010-04&rft.aulast=Poplawski&rft.aufirst=Nikodem+J.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Whitehouse-54"><a href="#cite_ref-Whitehouse_54-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHarvey_Whitehouse2001" class="citation book cs1">Harvey Whitehouse (2001). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/debatedmindevolu0000unse">The Debated Mind: Evolutionary Psychology Versus Ethnography</a>. Berg Publishers. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-85973-427-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-85973-427-8"><bdi>978-1-85973-427-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Debated+Mind%3A+Evolutionary+Psychology+Versus+Ethnography&rft.pub=Berg+Publishers&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-1-85973-427-8&rft.au=Harvey+Whitehouse&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fdebatedmindevolu0000unse&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Gray-55">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Gray_55-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Gray_55-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJeffrey_Alan_Gray2004" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Jeffrey_Alan_Gray" title="Jeffrey Alan Gray">Jeffrey Alan Gray</a> (2004). Consciousness: Creeping Up on the Hard Problem. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-852090-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-852090-0"><bdi>978-0-19-852090-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Consciousness%3A+Creeping+Up+on+the+Hard+Problem&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0-19-852090-0&rft.au=Jeffrey+Alan+Gray&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Churchland-56"><a href="#cite_ref-Churchland_56-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPaul_M._Churchland1989" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Paul_Churchland" title="Paul Churchland">Paul M. Churchland</a> (1989). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/neurocomputation0000chur">A Neurocomputational Perspective: The Nature of Mind and the Structure of Science</a>. MIT Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-262-53106-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-262-53106-1"><bdi>978-0-262-53106-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+Neurocomputational+Perspective%3A+The+Nature+of+Mind+and+the+Structure+of+Science&rft.pub=MIT+Press&rft.date=1989&rft.isbn=978-0-262-53106-1&rft.au=Paul+M.+Churchland&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fneurocomputation0000chur&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Dennett-57"><a href="#cite_ref-Dennett_57-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDaniel_Clement_Dennett1991" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Daniel_Dennett" title="Daniel Dennett">Daniel Clement Dennett</a> (1991). <a href="/wiki/Consciousness_Explained" title="Consciousness Explained">Consciousness Explained</a>. Little, Brown and Co. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-316-18066-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-316-18066-5"><bdi>978-0-316-18066-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Consciousness+Explained&rft.pub=Little%2C+Brown+and+Co.&rft.date=1991&rft.isbn=978-0-316-18066-5&rft.au=Daniel+Clement+Dennett&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Barrow,_Davies,_Harper-58">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Barrow,_Davies,_Harper_58-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Barrow,_Davies,_Harper_58-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_D._BarrowPaul_C.W._DaviesCharles_L._Harper2004" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/John_D._Barrow" title="John D. Barrow">John D. Barrow</a>; <a href="/wiki/Paul_Davies" title="Paul Davies">Paul C.W. Davies</a>; Charles L. Harper (2004). Science and Ultimate Reality: Quantum Theory, Cosmology and Complexity. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-83113-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-83113-0"><bdi>978-0-521-83113-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Science+and+Ultimate+Reality%3A+Quantum+Theory%2C+Cosmology+and+Complexity&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0-521-83113-0&rft.au=John+D.+Barrow&rft.au=Paul+C.W.+Davies&rft.au=Charles+L.+Harper&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Millay,_Heinze-59"><a href="#cite_ref-Millay,_Heinze_59-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJean_MillayRuth-Inge_Heinze1999" class="citation book cs1">Jean Millay; Ruth-Inge Heinze (1999). Multidimensional Mind: Remote Viewing in Hyperspace. North Atlantic Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55643-306-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55643-306-1"><bdi>978-1-55643-306-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Multidimensional+Mind%3A+Remote+Viewing+in+Hyperspace&rft.pub=North+Atlantic+Books&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=978-1-55643-306-1&rft.au=Jean+Millay&rft.au=Ruth-Inge+Heinze&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-60"><a href="#cite_ref-60">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMcFadden2002" class="citation journal cs1">McFadden, J. (2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20051218171922/http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/news/electromagnetic-field-theory-of-consciousness.htm">"Synchronous Firing and Its Influence on the Brain's Electromagnetic Field: Evidence for an Electromagnetic Field Theory of Consciousness"</a>. Journal of Consciousness Studies. 9 (4): 23–50. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/news/electromagnetic-field-theory-of-consciousness.htm">the original</a> on 18 December 2005.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Consciousness+Studies&rft.atitle=Synchronous+Firing+and+Its+Influence+on+the+Brain%27s+Electromagnetic+Field%3A+Evidence+for+an+Electromagnetic+Field+Theory+of+Consciousness&rft.volume=9&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E23-%3C%2Fspan%3E50&rft.date=2002&rft.aulast=McFadden&rft.aufirst=J.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindcontrolforums.com%2Fnews%2Felectromagnetic-field-theory-of-consciousness.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Buccheri_&_Di_Gesù_&_Saniga-61"><a href="#cite_ref-Buccheri_&_Di_Gesù_&_Saniga_61-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFR._BuccheriV._Di_GesùMetod_Saniga2000" class="citation book cs1">R. Buccheri; V. Di Gesù; Metod Saniga (2000). Studies on the Structure of Time: From Physics to Psycho(patho)logy. Springer. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-306-46439-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-306-46439-3"><bdi>978-0-306-46439-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Studies+on+the+Structure+of+Time%3A+From+Physics+to+Psycho%28patho%29logy&rft.pub=Springer&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-306-46439-3&rft.au=R.+Buccheri&rft.au=V.+Di+Ges%C3%B9&rft.au=Metod+Saniga&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bruce-62"><a href="#cite_ref-Bruce_62-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAlexandra_Bruce2005" class="citation book cs1">Alexandra Bruce (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/beyondbleep00alex">Beyond the Bleep: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to What the Bleep Do We Know!?</a>. The Disinformation Company. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-932857-22-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-932857-22-1"><bdi>978-1-932857-22-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Beyond+the+Bleep%3A+The+Definitive+Unauthorized+Guide+to+What+the+Bleep+Do+We+Know%21%3F&rft.pub=The+Disinformation+Company&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-1-932857-22-1&rft.au=Alexandra+Bruce&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fbeyondbleep00alex&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ho-63"><a href="#cite_ref-Ho_63-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMae-Wan_Ho1998" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Mae-Wan_Ho" title="Mae-Wan Ho">Mae-Wan Ho</a> (1998). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/rainbowwormphysi00homa_253">The Rainbow and the Worm: The Physics of Organisms</a>. World Scientific. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/rainbowwormphysi00homa_253/page/n239">218</a>–231. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-981-02-3427-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-981-02-3427-0"><bdi>978-981-02-3427-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Rainbow+and+the+Worm%3A+The+Physics+of+Organisms&rft.pages=218-231&rft.pub=World+Scientific&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=978-981-02-3427-0&rft.au=Mae-Wan+Ho&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Frainbowwormphysi00homa_253&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Akers-64"><a href="#cite_ref-Akers_64-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAkers,_C.1986" class="citation journal cs1">Akers, C. (1986). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150924071708/http://www.pesquisapsi.com/books/advances4rape/7_Methodological_Criticisms.html">"Methodological Criticisms of Parapsychology, Advances in Parapsychological Research 4"</a>. PesquisaPSI. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pesquisapsi.com/books/advances4rape/7_Methodological_Criticisms.html">the original</a> on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Methodological+Criticisms+of+Parapsychology%2C+Advances+in+Parapsychological+Research+4&rft.date=1986&rft.au=Akers%2C+C.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pesquisapsi.com%2Fbooks%2Fadvances4rape%2F7_Methodological_Criticisms.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> <code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_journal" title="Template:Cite journal">cite journal</a>}}</code>: Cite journal requires <code class="cs1-code">|journal=</code> (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#missing_periodical" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>) </li> <li id="cite_note-65"><a href="#cite_ref-65">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChild,_I.L.1987" class="citation journal cs1">Child, I.L. (1987). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223410/http://www.pesquisapsi.com/books/advances5/6_Criticism_in_Experimental.html">"Criticism in Experimental Parapsychology, Advances in Parapsychological Research 5"</a>. PesquisaPSI. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pesquisapsi.com/books/advances5/6_Criticism_in_Experimental.html">the original</a> on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Criticism+in+Experimental+Parapsychology%2C+Advances+in+Parapsychological+Research+5&rft.date=1987&rft.au=Child%2C+I.L.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pesquisapsi.com%2Fbooks%2Fadvances5%2F6_Criticism_in_Experimental.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> <code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_journal" title="Template:Cite journal">cite journal</a>}}</code>: Cite journal requires <code class="cs1-code">|journal=</code> (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#missing_periodical" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>) </li> <li id="cite_note-66"><a href="#cite_ref-66">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWisemanSmith,_Matthew1996" class="citation journal cs1">Wiseman, Richard; Smith, Matthew; et al. (1996). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20120709230555/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2320/is_n2_v60/ai_18960809/">"Exploring possible sender-to-experimenter acoustic leakage in the PRL autoganzfeld experiments – Psychophysical Research Laboratories"</a>. The Journal of Parapsychology. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2320/is_n2_v60/ai_18960809">the original</a> on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Journal+of+Parapsychology&rft.atitle=Exploring+possible+sender-to-experimenter+acoustic+leakage+in+the+PRL+autoganzfeld+experiments+%E2%80%93+Psychophysical+Research+Laboratories&rft.date=1996&rft.aulast=Wiseman&rft.aufirst=Richard&rft.au=Smith%2C+Matthew&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ffindarticles.com%2Fp%2Farticles%2Fmi_m2320%2Fis_n2_v60%2Fai_18960809&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-67"><a href="#cite_ref-67">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLobachBierman,_D.2004" class="citation web cs1">Lobach, E.; Bierman, D. (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070810173433/https://www.parapsych.org/papers/07.pdf">"The Invisible Gaze: Three Attempts to Replicate Sheldrake's Staring Effects"</a> (PDF). Proceedings of the 47th PA Convention. pp. 77–90. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.parapsych.org/papers/07.pdf">the original</a> (PDF) on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+47th+PA+Convention&rft.atitle=The+Invisible+Gaze%3A+Three+Attempts+to+Replicate+Sheldrake%27s+Staring+Effects&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E77-%3C%2Fspan%3E90&rft.date=2004&rft.aulast=Lobach&rft.aufirst=E.&rft.au=Bierman%2C+D.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parapsych.org%2Fpapers%2F07.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-68"><a href="#cite_ref-68">^</a> Reker, G.T., & Wong, P.T.P. (1988). Aging as an individual process: Towards a theory of personal meaning. In J.E. Birren, & V.L. Bengston (Eds.), Emergent theories of aging (pp. 214–246). New York: Springer. </li> <li id="cite_note-69"><a href="#cite_ref-69">^</a> Martela, F., & Steger, M.F. (2016). The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(5), 531–545. </li> <li id="cite_note-70"><a href="#cite_ref-70">^</a> Wong, P.T.P. (2011). Positive psychology 2.0: Towards a balanced interactive model of the good life. Canadian Psychology, 52(2), 69–81. </li> <li id="cite_note-:3-71">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:3_71-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:3_71-1">b</a> Wong, P.T.P. (2012). From Logotherapy to Meaning-Centered Counseling and Therapy. In P.T.P. Wong (Ed.), The Human Quest for Meaning: Theories, Research, and Applications (2nd ed., pp. 619–647). New York: Routledge. </li> <li id="cite_note-72"><a href="#cite_ref-72">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMetz2013" class="citation book cs1">Metz, Thaddeus (2013). Meaning in Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-959931-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-959931-8"><bdi>978-0-19-959931-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Meaning+in+Life&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-0-19-959931-8&rft.aulast=Metz&rft.aufirst=Thaddeus&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-73"><a href="#cite_ref-73">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHaybron2013" class="citation book cs1">Haybron, Daniel M. (2013). Happiness: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-959060-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-959060-5"><bdi>978-0-19-959060-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Happiness%3A+A+Very+Short+Introduction&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-0-19-959060-5&rft.aulast=Haybron&rft.aufirst=Daniel+M.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-74"><a href="#cite_ref-74">^</a> Kidd, I., "Cynicism," in The Concise Encyclopedia of Western Philosophy, (eds. <a href="/wiki/J.O._Urmson" class="mw-redirect" title="J.O. Urmson">J.O. Urmson</a> and <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_R%C3%A9e" title="Jonathan Rée">Jonathan Rée</a>), Routledge, (2005). </li> <li id="cite_note-75"><a href="#cite_ref-75">^</a> Long, A.A., "The Socratic Tradition: Diogenes, Crates, and Hellenistic Ethics," in The Cynics: The Cynic Movement in Antiquity and Its Legacy. (eds. Branham and Goulet-Cazé), University of California Press, (1996). </li> <li id="cite_note-76"><a href="#cite_ref-76">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/">"Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy"</a>. utm.edu.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=utm.edu&rft.atitle=Internet+Encyclopedia+of+Philosophy&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iep.utm.edu%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-77"><a href="#cite_ref-77">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200522152806/https://www.hedonism.org/">"The Future of Hardcore Hedonism"</a>. hedonism.org. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.hedonism.org">the original</a> on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=hedonism.org&rft.atitle=The+Future+of+Hardcore+Hedonism&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hedonism.org&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-78"><a href="#cite_ref-78">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Epicurus" title="Epicurus">Epicurus</a>, "Letter to Menoeceus", contained in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book X. </li> <li id="cite_note-Russel-79">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Russel_79-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Russel_79-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Russel_79-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Russel_79-3">d</a> <a href="/wiki/Bertrand_Russell" title="Bertrand Russell">Bertrand Russell</a> (1946). <a href="/wiki/History_of_Western_Philosophy_(Russell)" class="mw-redirect" title="History of Western Philosophy (Russell)">A History of Western Philosophy</a>, New York: Simon and Schuster; London: George Allen and Unwin. </li> <li id="cite_note-80"><a href="#cite_ref-80">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://iep.utm.edu/mean-ear/">"Meaning of Life, The: Early Continental and Analytic Perspectives | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy"</a>. Retrieved 28 December 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Meaning+of+Life%2C+The%3A+Early+Continental+and+Analytic+Perspectives+%7C+Internet+Encyclopedia+of+Philosophy&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fiep.utm.edu%2Fmean-ear%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-81"><a href="#cite_ref-81">^</a> Rosen, Frederick (2003). Classical Utilitarianism from Hume to Mill. Routledge, p. 28. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-22094-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-415-22094-7">0-415-22094-7</a>. "It was Hume and Bentham who then reasserted most strongly the Epicurean doctrine concerning utility as the basis of justice." </li> <li id="cite_note-Mill-82"><a href="#cite_ref-Mill_82-0">^</a> Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty, ed. Himmelfarb. Penguin Classics, 1974, ed.'s introduction, p. 11. </li> <li id="cite_note-Bindé-83">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bindé_83-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bindé_83-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJérôme_Bindé2004" class="citation book cs1">Jérôme Bindé (2004). The Future of Values: 21st-Century Talks. Berghahn Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57181-442-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-57181-442-5"><bdi>978-1-57181-442-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Future+of+Values%3A+21st-Century+Talks&rft.pub=Berghahn+Books&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-1-57181-442-5&rft.au=J%C3%A9r%C3%B4me+Bind%C3%A9&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Reginster-84">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Reginster_84-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Reginster_84-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Reginster_84-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBernard_Reginster2006" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Bernard_Reginster" title="Bernard Reginster">Bernard Reginster</a> (2006). The Affirmation of Life: Nietzsche on Overcoming Nihilism. Harvard University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-02199-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-674-02199-0"><bdi>978-0-674-02199-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Affirmation+of+Life%3A+Nietzsche+on+Overcoming+Nihilism&rft.pub=Harvard+University+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0-674-02199-0&rft.au=Bernard+Reginster&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-85"><a href="#cite_ref-85">^</a> Heidegger, "The Word of Nietzsche," 61. </li> <li id="cite_note-86"><a href="#cite_ref-86">^</a> Camus (1946) L'Etranger. </li> <li id="cite_note-87"><a href="#cite_ref-87">^</a> Camus (1955) The Myth of Sisyphus. </li> <li id="cite_note-88"><a href="#cite_ref-88">^</a> For example, see <a href="/wiki/Hygiene" title="Hygiene">hygiene</a>, <a href="/wiki/Antibiotic" title="Antibiotic">antibiotics</a> and <a href="/wiki/Vaccination" title="Vaccination">vaccination</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-James-89"><a href="#cite_ref-James_89-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilliam_James1909" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/William_James" title="William James">William James</a> (1909). The Meaning of Truth. Prometheus Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57392-138-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-57392-138-1"><bdi>978-1-57392-138-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Meaning+of+Truth&rft.pub=Prometheus+Books&rft.date=1909&rft.isbn=978-1-57392-138-1&rft.au=William+James&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Corti-90"><a href="#cite_ref-Corti_90-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWalter_Robert_Corti1976" class="citation book cs1">Walter Robert Corti (1976). The Philosophy of William James. Meiner Verlag. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-7873-0352-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-3-7873-0352-6"><bdi>978-3-7873-0352-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Philosophy+of+William+James&rft.pub=Meiner+Verlag&rft.date=1976&rft.isbn=978-3-7873-0352-6&rft.au=Walter+Robert+Corti&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Theistic_Perspectives_on_the_Meaning_of_Life-91"><a href="#cite_ref-Theistic_Perspectives_on_the_Meaning_of_Life_91-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~morourke/446-phil/05%20Spring/Handouts/Philosophical/Theistic%20Perspectives-MOL.htm">"Philosophy 446: Theistic Perspectives on the Meaning of Life"</a>. www.webpages.uidaho.edu. Retrieved 13 July 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.webpages.uidaho.edu&rft.atitle=Philosophy+446%3A+Theistic+Perspectives+on+the+Meaning+of+Life&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webpages.uidaho.edu%2F~morourke%2F446-phil%2F05%2520Spring%2FHandouts%2FPhilosophical%2FTheistic%2520Perspectives-MOL.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Hall-92"><a href="#cite_ref-Hall_92-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAmy_Laura_Hall2002" class="citation book cs1">Amy Laura Hall (2002). Kierkegaard and the Treachery of Love. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-89311-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-89311-4"><bdi>978-0-521-89311-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Kierkegaard+and+the+Treachery+of+Love&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-0-521-89311-4&rft.au=Amy+Laura+Hall&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Jacquette-93"><a href="#cite_ref-Jacquette_93-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDale_Jacquette1996" class="citation book cs1">Dale Jacquette (1996). Schopenhauer, Philosophy, and the Arts. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-47388-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-47388-0"><bdi>978-0-521-47388-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Schopenhauer%2C+Philosophy%2C+and+the+Arts&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1996&rft.isbn=978-0-521-47388-0&rft.au=Dale+Jacquette&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Murray-94"><a href="#cite_ref-Murray_94-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDurno_Murray1999" class="citation book cs1">Durno Murray (1999). Nietzsche's Affirmative Morality. Walter de Gruyter. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-11-016601-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-3-11-016601-9"><bdi>978-3-11-016601-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Nietzsche%27s+Affirmative+Morality&rft.pub=Walter+de+Gruyter&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=978-3-11-016601-9&rft.au=Durno+Murray&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-KierkegaardSuD-95"><a href="#cite_ref-KierkegaardSuD_95-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKierkegaard1941" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard" title="Søren Kierkegaard">Kierkegaard, Søren</a> (1941). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189042">The Sickness Unto Death</a>. Princeton University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4486-7502-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4486-7502-9"><bdi>978-1-4486-7502-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Sickness+Unto+Death&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=1941&rft.isbn=978-1-4486-7502-9&rft.aulast=Kierkegaard&rft.aufirst=S%C3%B8ren&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fin.ernet.dli.2015.189042&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-96"><a href="#cite_ref-96">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKierkegaard1941" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard" title="Søren Kierkegaard">Kierkegaard, Søren</a> (1941). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189042">The Sickness Unto Death</a>. Princeton University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4486-7502-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4486-7502-9"><bdi>978-1-4486-7502-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Sickness+Unto+Death&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=1941&rft.isbn=978-1-4486-7502-9&rft.aulast=Kierkegaard&rft.aufirst=S%C3%B8ren&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fin.ernet.dli.2015.189042&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988">, Part I, Ch. 3. </li> <li id="cite_note-humanifesto1-97">^ <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto1_97-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto1_97-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto1_97-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto1_97-3">d</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070730070437/http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto1.html">"Humanist Manifesto I"</a>. American Humanist Association. 1933. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto1.html">the original</a> on 30 July 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=American+Humanist+Association&rft.atitle=Humanist+Manifesto+I&rft.date=1933&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanhumanist.org%2Fabout%2Fmanifesto1.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-humanifesto2-98">^ <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto2_98-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto2_98-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto2_98-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070809102124/http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto2.html">"Humanist Manifesto II"</a>. American Humanist Association. 1973. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto2.html">the original</a> on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=American+Humanist+Association&rft.atitle=Humanist+Manifesto+II&rft.date=1973&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanhumanist.org%2Fabout%2Fmanifesto2.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-humanifesto3-99">^ <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto3_99-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto3_99-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-humanifesto3_99-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070809103515/http://www.americanhumanist.org/3/HumandItsAspirations.php">"Humanist Manifesto III"</a>. American Humanist Association. 2003. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.americanhumanist.org/3/HumandItsAspirations.php">the original</a> on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=American+Humanist+Association&rft.atitle=Humanist+Manifesto+III&rft.date=2003&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanhumanist.org%2F3%2FHumandItsAspirations.php&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-CDSH-100"><a href="#cite_ref-CDSH_100-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080817084107/http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=declaration">"A Secular Humanist Declaration"</a>. Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (now the Council for Secular Humanism). 1980. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=declaration">the original</a> on 17 August 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Council+for+Democratic+and+Secular+Humanism+%28now+the+Council+for+Secular+Humanism%29&rft.atitle=A+Secular+Humanist+Declaration&rft.date=1980&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.secularhumanism.org%2Findex.php%3Fsection%3Dmain%26page%3Ddeclaration&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-101"><a href="#cite_ref-101">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNick_Bostrom2005" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Nick_Bostrom" title="Nick Bostrom">Nick Bostrom</a> (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070701062134/http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.html">"Transhumanist Values"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Oxford_University" class="mw-redirect" title="Oxford University">Oxford University</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.html">the original</a> on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Oxford+University&rft.atitle=Transhumanist+Values&rft.date=2005&rft.au=Nick+Bostrom&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nickbostrom.com%2Fethics%2Fvalues.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-102"><a href="#cite_ref-102">^</a> Irvin Yalom, Existential Psychotherapy, 1980. </li> <li id="cite_note-103"><a href="#cite_ref-103">^</a> See also: <a href="/wiki/Existential_therapy" title="Existential therapy">Existential therapy</a> and <a href="/wiki/Irvin_D._Yalom" title="Irvin D. Yalom">Irvin D. Yalom</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-104"><a href="#cite_ref-104">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRichard_Taylor1970" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Richard_Taylor_(philosopher)" title="Richard Taylor (philosopher)">Richard Taylor</a> (1970). "Chapter 5: The Meaning of Life". Good and Evil. Macmillan Publishing Company. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-02-616690-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-02-616690-4"><bdi>978-0-02-616690-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Chapter+5%3A+The+Meaning+of+Life&rft.btitle=Good+and+Evil&rft.pub=Macmillan+Publishing+Company&rft.date=1970&rft.isbn=978-0-02-616690-4&rft.au=Richard+Taylor&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-105"><a href="#cite_ref-105">^</a> Wohlgennant, Rudolph. (1981). "Has the Question about the Meaning of Life any Meaning?" (Chapter 4). In E. Morscher, ed., Philosophie als Wissenschaft. </li> <li id="cite_note-106"><a href="#cite_ref-106">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMcNaughton1988" class="citation book cs1">McNaughton, David (August 1988). "Section 1.5: Moral Freedom and the Meaning of Life". Moral Vision: An Introduction to Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-631-15945-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-631-15945-2"><bdi>978-0-631-15945-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Section+1.5%3A+Moral+Freedom+and+the+Meaning+of+Life&rft.btitle=Moral+Vision%3A+An+Introduction+to+Ethics&rft.pub=Oxford%3A+Blackwell+Publishing&rft.date=1988-08&rft.isbn=978-0-631-15945-2&rft.aulast=McNaughton&rft.aufirst=David&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-107"><a href="#cite_ref-107">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRussell1961" class="citation cs2"><a href="/wiki/Bertrand_Russell" title="Bertrand Russell">Russell, Bertrand</a> (1961), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071114144956/http://www.solstice.us/russell/science-ethics.html">Science and Ethics</a>, archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.solstice.us/russell/science-ethics.html">the original</a> on 14 November 2007</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Science+and+Ethics&rft.date=1961&rft.aulast=Russell&rft.aufirst=Bertrand&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.solstice.us%2Frussell%2Fscience-ethics.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988">. </li> <li id="cite_note-108"><a href="#cite_ref-108">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://markturner.org/blendaphor.html">"BLENDING AND METAPHOR"</a>. markturner.org. Retrieved 28 February 2023.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=markturner.org&rft.atitle=BLENDING+AND+METAPHOR&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fmarkturner.org%2Fblendaphor.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-109"><a href="#cite_ref-109">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLandau2018" class="citation journal cs1">Landau, Mark J. (March 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5889147">"Using Metaphor to Find Meaning in Life"</a>. Review of General Psychology. 22 (1): 62–72. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fgpr0000105">10.1037/gpr0000105</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMC (identifier)">PMC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5889147">5889147</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29632431">29632431</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Review+of+General+Psychology&rft.atitle=Using+Metaphor+to+Find+Meaning+in+Life&rft.volume=22&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E62-%3C%2Fspan%3E72&rft.date=2018-03&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC5889147%23id-name%3DPMC&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F29632431&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1037%2Fgpr0000105&rft.aulast=Landau&rft.aufirst=Mark+J.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC5889147&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-philosophers-110"><a href="#cite_ref-philosophers_110-0">^</a> One Hundred Philosophers: A Guide to the World's Greatest Thinkers Peter J. King. </li> <li id="cite_note-111"><a href="#cite_ref-111">^</a> Tu, Wei-Ming. Confucian Thought: Selfhood as Creative Transformation. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1985. </li> <li id="cite_note-112"><a href="#cite_ref-112">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Book_of_Exodus" title="Book of Exodus">Exodus</a> 19:6. </li> <li id="cite_note-113"><a href="#cite_ref-113">^</a> Maimonides' Confrontation with Mysticism, Menachem Kellner, Littman Library. Particularly the parable of the King's Palace in divine worship, in the <a href="/wiki/Guide_for_the_Perplexed" class="mw-redirect" title="Guide for the Perplexed">Guide for the Perplexed</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Cohn-Sherbok-114"><a href="#cite_ref-Cohn-Sherbok_114-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDan_Cohn-Sherbok2003" class="citation book cs1">Dan Cohn-Sherbok (2003). Judaism: History, Belief, and Practice. Routledge. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-23661-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-415-23661-4"><bdi>978-0-415-23661-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Judaism%3A+History%2C+Belief%2C+and+Practice&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-0-415-23661-4&rft.au=Dan+Cohn-Sherbok&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Heschel-115"><a href="#cite_ref-Heschel_115-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAbraham_Joshua_Heschel2005" class="citation book cs1">Abraham Joshua Heschel (2005). Heavenly Torah: As Refracted Through the Generations. Continuum International Publishing Group. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8264-0802-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8264-0802-0"><bdi>978-0-8264-0802-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Heavenly+Torah%3A+As+Refracted+Through+the+Generations&rft.pub=Continuum+International+Publishing+Group&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-8264-0802-0&rft.au=Abraham+Joshua+Heschel&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Shuchat-116"><a href="#cite_ref-Shuchat_116-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilfred_Shuchat2006" class="citation book cs1">Wilfred Shuchat (2006). The Garden of Eden & the Struggle to Be Human: According to the Midrash Rabbah. Devora Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-932687-31-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-932687-31-6"><bdi>978-1-932687-31-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Garden+of+Eden+%26+the+Struggle+to+Be+Human%3A+According+to+the+Midrash+Rabbah&rft.pub=Devora+Publishing&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-1-932687-31-6&rft.au=Wilfred+Shuchat&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Braham-117"><a href="#cite_ref-Braham_117-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRandolph_L._Braham1983" class="citation book cs1">Randolph L. Braham (1983). Contemporary Views on the Holocaust. Springer. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-89838-141-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-89838-141-2"><bdi>978-0-89838-141-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Contemporary+Views+on+the+Holocaust&rft.pub=Springer&rft.date=1983&rft.isbn=978-0-89838-141-2&rft.au=Randolph+L.+Braham&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-118"><a href="#cite_ref-118">^</a> Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction, Joseph Dan, Oxford University Press, Chapter "Early modern era: Safed spirituality". </li> <li id="cite_note-119"><a href="#cite_ref-119">^</a> Habad intellectual Hasidic thought: source text <a href="/wiki/Tanya_(Judaism)" title="Tanya (Judaism)">Tanya</a> I: 36, 49; secondary text Heaven on Earth, Faitel Levin, Kehot publications. </li> <li id="cite_note-120"><a href="#cite_ref-120">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/the-new-seven-wonders-of-the-world/story-s994IbVb38xNOwRFjoCr2L.html">"The new Seven Wonders of the World"</a>. Hindustan Times. 8 July 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2024.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Hindustan+Times&rft.atitle=The+new+Seven+Wonders+of+the+World&rft.date=2007-07-08&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2Fworld%2Fthe-new-seven-wonders-of-the-world%2Fstory-s994IbVb38xNOwRFjoCr2L.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-121"><a href="#cite_ref-121">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Gospel_of_John" title="Gospel of John">John</a> 11:26. </li> <li id="cite_note-122"><a href="#cite_ref-122">^</a> John 3:16–21; 2 Peter 3:9. </li> <li id="cite_note-123"><a href="#cite_ref-123">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a>, <a href="/wiki/Acts" class="mw-redirect" title="Acts">Acts</a> 17:26–27, <a href="/wiki/NKJV" class="mw-redirect" title="NKJV">NKJV</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-124"><a href="#cite_ref-124">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBower2021" class="citation web cs1">Bower, John (25 March 2021). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-westminster-confession/">"9 Things You Should Know About The Westminster Confession"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=9+Things+You+Should+Know+About+The+Westminster+Confession&rft.date=2021-03-25&rft.aulast=Bower&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegospelcoalition.org%2Farticle%2F9-things-westminster-confession%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Westminster-125"><a href="#cite_ref-Westminster_125-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080311000717/http://www.creeds.net/reformed/Westminster/shorter_catechism.html">"The Westminster Shorter Catechism"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.creeds.net/reformed/Westminster/shorter_catechism.html">the original</a> on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Westminster+Shorter+Catechism&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.creeds.net%2Freformed%2FWestminster%2Fshorter_catechism.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-126"><a href="#cite_ref-126">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/balt/balt1.htm">"The Baltimore Catechism"</a>. Retrieved 12 June 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Baltimore+Catechism&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sacred-texts.com%2Fchr%2Fbalt%2Fbalt1.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-127"><a href="#cite_ref-127">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p4.htm#294">Catechism of the Catholic Church 294</a> </li> <li id="cite_note-128"><a href="#cite_ref-128">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a4p2.htm#601">Catechism of the Catholic Church 601</a> </li> <li id="cite_note-Gospel_Principles-129">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Gospel_Principles_129-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Gospel_Principles_129-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190710171937/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng">"Gospel Principles"</a>. churchofjesuschrist.org. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng">the original</a> on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2017.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=churchofjesuschrist.org&rft.atitle=Gospel+Principles&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fmanual%2Fgospel-principles%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-130"><a href="#cite_ref-130">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2">"2 Nephi 2"</a>. www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 14 July 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.churchofjesuschrist.org&rft.atitle=2+Nephi+2&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Feng%2Fscriptures%2Fbofm%2F2-ne%2F2&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-131"><a href="#cite_ref-131">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/pgp/moses/6">"Moses 6"</a>. www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 14 July 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.churchofjesuschrist.org&rft.atitle=Moses+6&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Feng%2Fscriptures%2Fpgp%2Fmoses%2F6&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-132"><a href="#cite_ref-132">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/138?lang=eng">"Doctrine and Covenants 138"</a>. churchofjesuschrist.org.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=churchofjesuschrist.org&rft.atitle=Doctrine+and+Covenants+138&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fdc-testament%2Fdc%2F138%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-133"><a href="#cite_ref-133">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDrake-Brockman2012" class="citation book cs1">Drake-Brockman, Tom (2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://christianhumanism.webs.com/">Christian Humanism: The Compassionate Theology of a Jew Called Jesus</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Christian+Humanism%3A+The+Compassionate+Theology+of+a+Jew+Called+Jesus&rft.date=2012&rft.aulast=Drake-Brockman&rft.aufirst=Tom&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fchristianhumanism.webs.com%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-134"><a href="#cite_ref-134">^</a> Quran <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=4">2:4</a>, Quran <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=285">2:285</a>, Quran <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=136">4:136</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-135"><a href="#cite_ref-135">^</a> In most English translations of Qur'an 51:56 translates the last word to "worship", but any Arabic (and Urdu) speaking person can confirm that "ABADON" means to follow the Will of Allah (NOT worship). This is relevant because the Will of Allah is not just to worship HIM; to be just and good with humanity is equally important. </li> <li id="cite_note-136"><a href="#cite_ref-136">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130530225629/http://iqra.net/Hadith/judgement.php">"The Day of Judgement"</a>. Iqra.net. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://iqra.net/Hadith/judgement.php">the original</a> on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Iqra.net&rft.atitle=The+Day+of+Judgement&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fiqra.net%2FHadith%2Fjudgement.php&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-137"><a href="#cite_ref-137">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation encyclopaedia cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295625/Pillars-of-Islam">"Pillars of Islam"</a>. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2 May 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Pillars+of+Islam&rft.btitle=Encyclop%C3%A6dia+Britannica+Online&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2FEBchecked%2Ftopic%2F295625%2FPillars-of-Islam&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-138"><a href="#cite_ref-138">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Sahih_Muslim" title="Sahih Muslim">Sahih Muslim</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/19700101010101/http://cmje.usc.edu/religious-texts/hadith/muslim/001-smt.php#001.0001">1:1</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Commentary_on_the_Islamic_Tradition_"I_Was_a_Hidden_Treasure_..."-139"><a href="#cite_ref-Commentary_on_the_Islamic_Tradition_"I_Was_a_Hidden_Treasure_..."_139-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBahá" class="citation web cs1">Bahá, Abdu'l. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://bahai-library.com/abdulbaha_kuntu_kanzan_makhfiyyan">"Commentary on the Islamic Tradition "I Was a Hidden Treasure ...""</a>. Baháʼí Studies Bulletin. Retrieved 3 August 2013.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+Studies+Bulletin&rft.atitle=Commentary+on+the+Islamic+Tradition+%22I+Was+a+Hidden+Treasure+...%22&rft.aulast=Bah%C3%A1&rft.aufirst=Abdu%27l&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fbahai-library.com%2Fabdulbaha_kuntu_kanzan_makhfiyyan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-SUMMARY_OF_THE_FUSÛS-140"><a href="#cite_ref-SUMMARY_OF_THE_FUSÛS_140-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChittick" class="citation web cs1">Chittick, William C. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/articlespdf/naqshalfusus.pdf">"The Imprint of the Bezels of the Wisdom"</a> (PDF). Ibn 'Arabi's Own Summary of the Fusûs. Retrieved 3 August 2013.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Ibn+%27Arabi%27s+Own+Summary+of+the+Fus%C3%BBs&rft.atitle=The+Imprint+of+the+Bezels+of+the+Wisdom&rft.aulast=Chittick&rft.aufirst=William+C.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibnarabisociety.org%2Farticlespdf%2Fnaqshalfusus.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-141"><a href="#cite_ref-141">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bahaism">"Bahaism." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language</a> (Fourth ed.). Houghton Mifflin Company. 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=%22Bahaism.%22+The+American+Heritage+Dictionary+of+the+English+Language&rft.edition=Fourth&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin+Company&rft.date=2007&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fbrowse%2Fbahaism&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-142"><a href="#cite_ref-142">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSmith1999" class="citation book cs1">Smith, P. (1999). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/325">A Concise Encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith</a>. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/325">325–328</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-85168-184-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-85168-184-6"><bdi>978-1-85168-184-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+Concise+Encyclopedia+of+the+Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD+Faith&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pages=325-328&rft.pub=Oneworld+Publications&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=978-1-85168-184-6&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=P.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fconciseencyclope0000smit%2Fpage%2F325&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-143"><a href="#cite_ref-143">^</a> For a more detailed Baháʼí perspective, see <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090829233333/http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-6.html">"'The Purpose of Life' Baháʼí Topics An Information Resource of the Baháʼí International Community"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-6.html">the original</a> on 29 August 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2009.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=%3Cspan+style%3D%22padding-left%3A0.15em%3B%22%3E%26%2339%3B%3C%2Fspan%3EThe+Purpose+of+Life%27+Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+Topics+An+Information+Resource+of+the+Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+International+Community&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Finfo.bahai.org%2Farticle-1-4-0-6.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-weightman-144"><a href="#cite_ref-weightman_144-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSimon_Weightman1998" class="citation book cs1">Simon Weightman (1998). "Hinduism". In Hinnells, John (ed.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780140514070">The new Penguin handbook of living religions</a>. <a href="/wiki/Penguin_books" class="mw-redirect" title="Penguin books">Penguin books</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-14-051480-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-14-051480-3"><bdi>978-0-14-051480-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Hinduism&rft.btitle=The+new+Penguin+handbook+of+living+religions&rft.pub=Penguin+books&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=978-0-14-051480-3&rft.au=Simon+Weightman&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780140514070&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-monierwilliams-145">^ <a href="#cite_ref-monierwilliams_145-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-monierwilliams_145-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMonier_Monier-Williams1974" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Monier_Monier-Williams" title="Monier Monier-Williams">Monier Monier-Williams</a> (1974). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=U5IBXA4UpT0C">Brahmanism and Hinduism: Or, Religious Thought and Life in India, as Based on the Veda and Other Sacred Books of the Hindus</a>. Elibron Classics. Adamant Media Corporation. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4212-6531-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4212-6531-5"><bdi>978-1-4212-6531-5</bdi></a>. Retrieved 8 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Brahmanism+and+Hinduism%3A+Or%2C+Religious+Thought+and+Life+in+India%2C+as+Based+on+the+Veda+and+Other+Sacred+Books+of+the+Hindus&rft.series=Elibron+Classics&rft.pub=Adamant+Media+Corporation&rft.date=1974&rft.isbn=978-1-4212-6531-5&rft.au=Monier+Monier-Williams&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DU5IBXA4UpT0C&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-146"><a href="#cite_ref-146">^</a> For dharma, artha, and kama as "brahmanic householder values" see: Flood (1996), p. 17. </li> <li id="cite_note-147"><a href="#cite_ref-147">^</a> For the Dharma Śāstras as discussing the "four main goals of life" (dharma, artha, kama, and moksha) see: Hopkins, p. 78. </li> <li id="cite_note-148"><a href="#cite_ref-148">^</a> For definition of the term पुरुष-अर्थ (puruṣa-artha) as "any of the four principal objects of human life, i.e. धर्म, अर्थ, काम, and मोक्ष" see: Apte, p. 626, Middle column, Compound #1. </li> <li id="cite_note-bhaskaranandaessential-149"><a href="#cite_ref-bhaskaranandaessential_149-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBhaskarananda1994" class="citation book cs1">Bhaskarananda, Swami (1994). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781884852022">The Essentials of Hinduism: A Comprehensive Overview of the World's Oldest Religion</a>. Seattle, WA: Viveka Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-884852-02-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-884852-02-2"><bdi>978-1-884852-02-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Essentials+of+Hinduism%3A+A+Comprehensive+Overview+of+the+World%27s+Oldest+Religion&rft.place=Seattle%2C+WA&rft.pub=Viveka+Press&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=978-1-884852-02-2&rft.aulast=Bhaskarananda&rft.aufirst=Swami&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9781884852022&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-150"><a href="#cite_ref-150">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFVivekananda1987" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda" title="Swami Vivekananda">Vivekananda, Swami</a> (1987). Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-85301-75-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-81-85301-75-4"><bdi>978-81-85301-75-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Complete+Works+of+Swami+Vivekananda&rft.place=Calcutta&rft.pub=Advaita+Ashrama&rft.date=1987&rft.isbn=978-81-85301-75-4&rft.aulast=Vivekananda&rft.aufirst=Swami&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-werner-151">^ <a href="#cite_ref-werner_151-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-werner_151-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWerner1994" class="citation book cs1">Werner, Karel (1994). "Hinduism". In Hinnells, John (ed.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/populardictionar0000wern">A Popular Dictionary of Hinduism</a>. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7007-0279-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7007-0279-4"><bdi>978-0-7007-0279-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Hinduism&rft.btitle=A+Popular+Dictionary+of+Hinduism&rft.place=Richmond%2C+Surrey&rft.pub=Curzon+Press&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=978-0-7007-0279-4&rft.aulast=Werner&rft.aufirst=Karel&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fpopulardictionar0000wern&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-152"><a href="#cite_ref-152">^</a> See also the Vedic statement "Ayam Ātmā Brahma" (This <a href="/wiki/%C4%80tman_(Hinduism)" title="Ātman (Hinduism)">Ātman</a> is <a href="/wiki/Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a>). </li> <li id="cite_note-153"><a href="#cite_ref-153">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGupta2007" class="citation book cs1">Gupta, Ravi M. (2007). Gavin Flood; University of Stirling (eds.). The Chaitanya Vaishnava Vedanta of Jiva Gosvami When Knowledge Meets Devotion. Routledge. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-40548-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-415-40548-5"><bdi>978-0-415-40548-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Chaitanya+Vaishnava+Vedanta+of+Jiva+Gosvami+When+Knowledge+Meets+Devotion&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-0-415-40548-5&rft.aulast=Gupta&rft.aufirst=Ravi+M.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-154"><a href="#cite_ref-154">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110525061446/http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9901/ET05-2795.html">"Tantric Literature And Gaudiya Vaishnavism"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9901/ET05-2795.html">the original</a> on 25 May 2011.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Tantric+Literature+And+Gaudiya+Vaishnavism&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vnn.org%2Feditorials%2FET9901%2FET05-2795.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-155"><a href="#cite_ref-155">^</a> Shah, Natubhai. Jainism: The World of Conquerors. Sussex Academic Press, 1998. </li> <li id="cite_note-156"><a href="#cite_ref-156">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070614110256/http://www.retoday.org.uk/pdfs/dre/viren.pdf">"Viren, Jain"</a> (PDF). RE Today. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.retoday.org.uk/pdfs/dre/viren.pdf">the original</a> (PDF) on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Viren%2C+Jain&rft.pub=RE+Today&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.retoday.org.uk%2Fpdfs%2Fdre%2Fviren.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-157"><a href="#cite_ref-157">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20091111202249/http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html">"The Four Noble Truths"</a>. Thebigview.com. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html">the original</a> on 11 November 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2009.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Four+Noble+Truths&rft.pub=Thebigview.com&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebigview.com%2Fbuddhism%2Ffourtruths.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-158"><a href="#cite_ref-158">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFUniversity2015" class="citation web cs1">University, © Stanford (17 February 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/chief-characteristics-and-doctrines-mahayana-buddhism">""The Chief Characteristics and Doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism""</a>. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Retrieved 7 March 2023.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Martin+Luther+King%2C+Jr.%2C+Research+and+Education+Institute&rft.atitle=%22The+Chief+Characteristics+and+Doctrines+of+Mahayana+Buddhism%22&rft.date=2015-02-17&rft.aulast=University&rft.aufirst=%C2%A9+Stanford&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fkinginstitute.stanford.edu%2Fking-papers%2Fdocuments%2Fchief-characteristics-and-doctrines-mahayana-buddhism&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-159"><a href="#cite_ref-159">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFArana2021" class="citation web cs1">Arana, Juan Hincapié (1 January 2021). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.academia.edu/52849607">"A SEED IN AMITABHA'S HAND- Pure Land Buddhism's path to peace in this life and the next by Juan Hincapie Arana"</a>. Amazon KDP. Retrieved 7 March 2023.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Amazon+KDP&rft.atitle=A+SEED+IN+AMITABHA%27S+HAND-+Pure+Land+Buddhism%27s+path+to+peace+in+this+life+and+the+next+by+Juan+Hincapie+Arana&rft.date=2021-01-01&rft.aulast=Arana&rft.aufirst=Juan+Hincapi%C3%A9&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.academia.edu%2F52849607&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Singh-160"><a href="#cite_ref-Singh_160-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDaljeet_Singh1971" class="citation book cs1">Daljeet Singh (1971). Guru Tegh Bahadur. Punjab.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Guru+Tegh+Bahadur&rft.place=Punjab&rft.date=1971&rft.au=Daljeet+Singh&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher" title="Category:CS1 maint: location missing publisher">link</a>) </li> <li id="cite_note-Mayled-161"><a href="#cite_ref-Mayled_161-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJon_Mayled2002" class="citation book cs1">Jon Mayled (2002). Modern World Religions: Sikhism. Harcourt Heinemann. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-435-33626-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-435-33626-4"><bdi>978-0-435-33626-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Modern+World+Religions%3A+Sikhism&rft.pub=Harcourt+Heinemann&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-0-435-33626-4&rft.au=Jon+Mayled&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-162"><a href="#cite_ref-162">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200701031219/https://www.sikhcoalition.org/">"The Sikh Coalition"</a>. sikhcoalition.org. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sikhcoalition.org">the original</a> on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=sikhcoalition.org&rft.atitle=The+Sikh+Coalition&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sikhcoalition.org&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-p252-163">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p252_163-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-p252_163-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFParrinder1971" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Geoffrey_Parrinder" title="Geoffrey Parrinder">Parrinder, Geoffrey</a> (1971). World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present. United States: Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87196-129-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-87196-129-7"><bdi>978-0-87196-129-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=World+Religions%3A+From+Ancient+History+to+the+Present&rft.place=United+States&rft.pub=Hamlyn+Publishing+Group+Limited&rft.date=1971&rft.isbn=978-0-87196-129-7&rft.aulast=Parrinder&rft.aufirst=Geoffrey&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ming-Dao-164"><a href="#cite_ref-Ming-Dao_164-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMing-Dao_Deng1990" class="citation book cs1">Ming-Dao Deng (1990). Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life. HarperCollins. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-250232-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-06-250232-2"><bdi>978-0-06-250232-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Scholar+Warrior%3A+An+Introduction+to+the+Tao+in+Everyday+Life&rft.pub=HarperCollins&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=978-0-06-250232-2&rft.au=Ming-Dao+Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mason-165"><a href="#cite_ref-Mason_165-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJ.W.T._Mason2002" class="citation book cs1">J.W.T. Mason (2002). The Meaning of Shinto. Trafford Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4122-4551-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4122-4551-7"><bdi>978-1-4122-4551-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Meaning+of+Shinto&rft.pub=Trafford+Publishing&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-1-4122-4551-7&rft.au=J.W.T.+Mason&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-166"><a href="#cite_ref-166">^</a> See also: <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrian_eschatology" class="mw-redirect" title="Zoroastrian eschatology">Zoroastrian eschatology</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Seaman-167">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-4">e</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-5">f</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-6">g</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-7">h</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-8">i</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-9">j</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-10">k</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-11">l</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-12">m</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-13">n</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-14">o</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-15">p</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-16">q</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Seaman_167-17">r</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDavid_Seaman2005" class="citation book cs1">David Seaman (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/realmeaningoflif0000unse">The Real Meaning of Life</a>. New World Library. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57731-514-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-57731-514-8"><bdi>978-1-57731-514-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Real+Meaning+of+Life&rft.pub=New+World+Library&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-1-57731-514-8&rft.au=David+Seaman&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Frealmeaningoflif0000unse&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ellerton-168">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Ellerton_168-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Ellerton_168-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Ellerton_168-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRoger_Ellerton,_CMC2013" class="citation book cs1">Roger Ellerton, CMC (2013). Live Your Dreams... Let Reality Catch Up: NLP and Common Sense for Coaches, Managers and You. Renewal Technologies. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9784452-7-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-9784452-7-0"><bdi>978-0-9784452-7-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Live+Your+Dreams...+Let+Reality+Catch+Up%3A+NLP+and+Common+Sense+for+Coaches%2C+Managers+and+You&rft.pub=Renewal+Technologies&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-0-9784452-7-0&rft.au=Roger+Ellerton%2C+CMC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Cook-169">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-4">e</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-5">f</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-6">g</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-7">h</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-8">i</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cook_169-9">j</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_Cook2007" class="citation book cs1">John Cook (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/bookofpositivequ00cook">The Book of Positive Quotations</a>. Fairview Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57749-169-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-57749-169-9"><bdi>978-1-57749-169-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Book+of+Positive+Quotations&rft.pub=Fairview+Press&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-57749-169-9&rft.au=John+Cook&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fbookofpositivequ00cook&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Chandler-170"><a href="#cite_ref-Chandler_170-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSteve_Chandler2005" class="citation book cs1">Steve Chandler (2005). Reinventing Yourself: How to Become the Person You've Always Wanted to Be. Career Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56414-817-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-56414-817-9"><bdi>978-1-56414-817-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Reinventing+Yourself%3A+How+to+Become+the+Person+You%27ve+Always+Wanted+to+Be&rft.pub=Career+Press&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-1-56414-817-9&rft.au=Steve+Chandler&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kelly-171"><a href="#cite_ref-Kelly_171-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMatthew_Kelly2005" class="citation book cs1">Matthew Kelly (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/rhythmoflife00matt">The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose</a>. Simon & Schuster. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7432-6510-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7432-6510-2"><bdi>978-0-7432-6510-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Rhythm+of+Life%3A+Living+Every+Day+with+Passion+and+Purpose&rft.pub=Simon+%26+Schuster&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-7432-6510-2&rft.au=Matthew+Kelly&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Frhythmoflife00matt&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-172"><a href="#cite_ref-172">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLeePark,_Sung_HeeUhlemann,_Max_R.Patsult,_Philip2000" class="citation journal cs1">Lee, Dong Yul; Park, Sung Hee; Uhlemann, Max R.; Patsult, Philip (June 2000). "What Makes You Happy?: A Comparison of Self-reported Criteria of Happiness Between Two Cultures". Social Indicators Research. 50 (3): 351–362. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1023%2FA%3A1004647517069">10.1023/A:1004647517069</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:141773177">141773177</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Social+Indicators+Research&rft.atitle=What+Makes+You+Happy%3F%3A+A+Comparison+of+Self-reported+Criteria+of+Happiness+Between+Two+Cultures&rft.volume=50&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E351-%3C%2Fspan%3E362&rft.date=2000-06&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1023%2FA%3A1004647517069&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A141773177%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Lee&rft.aufirst=Dong+Yul&rft.au=Park%2C+Sung+Hee&rft.au=Uhlemann%2C+Max+R.&rft.au=Patsult%2C+Philip&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kultgen-173"><a href="#cite_ref-Kultgen_173-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_Kultgen1995" class="citation book cs1">John Kultgen (1995). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/autonomyinterven0000kult">Autonomy and Intervention: Parentalism in the Caring Life</a>. Oxford University Press US. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-508531-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-508531-0"><bdi>978-0-19-508531-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Autonomy+and+Intervention%3A+Parentalism+in+the+Caring+Life&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press+US&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=978-0-19-508531-0&rft.au=John+Kultgen&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fautonomyinterven0000kult&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Cappannelli-174">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Cappannelli_174-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cappannelli_174-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cappannelli_174-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Cappannelli_174-3">d</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGeorge_CappannelliSedena_Cappannelli2004" class="citation book cs1">George Cappannelli; Sedena Cappannelli (2004). Authenticity: Simple Strategies for Greater Meaning and Purpose at Work and at Home. Emmis Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57860-148-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-57860-148-6"><bdi>978-1-57860-148-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Authenticity%3A+Simple+Strategies+for+Greater+Meaning+and+Purpose+at+Work+and+at+Home&rft.pub=Emmis+Books&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-1-57860-148-6&rft.au=George+Cappannelli&rft.au=Sedena+Cappannelli&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-West-175">^ <a href="#cite_ref-West_175-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-West_175-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_G._West2002" class="citation book cs1">John G. West (2002). Celebrating Middle-Earth: The Lord of the Rings as a Defense of Western Civilization. Inkling Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-58742-012-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-58742-012-2"><bdi>978-1-58742-012-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Celebrating+Middle-Earth%3A+The+Lord+of+the+Rings+as+a+Defense+of+Western+Civilization&rft.pub=Inkling+Books&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-1-58742-012-2&rft.au=John+G.+West&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Madorsky-176"><a href="#cite_ref-Madorsky_176-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRachel_Madorsky2003" class="citation book cs1">Rachel Madorsky (2003). Create Your Own Destiny!: Spiritual Path to Success. Avanty House. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9705349-4-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-9705349-4-1"><bdi>978-0-9705349-4-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Create+Your+Own+Destiny%21%3A+Spiritual+Path+to+Success&rft.pub=Avanty+House&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-0-9705349-4-1&rft.au=Rachel+Madorsky&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-177"><a href="#cite_ref-177">^</a> A.C. Grayling. What is Good? The Search for the Best Way to Live. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003. </li> <li id="cite_note-178"><a href="#cite_ref-178">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBrooks2020" class="citation web cs1">Brooks, Mike (8 October 2020). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/202010/what-is-the-purpose-life">"What Is the Purpose of Life? Why are we here? Here's a reasonable answer"</a>. Psychology Today. Retrieved 5 November 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Psychology+Today&rft.atitle=What+Is+the+Purpose+of+Life%3F+Why+are+we+here%3F+Here%27s+a+reasonable+answer.&rft.date=2020-10-08&rft.aulast=Brooks&rft.aufirst=Mike&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fus%2Fblog%2Ftech-happy-life%2F202010%2Fwhat-is-the-purpose-life&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-179"><a href="#cite_ref-179">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLopez1999" class="citation web cs1">Lopez, Mike (22 September 1999). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070811185026/http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1999/sep/09-22-99/edit/edit2.html">"Episode III: Relativism? A Jedi craves not these things"</a>. The Michigan Daily. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1999/sep/09-22-99/edit/edit2.html">the original</a> on 11 August 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Michigan+Daily&rft.atitle=Episode+III%3A+Relativism%3F+A+Jedi+craves+not+these+things&rft.date=1999-09-22&rft.aulast=Lopez&rft.aufirst=Mike&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pub.umich.edu%2Fdaily%2F1999%2Fsep%2F09-22-99%2Fedit%2Fedit2.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-180"><a href="#cite_ref-180">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLovatt2007" class="citation book cs1">Lovatt, Stephen C. (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070314071723/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pharseas.world/Life.html">New Skins for Old Wine</a>. Universal Publishers. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-58112-960-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-58112-960-1"><bdi>978-1-58112-960-1</bdi></a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pharseas.world/Life.html">the original</a> on 14 March 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=New+Skins+for+Old+Wine&rft.pub=Universal+Publishers&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-58112-960-1&rft.aulast=Lovatt&rft.aufirst=Stephen+C.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fhomepage.ntlworld.com%2Fpharseas.world%2FLife.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kurweil_&_Grossmann-181">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kurweil_&_Grossmann_181-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kurweil_&_Grossmann_181-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fantastic-voyage.net/">"Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever"</a>. www.fantastic-voyage.net. Retrieved 16 July 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.fantastic-voyage.net&rft.atitle=Fantastic+Voyage%3A+Live+Long+Enough+to+Live+Forever&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fantastic-voyage.net%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Appleyard-182"><a href="#cite_ref-Appleyard_182-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBryan_Appleyard2007" class="citation book cs1">Bryan Appleyard (2007). How To Live Forever Or Die Trying: On The New Immortality. Simon & Schuster. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7432-6868-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7432-6868-4"><bdi>978-0-7432-6868-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=How+To+Live+Forever+Or+Die+Trying%3A+On+The+New+Immortality&rft.pub=Simon+%26+Schuster&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-0-7432-6868-4&rft.au=Bryan+Appleyard&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-183"><a href="#cite_ref-183">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCameron2001" class="citation book cs1">Cameron, Donald (2001). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20011113210502/http://www.woodhillpublishing.co.uk/summary.asp">The Purpose of Life</a>. Woodhill Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9540291-0-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-9540291-0-4"><bdi>978-0-9540291-0-4</bdi></a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.woodhillpublishing.co.uk/summary.asp">the original</a> on 13 November 2001.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Purpose+of+Life&rft.pub=Woodhill+Publishing&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-0-9540291-0-4&rft.aulast=Cameron&rft.aufirst=Donald&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.woodhillpublishing.co.uk%2Fsummary.asp&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Lane-184"><a href="#cite_ref-Lane_184-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNick_Lane2005" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Nick_Lane" title="Nick Lane">Nick Lane</a> (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/powersexsuicidem0000lane">Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life</a>. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-280481-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-280481-5"><bdi>978-0-19-280481-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Power%2C+Sex%2C+Suicide%3A+Mitochondria+and+the+Meaning+of+Life&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-19-280481-5&rft.au=Nick+Lane&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fpowersexsuicidem0000lane&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Weiss_&_Buchanan-185"><a href="#cite_ref-Weiss_&_Buchanan_185-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKenneth_M._WeissAnne_V._Buchanan2004" class="citation book cs1">Kenneth M. Weiss; Anne V. Buchanan (2004). Genetics and the Logic of Evolution. Wiley-IEEE. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-471-23805-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-471-23805-8"><bdi>978-0-471-23805-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Genetics+and+the+Logic+of+Evolution&rft.pub=Wiley-IEEE&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0-471-23805-8&rft.au=Kenneth+M.+Weiss&rft.au=Anne+V.+Buchanan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ackerman-186"><a href="#cite_ref-Ackerman_186-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJennifer_Ackerman2001" class="citation book cs1">Jennifer Ackerman (2001). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/chanceinhouseoff00acke_1">Chance in the House of Fate: A Natural History of Heredity</a>. Houghton Mifflin Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-618-21909-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-618-21909-4"><bdi>978-0-618-21909-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Chance+in+the+House+of+Fate%3A+A+Natural+History+of+Heredity&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin+Books&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-0-618-21909-4&rft.au=Jennifer+Ackerman&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fchanceinhouseoff00acke_1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Rensberger-187"><a href="#cite_ref-Rensberger_187-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBoyce_Rensberger1996" class="citation book cs1">Boyce Rensberger (1996). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/lifeitself00boyc">Life Itself: Exploring the Realm of the Living Cell</a>. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-512500-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-512500-9"><bdi>978-0-19-512500-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Life+Itself%3A+Exploring+the+Realm+of+the+Living+Cell&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=1996&rft.isbn=978-0-19-512500-9&rft.au=Boyce+Rensberger&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Flifeitself00boyc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Chris_Grau-188"><a href="#cite_ref-Chris_Grau_188-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChris_Grau2005" class="citation book cs1">Chris Grau (2005). Philosophers Explore the Matrix. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-518107-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-518107-4"><bdi>978-0-19-518107-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Philosophers+Explore+the+Matrix&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-19-518107-4&rft.au=Chris+Grau&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Cooper_&_Hutchinson-189"><a href="#cite_ref-Cooper_&_Hutchinson_189-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_M._CooperD._S._Hutchinson1997" class="citation book cs1">John M. Cooper; D. S. Hutchinson (1997). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/completeworks00plat">Plato: Complete Works</a>. Hackett Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87220-349-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-87220-349-5"><bdi>978-0-87220-349-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Plato%3A+Complete+Works&rft.pub=Hackett+Publishing&rft.date=1997&rft.isbn=978-0-87220-349-5&rft.au=John+M.+Cooper&rft.au=D.+S.+Hutchinson&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fcompleteworks00plat&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Findling_&_Thackeray-190"><a href="#cite_ref-Findling_&_Thackeray_190-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_E._FindlingFrank_W._Thackeray2001" class="citation book cs1">John E. Findling; Frank W. Thackeray (2001). Events That Changed the World Through the Sixteenth Century. Greenwood Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-313-29079-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-313-29079-4"><bdi>978-0-313-29079-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Events+That+Changed+the+World+Through+the+Sixteenth+Century&rft.pub=Greenwood+Press&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-0-313-29079-4&rft.au=John+E.+Findling&rft.au=Frank+W.+Thackeray&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Dalai_Lama-191"><a href="#cite_ref-Dalai_Lama_191-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTenzin_Gyatso,_14th_Dalai_Lama1954" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Tenzin_Gyatso,_14th_Dalai_Lama" class="mw-redirect" title="Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama">Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama</a> (1954). The Meaning of Life: Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect. Doubleday.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Meaning+of+Life%3A+Buddhist+Perspectives+on+Cause+and+Effect&rft.pub=Doubleday&rft.date=1954&rft.au=Tenzin+Gyatso%2C+14th+Dalai+Lama&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list">link</a>) </li> <li id="cite_note-Simmons-192"><a href="#cite_ref-Simmons_192-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFErnest_Joseph_Simmons1973" class="citation book cs1">Ernest Joseph Simmons (1973). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/tolstoy0000simm">Tolstoy</a>. Routledge. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7100-7395-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7100-7395-2"><bdi>978-0-7100-7395-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Tolstoy&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=1973&rft.isbn=978-0-7100-7395-2&rft.au=Ernest+Joseph+Simmons&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Ftolstoy0000simm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bowell-193"><a href="#cite_ref-Bowell_193-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRichard_A._Bowell2004" class="citation book cs1">Richard A. Bowell (2004). The Seven Steps of Spiritual Intelligence: The Practical Pursuit of Purpose, Success and Happiness. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-85788-344-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-85788-344-2"><bdi>978-1-85788-344-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Seven+Steps+of+Spiritual+Intelligence%3A+The+Practical+Pursuit+of+Purpose%2C+Success+and+Happiness&rft.pub=Nicholas+Brealey+Publishing&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-1-85788-344-2&rft.au=Richard+A.+Bowell&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Gibbs_&_Basinger_&_Fuller-194"><a href="#cite_ref-Gibbs_&_Basinger_&_Fuller_194-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_C._GibbsKaren_S._BasingerDick_Fuller1992" class="citation book cs1">John C. Gibbs; Karen S. Basinger; Dick Fuller (1992). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/moralmaturitymea0000gibb">Moral Maturity: Measuring the Development of Sociomoral Reflection</a>. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8058-0425-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8058-0425-6"><bdi>978-0-8058-0425-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Moral+Maturity%3A+Measuring+the+Development+of+Sociomoral+Reflection&rft.pub=Lawrence+Erlbaum+Associates&rft.date=1992&rft.isbn=978-0-8058-0425-6&rft.au=John+C.+Gibbs&rft.au=Karen+S.+Basinger&rft.au=Dick+Fuller&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fmoralmaturitymea0000gibb&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Tang-195">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Tang_195-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Tang_195-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Tang_195-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTimothy_Tang2007" class="citation book cs1">Timothy Tang (2007). Real Answers to The Meaning of Life and Finding Happiness. iUniverse. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-595-45941-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-595-45941-4"><bdi>978-0-595-45941-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Real+Answers+to+The+Meaning+of+Life+and+Finding+Happiness&rft.pub=iUniverse&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-0-595-45941-4&rft.au=Timothy+Tang&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Roberts-196"><a href="#cite_ref-Roberts_196-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTyler_T._Roberts1998" class="citation book cs1">Tyler T. Roberts (1998). Contesting Spirit: Nietzsche, Affirmation, Religion. Princeton University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-691-00127-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-691-00127-2"><bdi>978-0-691-00127-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Contesting+Spirit%3A+Nietzsche%2C+Affirmation%2C+Religion&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=978-0-691-00127-2&rft.au=Tyler+T.+Roberts&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Costigan-197"><a href="#cite_ref-Costigan_197-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCostigan2004" class="citation book cs1">Costigan, Lucy (2004). What is the Meaning of Your Life: A Journey Towards Ultimate Meaning. iUniverse. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-595-33880-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-595-33880-1"><bdi>978-0-595-33880-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+is+the+Meaning+of+Your+Life%3A+A+Journey+Towards+Ultimate+Meaning&rft.pub=iUniverse&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0-595-33880-1&rft.aulast=Costigan&rft.aufirst=Lucy&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Jeffers_&_Smith-198"><a href="#cite_ref-Jeffers_&_Smith_198-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSteven_L._JeffersHarold_Ivan_Smith2007" class="citation book cs1">Steven L. Jeffers; Harold Ivan Smith (2007). Finding a Sacred Oasis in Grief: A Resource Manual for Pastoral Care. Radcliffe Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84619-181-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84619-181-7"><bdi>978-1-84619-181-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Finding+a+Sacred+Oasis+in+Grief%3A+A+Resource+Manual+for+Pastoral+Care&rft.pub=Radcliffe+Publishing&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-84619-181-7&rft.au=Steven+L.+Jeffers&rft.au=Harold+Ivan+Smith&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Jeffrey-199"><a href="#cite_ref-Jeffrey_199-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDavid_L._Jeffrey1992" class="citation book cs1">David L. Jeffrey (1992). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofbibl0000unse">A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature</a>. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8028-3634-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8028-3634-2"><bdi>978-0-8028-3634-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+Dictionary+of+Biblical+Tradition+in+English+Literature&rft.pub=Wm.+B.+Eerdmans+Publishing&rft.date=1992&rft.isbn=978-0-8028-3634-2&rft.au=David+L.+Jeffrey&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fdictionaryofbibl0000unse&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Williams-200"><a href="#cite_ref-Williams_200-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilliams2005" class="citation book cs1">Williams, Dana A. (2005). In the Light of Likeness-Transformed: The Literary Art of Leon Forrest. Ohio State University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8142-0994-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8142-0994-3"><bdi>978-0-8142-0994-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=In+the+Light+of+Likeness-Transformed%3A+The+Literary+Art+of+Leon+Forrest&rft.pub=Ohio+State+University+Press&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-8142-0994-3&rft.aulast=Williams&rft.aufirst=Dana+A.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Muller-201"><a href="#cite_ref-Muller_201-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJerry_Z._Muller1997" class="citation book cs1">Jerry Z. Muller (1997). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/conservatismanth00mull">Conservatism: An Anthology of Social and Political Thought from David Hume to the Present</a>. Princeton University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-691-03711-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-691-03711-0"><bdi>978-0-691-03711-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Conservatism%3A+An+Anthology+of+Social+and+Political+Thought+from+David+Hume+to+the+Present&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=1997&rft.isbn=978-0-691-03711-0&rft.au=Jerry+Z.+Muller&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fconservatismanth00mull&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Nash_&_Stewart-202"><a href="#cite_ref-Nash_&_Stewart_202-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMary_NashBruce_Stewart2002" class="citation book cs1">Mary Nash; Bruce Stewart (2002). Spirituality and Social Care: Contributing to Personal and Community Well-being. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84310-024-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84310-024-9"><bdi>978-1-84310-024-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Spirituality+and+Social+Care%3A+Contributing+to+Personal+and+Community+Well-being&rft.pub=Jessica+Kingsley+Publishers&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-1-84310-024-9&rft.au=Mary+Nash&rft.au=Bruce+Stewart&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yao-203"><a href="#cite_ref-Yao_203-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFXinzhong_Yao2000" class="citation book cs1">Xinzhong Yao (2000). An Introduction to Confucianism. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-64430-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-64430-3"><bdi>978-0-521-64430-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=An+Introduction+to+Confucianism&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-521-64430-3&rft.au=Xinzhong+Yao&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Turner_&_Rojek-204"><a href="#cite_ref-Turner_&_Rojek_204-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBryan_S._TurnerChris_Rojek2001" class="citation book cs1">Bryan S. Turner; Chris Rojek (2001). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/societyculturepr0000turn">Society and Culture: Principles of Scarcity and Solidarity</a>. SAGE. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7619-7049-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7619-7049-1"><bdi>978-0-7619-7049-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Society+and+Culture%3A+Principles+of+Scarcity+and+Solidarity&rft.pub=SAGE&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-0-7619-7049-1&rft.au=Bryan+S.+Turner&rft.au=Chris+Rojek&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fsocietyculturepr0000turn&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Goonewardene-205"><a href="#cite_ref-Goonewardene_205-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAnil_Goonewardene1994" class="citation book cs1">Anil Goonewardene (1994). Buddhist Scriptures. Harcourt Heinemann. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-435-30355-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-435-30355-6"><bdi>978-0-435-30355-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Buddhist+Scriptures&rft.pub=Harcourt+Heinemann&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=978-0-435-30355-6&rft.au=Anil+Goonewardene&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ferry-206">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Ferry_206-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Ferry_206-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLuc_Ferry2002" class="citation book cs1">Luc Ferry (2002). Man Made God: The Meaning of Life. University of Chicago Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-226-24484-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-226-24484-6"><bdi>978-0-226-24484-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Man+Made+God%3A+The+Meaning+of+Life&rft.pub=University+of+Chicago+Press&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-0-226-24484-6&rft.au=Luc+Ferry&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Stephan_&_Pace-207">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Stephan_&_Pace_207-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Stephan_&_Pace_207-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Stephan_&_Pace_207-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEric_G._StephanR._Wayne_Pace2002" class="citation book cs1">Eric G. Stephan; R. Wayne Pace (2002). Powerful Leadership: How to Unleash the Potential in Others and Simplify Your Own Life. FT Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-13-066836-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-13-066836-3"><bdi>978-0-13-066836-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Powerful+Leadership%3A+How+to+Unleash+the+Potential+in+Others+and+Simplify+Your+Own+Life&rft.pub=FT+Press&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-0-13-066836-3&rft.au=Eric+G.+Stephan&rft.au=R.+Wayne+Pace&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-208"><a href="#cite_ref-208">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCumberland2015" class="citation web cs1">Cumberland, Dan (18 May 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://themeaningmovement.com/finding-purpose-in-life-finding-your-vocation/">"Finding Purpose in Life"</a>. TheMeaningMovement. Retrieved 10 August 2015.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=TheMeaningMovement&rft.atitle=Finding+Purpose+in+Life&rft.date=2015-05-18&rft.aulast=Cumberland&rft.aufirst=Dan&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fthemeaningmovement.com%2Ffinding-purpose-in-life-finding-your-vocation%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Steinberg-209"><a href="#cite_ref-Steinberg_209-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDominique_Moyse_Steinberg2004" class="citation book cs1">Dominique Moyse Steinberg (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/mutualaidapproac00stei">The Mutual-Aid Approach to Working with Groups: Helping People Help One Another</a>. Haworth Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7890-1462-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7890-1462-7"><bdi>978-0-7890-1462-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Mutual-Aid+Approach+to+Working+with+Groups%3A+Helping+People+Help+One+Another&rft.pub=Haworth+Press&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0-7890-1462-7&rft.au=Dominique+Moyse+Steinberg&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fmutualaidapproac00stei&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Caunt-210"><a href="#cite_ref-Caunt_210-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_Caunt2002" class="citation book cs1">John Caunt (2002). Boost Your Self-Esteem. Kogan Page. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7494-3871-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7494-3871-5"><bdi>978-0-7494-3871-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Boost+Your+Self-Esteem&rft.pub=Kogan+Page&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-0-7494-3871-5&rft.au=John+Caunt&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-211"><a href="#cite_ref-211">^</a> <a href="/wiki/Ho%27oponopono" class="mw-redirect" title="Ho'oponopono">Ho'oponopono</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Halevi-212"><a href="#cite_ref-Halevi_212-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFZ'ev_ben_Shimon_Halevi1993" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Z%27ev_ben_Shimon_Halevi" title="Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi">Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi</a> (1993). The Work of the Kabbalist. Weiser. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87728-637-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-87728-637-0"><bdi>978-0-87728-637-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Work+of+the+Kabbalist&rft.pub=Weiser&rft.date=1993&rft.isbn=978-0-87728-637-0&rft.au=Z%27ev+ben+Shimon+Halevi&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Girard-213">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Girard_213-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Girard_213-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMichael_Joachim_Girard2006" class="citation book cs1">Michael Joachim Girard (2006). Essential Believing for the Christian Soul. Xulon Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59781-596-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-59781-596-3"><bdi>978-1-59781-596-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Essential+Believing+for+the+Christian+Soul&rft.pub=Xulon+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-1-59781-596-3&rft.au=Michael+Joachim+Girard&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kashmir_Shaivism-214"><a href="#cite_ref-Kashmir_Shaivism_214-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJaideva_Singh2003" class="citation book cs1">Jaideva Singh (2003). Vijñanabhairava. Motilal Banarsidass. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-208-0820-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-81-208-0820-1"><bdi>978-81-208-0820-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Vij%C3%B1anabhairava&rft.pub=Motilal+Banarsidass&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-81-208-0820-1&rft.au=Jaideva+Singh&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mahadevan-215"><a href="#cite_ref-Mahadevan_215-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFT.M.P._Mahadevan1974" class="citation book cs1">T.M.P. Mahadevan (1974). Philosophy: Theory and Practice (Proceedings of the International Seminar on World Philosophy). Centre for Advanced Study in Philosophy, University of Madras.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Philosophy%3A+Theory+and+Practice+%28Proceedings+of+the+International+Seminar+on+World+Philosophy%29&rft.pub=Centre+for+Advanced+Study+in+Philosophy%2C+University+of+Madras&rft.date=1974&rft.au=T.M.P.+Mahadevan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Scully-216"><a href="#cite_ref-Scully_216-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_T._Scully2007" class="citation book cs1">John T. Scully (2007). The Five Commandments. Trafford Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4251-1910-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4251-1910-2"><bdi>978-1-4251-1910-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Five+Commandments&rft.pub=Trafford+Publishing&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-1-4251-1910-2&rft.au=John+T.+Scully&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Piper-217"><a href="#cite_ref-Piper_217-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohn_Piper2006" class="citation book cs1">John Piper (2006). Desiring God. Multnomah Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59052-119-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-59052-119-9"><bdi>978-1-59052-119-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Desiring+God&rft.pub=Multnomah+Books&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-1-59052-119-9&rft.au=John+Piper&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Harrison-218">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Harrison_218-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Harrison_218-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPeter_Harrison2001" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Peter_Harrison_(historian)" title="Peter Harrison (historian)">Peter Harrison</a> (2001). The Bible, Protestantism, and the Rise of Natural Science. Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-00096-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-00096-3"><bdi>978-0-521-00096-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Bible%2C+Protestantism%2C+and+the+Rise+of+Natural+Science&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=978-0-521-00096-3&rft.au=Peter+Harrison&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Worsham2-219"><a href="#cite_ref-Worsham2_219-0">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Matthew%2028:18–20&version=nrsv">Matthew 28:18–20</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Worsham-220"><a href="#cite_ref-Worsham_220-0">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Micah%206:8&version=nrsv">Micah 6:8</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Burke-221">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Burke_221-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Burke_221-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFThomas_Patrick_Burke2004" class="citation book cs1">Thomas Patrick Burke (2004). The Major Religions: An Introduction with Texts. Blackwell Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4051-1049-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4051-1049-5"><bdi>978-1-4051-1049-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Major+Religions%3A+An+Introduction+with+Texts&rft.pub=Blackwell+Publishing&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-1-4051-1049-5&rft.au=Thomas+Patrick+Burke&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-222"><a href="#cite_ref-222">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/2.17?lang=eng">Book of Mormon: Mosiah 2:17</a>. 1830. <q>And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Book+of+Mormon%3A+Mosiah+2%3A17&rft.date=1830&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fbofm%2Fmosiah%2F2.17%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-223"><a href="#cite_ref-223">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/34.32-34?lang=eng">Book of Mormon: Alma 32:32</a>. 1830. <q>For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Book+of+Mormon%3A+Alma+32%3A32&rft.date=1830&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fbofm%2Falma%2F34.32-34%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-224"><a href="#cite_ref-224">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/gen/3.22?lang=eng">Holy Bible: Genesis 3:22</a>. <q>And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil...</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Holy+Bible%3A+Genesis+3%3A22&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fot%2Fgen%2F3.22%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-225"><a href="#cite_ref-225">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/5.48?lang=eng">Holy Bible: Matthew 5:48</a>. <q>Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Holy+Bible%3A+Matthew+5%3A48&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fnt%2Fmatt%2F5.48%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-226"><a href="#cite_ref-226">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190715040406/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/1.39?lang=eng">Pearl of Great Price: Book of Moses 1:37–39</a>. 1830. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/1.39?lang=eng">the original</a> on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019. <q>And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: ... For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Pearl+of+Great+Price%3A+Book+of+Moses+1%3A37%E2%80%9339&rft.date=1830&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fpgp%2Fmoses%2F1.39%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-227"><a href="#cite_ref-227">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow/chapter-5-the-grand-destiny-of-the-faithful?lang=eng">"Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow"</a>. Lorenzo Snow. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2011 [1884]. p. 83. <q>As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Teachings+of+Presidents+of+the+Church%3A+Lorenzo+Snow&rft.pages=83&rft.pub=The+Church+of+Jesus+Christ+of+Latter-day+Saints&rft.date=2011&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fmanual%2Fteachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow%2Fchapter-5-the-grand-destiny-of-the-faithful%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_web" title="Template:Cite web">cite web</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: others (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others" title="Category:CS1 maint: others">link</a>) </li> <li id="cite_note-228"><a href="#cite_ref-228">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/29.5?lang=eng">Book of Mormon: Alma 29:5</a>. 1830. <q>Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Book+of+Mormon%3A+Alma+29%3A5&rft.date=1830&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fbofm%2Falma%2F29.5%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-229"><a href="#cite_ref-229">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2.25?lang=eng">Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 2:25</a>. 1830. <q>Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Book+of+Mormon%3A+2+Nephi+2%3A25&rft.date=1830&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fbofm%2F2-ne%2F2.25%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-230"><a href="#cite_ref-230">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/5.11?lang=eng">Pearl of Great Price: Book of Moses 5:11</a>. 1830. <q>And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Pearl+of+Great+Price%3A+Book+of+Moses+5%3A11&rft.date=1830&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofjesuschrist.org%2Fstudy%2Fscriptures%2Fpgp%2Fmoses%2F5.11%3Flang%3Deng&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Quran-231"><a href="#cite_ref-Quran_231-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://corpus.quran.com/translation.jsp?chapter=51&verse=56">Holisiajay Quran 51:56</a>. Quranic Arabic Corpus. <q>I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Holisiajay+Quran+51%3A56&rft.pub=Quranic+Arabic+Corpus&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fcorpus.quran.com%2Ftranslation.jsp%3Fchapter%3D51%26verse%3D56&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mitchell-232">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mitchell_232-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mitchell_232-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFT.W._Mitchell1927" class="citation book cs1">T.W. Mitchell (1927). Problems in Psychopathology. Harcourt, Brace & Company.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Problems+in+Psychopathology&rft.pub=Harcourt%2C+Brace+%26+Company&rft.date=1927&rft.au=T.W.+Mitchell&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ecclesiastes8:15-233"><a href="#cite_ref-Ecclesiastes8:15_233-0">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+8&version=15">Ecclesiastes 8</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-Dillon-234"><a href="#cite_ref-Dillon_234-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSteven_Dillon2006" class="citation book cs1">Steven Dillon (2006). The Solaris Effect: Art and Artifice in Contemporary American Film. University of Texas Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-292-71345-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-292-71345-1"><bdi>978-0-292-71345-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Solaris+Effect%3A+Art+and+Artifice+in+Contemporary+American+Film&rft.pub=University+of+Texas+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0-292-71345-1&rft.au=Steven+Dillon&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Aron-235"><a href="#cite_ref-Aron_235-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRaymond_Aron2000" class="citation book cs1">Raymond Aron (2000). The Century of Total War. Wisdom Publications. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-86171-173-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-86171-173-4"><bdi>978-0-86171-173-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Century+of+Total+War&rft.pub=Wisdom+Publications&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=978-0-86171-173-4&rft.au=Raymond+Aron&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-236"><a href="#cite_ref-236">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStewart2010" class="citation news cs1">Stewart, John (5 March 2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/mar/05/meaning-life-evolution-universe">"Is this the meaning of life? John Stewart argues that despite the perception that science has stripped the meaning from life, recent developments in evolutionary theory suggest that humans have a central role to play in the future of the universe"</a>. <a href="/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Guardian&rft.atitle=Is+this+the+meaning+of+life%3F+John+Stewart+argues+that+despite+the+perception+that+science+has+stripped+the+meaning+from+life%2C+recent+developments+in+evolutionary+theory+suggest+that+humans+have+a+central+role+to+play+in+the+future+of+the+universe&rft.date=2010-03-05&rft.aulast=Stewart&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fscience%2Fblog%2F2010%2Fmar%2F05%2Fmeaning-life-evolution-universe&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-237"><a href="#cite_ref-237">^</a> Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl. Beacon Press, 2006, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8070-1426-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8070-1426-4">978-0-8070-1426-4</a>. </li> <li id="cite_note-useless_website-238"><a href="#cite_ref-useless_website_238-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071215164915/http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_scripts/meanlife.asp">"Monty Python's Completely Useless Web Site: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life: Complete Script"</a>. intriguing.com. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_scripts/meanlife.asp">the original</a> on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2007.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=intriguing.com&rft.atitle=Monty+Python%27s+Completely+Useless+Web+Site%3A+Monty+Python%27s+The+Meaning+of+Life%3A+Complete+Script&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.intriguing.com%2Fmp%2F_scripts%2Fmeanlife.asp&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Burnham-239"><a href="#cite_ref-Burnham_239-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTerry_Burnham2005" class="citation book cs1">Terry Burnham (2005). Mean Markets and Lizard Brains: How to Profit from the New Science of Irrationality. John Wiley and Sons. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-471-71695-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-471-71695-2"><bdi>978-0-471-71695-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Mean+Markets+and+Lizard+Brains%3A+How+to+Profit+from+the+New+Science+of+Irrationality&rft.pub=John+Wiley+and+Sons&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-471-71695-2&rft.au=Terry+Burnham&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Fernandez-240"><a href="#cite_ref-Fernandez_240-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYolanda_Fernandez2002" class="citation book cs1">Yolanda Fernandez (2002). In Their Shoes: Examining the Issue of Empathy and Its Place in the Treatment of Offenders. Wood 'N' Barnes Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-885473-48-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-885473-48-6"><bdi>978-1-885473-48-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=In+Their+Shoes%3A+Examining+the+Issue+of+Empathy+and+Its+Place+in+the+Treatment+of+Offenders&rft.pub=Wood+%27N%27+Barnes+Publishing&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=978-1-885473-48-6&rft.au=Yolanda+Fernandez&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-241"><a href="#cite_ref-241">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAdams1978" class="citation audio-visual cs1">Adams, Douglas (29 March 1978). The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Fit the Fourth) (Audio, Radio). BBC Radio 4. <q>I think the problem such as it was, was too broadly based. You never actually stated what the question was.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Hitch-Hiker%27s+Guide+to+the+Galaxy+%28Fit+the+Fourth%29&rft.pub=BBC+Radio+4&rft.date=1978-03-29&rft.aulast=Adams&rft.aufirst=Douglas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yeffeth-242"><a href="#cite_ref-Yeffeth_242-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGlenn_Yeffeth2005" class="citation book cs1">Glenn Yeffeth (2005). The Anthology at the End of the Universe: Leading Science Fiction Authors on Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. BenBella Books, Inc. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-932100-56-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-932100-56-3"><bdi>978-1-932100-56-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Anthology+at+the+End+of+the+Universe%3A+Leading+Science+Fiction+Authors+on+Douglas+Adams%27+The+Hitchhiker%27s+Guide+to+the+Galaxy&rft.pub=BenBella+Books%2C+Inc&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-1-932100-56-3&rft.au=Glenn+Yeffeth&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Badke-243"><a href="#cite_ref-Badke_243-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilliam_B._Badke2005" class="citation book cs1">William B. Badke (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/hitchhikersguide00badk">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Meaning of Everything</a>. Kregel Publications. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8254-2069-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8254-2069-6"><bdi>978-0-8254-2069-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Hitchhiker%27s+Guide+to+the+Meaning+of+Everything&rft.pub=Kregel+Publications&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-8254-2069-6&rft.au=William+B.+Badke&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fhitchhikersguide00badk&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Adams_H2G2_book1-244"><a href="#cite_ref-Adams_H2G2_book1_244-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDouglas_Adams1979" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Douglas_Adams" title="Douglas Adams">Douglas Adams</a> (1979). <a href="/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(book)" class="mw-redirect" title="The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (book)">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a>. London: Pan Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-330-25864-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-330-25864-7"><bdi>978-0-330-25864-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Hitchhiker%27s+Guide+to+the+Galaxy&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Pan+Books&rft.date=1979&rft.isbn=978-0-330-25864-7&rft.au=Douglas+Adams&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-245"><a href="#cite_ref-245">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAdams1978" class="citation audio-visual cs1">Adams, Douglas (12 April 1978). The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Fit the Sixth) (Audio, Radio). BBC Radio 4. <q>That's it. Six by nine… forty-two! I always said there was something fundamentally wrong about the universe!</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Hitch-Hiker%27s+Guide+to+the+Galaxy+%28Fit+the+Sixth%29&rft.pub=BBC+Radio+4&rft.date=1978-04-12&rft.aulast=Adams&rft.aufirst=Douglas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-246"><a href="#cite_ref-246">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.afterellen.com/tv/492845-person-interest-recap-5-13-sound-voice">""Person of Interest" recap (5.13): The sound of my voice"</a>. After Ellen. Retrieved 24 August 2019.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=After+Ellen&rft.atitle=%22Person+of+Interest%22+recap+%285.13%29%3A+The+sound+of+my+voice&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.afterellen.com%2Ftv%2F492845-person-interest-recap-5-13-sound-voice&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-APAExistentialCrisis-247"><a href="#cite_ref-APAExistentialCrisis_247-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dictionary.apa.org/existential-crisis">"APA Dictionary of Psychology: existential crisis"</a>. dictionary.apa.org.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=dictionary.apa.org&rft.atitle=APA+Dictionary+of+Psychology%3A+existential+crisis&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.apa.org%2Fexistential-crisis&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Andrews2016-248">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Andrews2016_248-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Andrews2016_248-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAndrews2016" class="citation journal cs1">Andrews, Mary (April 2016). "The existential crisis". Behavioral Development Bulletin. 21 (1): 104–109. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fbdb0000014">10.1037/bdb0000014</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Behavioral+Development+Bulletin&rft.atitle=The+existential+crisis&rft.volume=21&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E104-%3C%2Fspan%3E109&rft.date=2016-04&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1037%2Fbdb0000014&rft.aulast=Andrews&rft.aufirst=Mary&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Butenaitė2016-249">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Butenaitė2016_249-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Butenaitė2016_249-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Butenaitė2016_249-2">c</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFButenaitėSondaitėMockus2016" class="citation journal cs1">Butenaitė, Joana; Sondaitė, Jolanta; Mockus, Antanas (2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.7220%2F2345-024X.18.1">"Components of existential crises: a theoretical analysis"</a>. International Journal of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach. 18: 9–27. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.7220%2F2345-024X.18.1">10.7220/2345-024X.18.1</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=International+Journal+of+Psychology%3A+A+Biopsychosocial+Approach&rft.atitle=Components+of+existential+crises%3A+a+theoretical+analysis&rft.volume=18&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E9-%3C%2Fspan%3E27&rft.date=2016&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.7220%2F2345-024X.18.1&rft.aulast=Butenait%C4%97&rft.aufirst=Joana&rft.au=Sondait%C4%97%2C+Jolanta&rft.au=Mockus%2C+Antanas&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.7220%252F2345-024X.18.1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-StanfordExistentialism-250"><a href="#cite_ref-StanfordExistentialism_250-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCrowell2020" class="citation web cs1">Crowell, Steven (2020). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/">"Existentialism"</a>. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved 14 January 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Stanford+Encyclopedia+of+Philosophy&rft.atitle=Existentialism&rft.date=2020&rft.aulast=Crowell&rft.aufirst=Steven&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fplato.stanford.edu%2Fentries%2Fexistentialism%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Blomme2013-251"><a href="#cite_ref-Blomme2013_251-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBlomme2013" class="citation journal cs1">Blomme, Robert J. (2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://philpapers.org/rec/BLOAAA">"Absurdism as a Fundamental Value: Camusian Thoughts on Moral Development in Organisations"</a>. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy. 7 (2): 116. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1504%2FIJMCP.2013.055720">10.1504/IJMCP.2013.055720</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=International+Journal+of+Management+Concepts+and+Philosophy&rft.atitle=Absurdism+as+a+Fundamental+Value%3A+Camusian+Thoughts+on+Moral+Development+in+Organisations&rft.volume=7&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=116&rft.date=2013&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1504%2FIJMCP.2013.055720&rft.aulast=Blomme&rft.aufirst=Robert+J.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fphilpapers.org%2Frec%2FBLOAAA&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-OxfordAbsurd-252"><a href="#cite_ref-OxfordAbsurd_252-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHonderich2005" class="citation book cs1">Honderich, Ted, ed. (2005). "absurd, the". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://philpapers.org/rec/HONTOC-2">The Oxford Companion to Philosophy</a>. Oxford University Press.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=absurd%2C+the&rft.btitle=The+Oxford+Companion+to+Philosophy&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2005&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fphilpapers.org%2Frec%2FHONTOC-2&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yalom2020-253">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-4">e</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-5">f</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yalom2020_253-6">g</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYalom2020" class="citation book cs1">Yalom, Irvin D. (17 March 2020). "10. Meaninglessness". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=nI7VDwAAQBAJ">Existential Psychotherapy</a>. Basic Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5416-4744-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-5416-4744-2"><bdi>978-1-5416-4744-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=10.+Meaninglessness&rft.btitle=Existential+Psychotherapy&rft.pub=Basic+Books&rft.date=2020-03-17&rft.isbn=978-1-5416-4744-2&rft.aulast=Yalom&rft.aufirst=Irvin+D.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DnI7VDwAAQBAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Greer-254"><a href="#cite_ref-Greer_254-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGreer1980" class="citation journal cs1">Greer, Frank (October 1980). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1177/002216788002000404">"Toward a Developmental View of Adult Crisis: a Re-Examination of Crisis Theory"</a>. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 20 (4): 17–29. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F002216788002000404">10.1177/002216788002000404</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0022-1678">0022-1678</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:146743538">146743538</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Humanistic+Psychology&rft.atitle=Toward+a+Developmental+View+of+Adult+Crisis%3A+a+Re-Examination+of+Crisis+Theory&rft.volume=20&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E17-%3C%2Fspan%3E29&rft.date=1980-10&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A146743538%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.issn=0022-1678&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1177%2F002216788002000404&rft.aulast=Greer&rft.aufirst=Frank&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1177%2F002216788002000404&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-IEPNihilism-255">^ <a href="#cite_ref-IEPNihilism_255-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-IEPNihilism_255-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPratt" class="citation web cs1">Pratt, Alan. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://iep.utm.edu/nihilism/">"Nihilism"</a>. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 25 January 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Internet+Encyclopedia+of+Philosophy&rft.atitle=Nihilism&rft.aulast=Pratt&rft.aufirst=Alan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fiep.utm.edu%2Fnihilism%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yang2010-256">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yang2010_256-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yang2010_256-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYangStapsHijmans2010" class="citation journal cs1">Yang, William; Staps, Ton; Hijmans, Ellen (2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20533648/">"Existential crisis and the awareness of dying: the role of meaning and spirituality"</a>. Omega. 61 (1): 53–69. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2190%2FOM.61.1.c">10.2190/OM.61.1.c</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0030-2228">0030-2228</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20533648">20533648</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:22290227">22290227</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Omega&rft.atitle=Existential+crisis+and+the+awareness+of+dying%3A+the+role+of+meaning+and+spirituality&rft.volume=61&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E53-%3C%2Fspan%3E69&rft.date=2010&rft.issn=0030-2228&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A22290227%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F20533648&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2190%2FOM.61.1.c&rft.aulast=Yang&rft.aufirst=William&rft.au=Staps%2C+Ton&rft.au=Hijmans%2C+Ellen&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F20533648%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Zapffe1933-257"><a href="#cite_ref-Zapffe1933_257-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFZapffe" class="citation journal cs1">Zapffe, Peter Wessel. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://philosophynow.org/issues/45/The_Last_Messiah">"The Last Messiah"</a>. Philosophy Now (45).</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Philosophy+Now&rft.atitle=The+Last+Messiah&rft.issue=45&rft.aulast=Zapffe&rft.aufirst=Peter+Wessel&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fphilosophynow.org%2Fissues%2F45%2FThe_Last_Messiah&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-BritannicaNihilism-258"><a href="#cite_ref-BritannicaNihilism_258-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nihilism">"nihilism"</a>. www.britannica.com. 14 August 2023.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.britannica.com&rft.atitle=nihilism&rft.date=2023-08-14&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftopic%2Fnihilism&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kahane2022-259">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2022_259-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2022_259-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2022_259-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2022_259-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2022_259-4">e</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKahane2022" class="citation book cs1">Kahane, Guy (10 June 2022). "Meaningfulness and Importance". In Landau, Iddo (ed.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190063504.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190063504-e-6">The Oxford Handbook of Meaning in Life</a>. pp. 92–108. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Foxfordhb%2F9780190063504.013.6">10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190063504.013.6</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-006350-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-006350-4"><bdi>978-0-19-006350-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Meaningfulness+and+Importance&rft.btitle=The+Oxford+Handbook+of+Meaning+in+Life&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E92-%3C%2Fspan%3E108&rft.date=2022-06-10&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1093%2Foxfordhb%2F9780190063504.013.6&rft.isbn=978-0-19-006350-4&rft.aulast=Kahane&rft.aufirst=Guy&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oxfordhandbooks.com%2Fview%2F10.1093%2Foxfordhb%2F9780190063504.001.0001%2Foxfordhb-9780190063504-e-6&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Nozick1981-260"><a href="#cite_ref-Nozick1981_260-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNozick1981" class="citation book cs1">Nozick, Robert (1981). "6. Philosophy and the meaning of life". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=N4zH86WogYwC">Philosophical Explanations</a>. Harvard University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-66479-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-674-66479-1"><bdi>978-0-674-66479-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=6.+Philosophy+and+the+meaning+of+life&rft.btitle=Philosophical+Explanations&rft.pub=Harvard+University+Press&rft.date=1981&rft.isbn=978-0-674-66479-1&rft.aulast=Nozick&rft.aufirst=Robert&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DN4zH86WogYwC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Nozick1990-261">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Nozick1990_261-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Nozick1990_261-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Nozick1990_261-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Nozick1990_261-3">d</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNozick1990" class="citation book cs1">Nozick, Robert (15 December 1990). "16. Importance and Weight". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=R-8SvHlNMXAC">Examined Life: Philosophical Meditations</a>. Simon and Schuster. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-671-72501-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-671-72501-3"><bdi>978-0-671-72501-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=16.+Importance+and+Weight&rft.btitle=Examined+Life%3A+Philosophical+Meditations&rft.pub=Simon+and+Schuster&rft.date=1990-12-15&rft.isbn=978-0-671-72501-3&rft.aulast=Nozick&rft.aufirst=Robert&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DR-8SvHlNMXAC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Kahane2021a-262">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2021a_262-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kahane2021a_262-1">b</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKahane2021" class="citation journal cs1">Kahane, Guy (13 August 2021). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://brill.com/view/journals/jmp/aop/article-10.1163-17455243-20213581/article-10.1163-17455243-20213581.xml">"Importance, Value, and Causal Impact"</a>. Journal of Moral Philosophy. 19 (6): 577–601. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1163%2F17455243-20213581">10.1163/17455243-20213581</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1745-5243">1745-5243</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:238678531">238678531</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Moral+Philosophy&rft.atitle=Importance%2C+Value%2C+and+Causal+Impact&rft.volume=19&rft.issue=6&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E577-%3C%2Fspan%3E601&rft.date=2021-08-13&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A238678531%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.issn=1745-5243&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1163%2F17455243-20213581&rft.aulast=Kahane&rft.aufirst=Guy&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbrill.com%2Fview%2Fjournals%2Fjmp%2Faop%2Farticle-10.1163-17455243-20213581%2Farticle-10.1163-17455243-20213581.xml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Benatar2017-263"><a href="#cite_ref-Benatar2017_263-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBenatar2017" class="citation book cs1">Benatar, David (5 May 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=VG7JDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA36">"3. Meaninglessness"</a>. The Human Predicament: A Candid Guide to Life's Biggest Questions. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-063382-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-063382-0"><bdi>978-0-19-063382-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=3.+Meaninglessness&rft.btitle=The+Human+Predicament%3A+A+Candid+Guide+to+Life%27s+Biggest+Questions&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2017-05-05&rft.isbn=978-0-19-063382-0&rft.aulast=Benatar&rft.aufirst=David&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DVG7JDgAAQBAJ%26pg%3DPA36&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Benbaji2001-264"><a href="#cite_ref-Benbaji2001_264-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBenbaji2001" class="citation journal cs1">Benbaji, Yitzhak (2001). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3751779">"The Moral, the Personal, and the Importance of What We Care about"</a>. Philosophy. 76 (297): 415–433. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0031819101000365">10.1017/S0031819101000365</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-8191">0031-8191</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3751779">3751779</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:143737564">143737564</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Philosophy&rft.atitle=The+Moral%2C+the+Personal%2C+and+the+Importance+of+What+We+Care+about&rft.volume=76&rft.issue=297&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E415-%3C%2Fspan%3E433&rft.date=2001&rft.issn=0031-8191&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A143737564%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F3751779%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1017%2FS0031819101000365&rft.aulast=Benbaji&rft.aufirst=Yitzhak&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F3751779&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-Tugendhat2016-265"><a href="#cite_ref-Tugendhat2016_265-0">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTugendhat2016" class="citation book cs1">Tugendhat, Ernst (4 October 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NB_uDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA17">"2. "Good" and "Important""</a>. Egocentricity and Mysticism: An Anthropological Study. Columbia University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-231-54293-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-231-54293-7"><bdi>978-0-231-54293-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=2.+%22Good%22+and+%22Important%22&rft.btitle=Egocentricity+and+Mysticism%3A+An+Anthropological+Study&rft.pub=Columbia+University+Press&rft.date=2016-10-04&rft.isbn=978-0-231-54293-7&rft.aulast=Tugendhat&rft.aufirst=Ernst&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DNB_uDAAAQBAJ%26pg%3DPA17&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> <li id="cite_note-266"><a href="#cite_ref-266">^</a> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMorris2016" class="citation web cs1">Morris, Chris (28 March 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/28/10-wonder-drugs-that-changed-our-lives-forever.html">"10 wonder drugs that changed our lives forever"</a>. CNBC. Retrieved 24 June 2022.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=CNBC&rft.atitle=10+wonder+drugs+that+changed+our+lives+forever&rft.date=2016-03-28&rft.aulast=Morris&rft.aufirst=Chris&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2016%2F03%2F28%2F10-wonder-drugs-that-changed-our-lives-forever.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMeaning+of+life" class="Z3988"> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><a href="/wiki/File:Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/60px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/80px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></a></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Look up <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/meaning_of_life" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:meaning of life">meaning of life</a> in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.</div></div> </div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1235681985"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1237033735"><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikiquote-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="34" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/51px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/68px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="355" /></a></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikiquote has quotations related to <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Meaning_of_life" class="extiw" title="q:Special:Search/Meaning of life">Meaning of life</a>.</div></div> </div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1235681985"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1237033735"><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikiquote-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="34" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/51px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/68px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="355" /></a></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikiquote has quotations related to <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Life" class="extiw" title="q:Life">Life</a>.</div></div> </div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1235681985"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1237033735"><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg/40px-Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="33" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg/60px-Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg/80px-Wikiversity_logo_2017.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="626" data-file-height="512" /></a></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikiversity has learning resources about <a href="https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/What_Matters" class="extiw" title="v:What Matters">What Matters</a></div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140713204824/http://www.iep.utm.edu/mean-ana/">Meaning of Life: The Analytic Perspective</a> article in the <a href="/wiki/Internet_Encyclopedia_of_Philosophy" title="Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy">Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/">The Meaning of Life</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Stanford_Encyclopedia_of_Philosophy" title="Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy">Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Do_living_things_on_Earth_have_a_purpose%3F" class="extiw" title="wikiversity:Do living things on Earth have a purpose?">Wikiversity:Do living things on Earth have a purpose?</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Metaphysics" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Metaphysics" title="Template:Metaphysics"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Metaphysics" title="Template talk:Metaphysics"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Metaphysics" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Metaphysics"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Metaphysics" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Metaphysics" title="Metaphysics">Metaphysics</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Theories</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abstract_object_theory" title="Abstract object theory">Abstract object theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Action_theory_(philosophy)" title="Action theory (philosophy)">Action theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-realism" title="Anti-realism">Anti-realism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Determinism" title="Determinism">Determinism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mind%E2%80%93body_dualism" title="Mind–body dualism">Dualism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Enactivism" title="Enactivism">Enactivism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Essentialism" title="Essentialism">Essentialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Existentialism" title="Existentialism">Existentialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">Free will</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Idealism" title="Idealism">Idealism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Libertarianism_(metaphysics)" title="Libertarianism (metaphysics)">Libertarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Liberty" title="Liberty">Liberty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Materialism" title="Materialism">Materialism</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Meaning of life</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monism" title="Monism">Monism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Naturalism_(philosophy)" title="Naturalism (philosophy)">Naturalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nihilism" title="Nihilism">Nihilism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phenomenalism" title="Phenomenalism">Phenomenalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophical_realism" title="Philosophical realism">Realism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Physicalism" title="Physicalism">Physicalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relativism" title="Relativism">Relativism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scientific_realism" title="Scientific realism">Scientific realism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solipsism" title="Solipsism">Solipsism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spiritualism_(philosophy)" title="Spiritualism (philosophy)">Spiritualism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subjectivism" title="Subjectivism">Subjectivism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Substance_theory" title="Substance theory">Substance theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theory_of_forms" title="Theory of forms">Theory of forms</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Truthmaker_theory" title="Truthmaker theory">Truthmaker theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Type_theory" title="Type theory">Type theory</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Concepts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abstract_and_concrete" title="Abstract and concrete">Abstract object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anima_mundi" title="Anima mundi">Anima mundi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category_of_being" class="mw-redirect" title="Category of being">Category of being</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Causality" title="Causality">Causality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Causal_closure" title="Causal closure">Causal closure</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cogito,_ergo_sum" title="Cogito, ergo sum">Cogito, ergo sum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Concept" title="Concept">Concept</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Embodied_cognition" title="Embodied cognition">Embodied cognition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Entity" title="Entity">Entity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Essence" title="Essence">Essence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Existence" title="Existence">Existence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Experience" title="Experience">Experience</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypostatic_abstraction" title="Hypostatic abstraction">Hypostatic abstraction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Idea" title="Idea">Idea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Identity_(philosophy)" title="Identity (philosophy)">Identity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Information" title="Information">Information</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Data" title="Data">Data</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Insight" title="Insight">Insight</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intelligence" title="Intelligence">Intelligence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intention" title="Intention">Intention</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Linguistic_modality" class="mw-redirect" title="Linguistic modality">Linguistic modality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_matter" title="Philosophy of matter">Matter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meaning_(existential)" title="Meaning (existential)">Meaning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mental_representation" title="Mental representation">Mental representation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mind" title="Mind">Mind</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Motion" title="Motion">Motion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nature_(philosophy)" title="Nature (philosophy)">Nature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metaphysical_necessity" title="Metaphysical necessity">Necessity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Object_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Object (philosophy)">Object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ontology" title="Ontology">Ontology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pattern" title="Pattern">Pattern</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perception" title="Perception">Perception</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Physical_object" title="Physical object">Physical object</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Principle" title="Principle">Principle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Property_(philosophy)" title="Property (philosophy)">Property</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qualia" title="Qualia">Qualia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quality_(philosophy)" title="Quality (philosophy)">Quality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">Reality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relations_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Relations (philosophy)">Relation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self" title="Self">Self</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soul" title="Soul">Soul</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subject_(philosophy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Subject (philosophy)">Subject</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Substantial_form" title="Substantial form">Substantial form</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thought" title="Thought">Thought</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Time" title="Time">Time</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Truth" title="Truth">Truth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Type%E2%80%93token_distinction" title="Type–token distinction">Type–token distinction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Universal_(metaphysics)" title="Universal (metaphysics)">Universal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unobservable" title="Unobservable">Unobservable</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Value_(ethics)" title="Value (ethics)">Value</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Index_of_metaphysics_articles" title="Index of metaphysics articles">more ...</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_metaphysicians" title="List of metaphysicians">Metaphysicians</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Parmenides" title="Parmenides">Parmenides</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle">Aristotle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lucretius" title="Lucretius">Lucretius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Proclus" title="Proclus">Proclus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plotinus" title="Plotinus">Plotinus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Avicenna" title="Avicenna">Avicenna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Duns_Scotus" title="Duns Scotus">Scotus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas" title="Thomas Aquinas">Aquinas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Francisco_Su%C3%A1rez" title="Francisco Suárez">Suárez</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descartes" title="René Descartes">Descartes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza" title="Baruch Spinoza">Spinoza</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Locke" title="John Locke">Locke</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nicolas_Malebranche" title="Nicolas Malebranche">Malebranche</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Isaac_Newton" title="Isaac Newton">Newton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz" title="Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz">Leibniz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Christian_Wolff_(philosopher)" title="Christian Wolff (philosopher)">Wolff</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Reid" title="Thomas Reid">Reid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/George_Berkeley" title="George Berkeley">Berkeley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/David_Hume" title="David Hume">Hume</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Immanuel_Kant" title="Immanuel Kant">Kant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel" title="Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel">Hegel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Arthur_Schopenhauer" title="Arthur Schopenhauer">Schopenhauer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bernard_Bolzano" title="Bernard Bolzano">Bolzano</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard" title="Søren Kierkegaard">Kierkegaard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hermann_Lotze" title="Hermann Lotze">Lotze</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Charles_Sanders_Peirce" title="Charles Sanders Peirce">Peirce</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche" title="Friedrich Nietzsche">Nietzsche</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alexius_Meinong" title="Alexius Meinong">Meinong</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Henri_Bergson" title="Henri Bergson">Bergson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead" title="Alfred North Whitehead">Whitehead</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bertrand_Russell" title="Bertrand Russell">Russell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/G._E._Moore" title="G. E. Moore">Moore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/R._G._Collingwood" title="R. G. Collingwood">Collingwood</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein" title="Ludwig Wittgenstein">Wittgenstein</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martin_Heidegger" title="Martin Heidegger">Heidegger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rudolf_Carnap" title="Rudolf Carnap">Carnap</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gilbert_Ryle" title="Gilbert Ryle">Ryle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre" title="Jean-Paul Sartre">Sartre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Willard_Van_Orman_Quine" title="Willard Van Orman Quine">Quine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Donald_Davidson_(philosopher)" title="Donald Davidson (philosopher)">Davidson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/P._F._Strawson" title="P. F. Strawson">Strawson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/G._E._M._Anscombe" title="G. E. M. Anscombe">Anscombe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gilles_Deleuze" title="Gilles Deleuze">Deleuze</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Michael_Dummett" title="Michael Dummett">Dummett</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/David_Malet_Armstrong" title="David Malet Armstrong">Armstrong</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hilary_Putnam" title="Hilary Putnam">Putnam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alvin_Plantinga" title="Alvin Plantinga">Plantinga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saul_Kripke" title="Saul Kripke">Kripke</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/David_Lewis_(philosopher)" title="David Lewis (philosopher)">Lewis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jean_Baudrillard" title="Jean Baudrillard">Baudrillard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Derek_Parfit" title="Derek Parfit">Parfit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_metaphysicians" title="List of metaphysicians">more ...</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Notable works</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sophist_(dialogue)" title="Sophist (dialogue)">Sophist</a> (c. 350 BC)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timaeus_(dialogue)" title="Timaeus (dialogue)">Timaeus</a> (c. 350 BC)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ny%C4%81ya_S%C5%ABtras" title="Nyāya Sūtras">Nyāya Sūtras</a> (c. 200 BC)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/De_rerum_natura" title="De rerum natura">De rerum natura</a> (c. 80 BC)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metaphysics_(Aristotle)" title="Metaphysics (Aristotle)">Metaphysics</a> (c. 50)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Enneads" title="Enneads">Enneads</a> (c. 270)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Daneshnameh-ye_Alai" class="mw-redirect" title="Daneshnameh-ye Alai">Daneshnameh-ye Alai</a> (c. 1000)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meditations_on_First_Philosophy" title="Meditations on First Philosophy">Meditations on First Philosophy</a> (1641)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethics_(Spinoza_book)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ethics (Spinoza book)">Ethics</a> (1677)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/A_Treatise_Concerning_the_Principles_of_Human_Knowledge" title="A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge">A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge</a> (1710)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monadology" title="Monadology">Monadology</a> (1714)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Critique_of_Pure_Reason" title="Critique of Pure Reason">Critique of Pure Reason</a> (1781)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prolegomena_to_Any_Future_Metaphysics" title="Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics">Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics</a> (1783)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Phenomenology_of_Spirit" title="The Phenomenology of Spirit">The Phenomenology of Spirit</a> (1807)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_World_as_Will_and_Representation" title="The World as Will and Representation">The World as Will and Representation</a> (1818)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Concluding_Unscientific_Postscript_to_Philosophical_Fragments" title="Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments">Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments</a> (1846)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Being_and_Time" title="Being and Time">Being and Time</a> (1927)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Being_and_Nothingness" title="Being and Nothingness">Being and Nothingness</a> (1943)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation" title="Simulacra and Simulation">Simulacra and Simulation</a> (1981)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related topics</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Axiology" class="mw-redirect" title="Axiology">Axiology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cosmology" title="Cosmology">Cosmology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epistemology" title="Epistemology">Epistemology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Feminist_metaphysics" title="Feminist metaphysics">Feminist metaphysics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interpretations_of_quantum_mechanics" title="Interpretations of quantum mechanics">Interpretations of quantum mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mereology" title="Mereology">Mereology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meta_(prefix)" title="Meta (prefix)">Meta-</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phenomenology_(philosophy)" title="Phenomenology (philosophy)">Phenomenology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_mind" title="Philosophy of mind">Philosophy of mind</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_psychology" title="Philosophy of psychology">Philosophy of psychology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_self" title="Philosophy of self">Philosophy of self</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_space_and_time" title="Philosophy of space and time">Philosophy of space and time</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Teleology" title="Teleology">Teleology</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /> <a href="/wiki/Category:Metaphysics" title="Category:Metaphysics">Category</a></li> <li><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Socrates.png/18px-Socrates.png" decoding="async" width="18" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Socrates.png/27px-Socrates.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Socrates.png/36px-Socrates.png 2x" data-file-width="326" data-file-height="500" /> <a href="/wiki/Portal:Philosophy" title="Portal:Philosophy">Philosophy portal</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-labelledby="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223675#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223675#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a> <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223675#identifiers" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">International</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1198505/">FAST</a></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://d-nb.info/gnd/4074067-5">Germany</a></li><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh85076807">United States</a></li><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://aleph.nkp.cz/F/?func=find-c&local_base=aut&ccl_term=ica=ph125718&CON_LNG=ENG">Czech Republic</a></li><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://kopkatalogs.lv/F?func=direct&local_base=lnc10&doc_number=000352953&P_CON_LNG=ENG">Latvia</a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&oldid=1266529074">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&oldid=1266529074</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Metaphysical_properties" title="Category:Metaphysical properties">Metaphysical properties</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Existentialist_concepts" title="Category:Existentialist concepts">Existentialist concepts</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Philosophical_problems" title="Category:Philosophical problems">Philosophical problems</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Philosophy_of_life" title="Category:Philosophy of life">Philosophy of life</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Religious_philosophical_concepts" title="Category:Religious philosophical concepts">Religious philosophical concepts</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Teleology" title="Category:Teleology">Teleology</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1:_unfit_URL" title="Category:CS1: unfit URL">CS1: unfit URL</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list">CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_errors:_missing_periodical" title="Category:CS1 errors: missing periodical">CS1 errors: missing periodical</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Sanskrit-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Sanskrit-language text">Articles containing Sanskrit-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher" title="Category:CS1 maint: location missing publisher">CS1 maint: location missing publisher</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list">CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others" title="Category:CS1 maint: others">CS1 maint: others</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_with_numeric_Bible_version_references" title="Category:Pages with numeric Bible version references">Pages with numeric Bible version references</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_indefinitely_semi-protected_pages" title="Category:Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages">Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_dmy_dates_from_September_2019" title="Category:Use dmy dates from September 2019">Use dmy dates from September 2019</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements" title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_December_2009" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2009">Articles with unsourced statements from December 2009</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_March_2019" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019">Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_explicitly_cited_English-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text">Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_August_2011" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011">Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_displaying_short_descriptions_of_redirect_targets_via_Module:Annotated_link" title="Category:Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets via Module:Annotated link">Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets via Module:Annotated link</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_displaying_wikidata_descriptions_as_a_fallback_via_Module:Annotated_link" title="Category:Pages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback via Module:Annotated link">Pages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback via Module:Annotated link</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_displaying_short_descriptions_with_no_spaces_via_Module:Annotated_link" title="Category:Pages displaying short descriptions with no spaces via Module:Annotated link">Pages displaying short descriptions with no spaces via Module:Annotated link</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 1 January 2025, at 02:12 (UTC).</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meaning_of_life&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-59ccf9db48-qjmpr","wgBackendResponseTime":162,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"2.185","walltime":"2.478","ppvisitednodes":{"value":20860,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":416363,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":7591,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":16,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":46,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":829642,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":1,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 2134.492 1 -total"," 54.84% 1170.633 1 Template:Reflist"," 25.76% 549.774 134 Template:Cite_book"," 12.38% 264.195 53 Template:Cite_web"," 11.31% 241.440 39 Template:Annotated_link"," 6.13% 130.759 20 Template:Cite_journal"," 4.11% 87.739 1 Template:Langx"," 3.96% 84.539 1 Template:Metaphysics"," 3.87% 82.629 1 Template:Navbox"," 3.07% 65.559 1 Template:Short_description"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"1.325","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":17508456,"limit":52428800},"limitreport-logs":"table#1 {\n}\n","limitreport-profile":[["?","180","12.7"],["dataWrapper \u003Cmw.lua:672\u003E","160","11.3"],["MediaWiki\\Extension\\Scribunto\\Engines\\LuaSandbox\\LuaSandboxCallback::callParserFunction","140","9.9"],["MediaWiki\\Extension\\Scribunto\\Engines\\LuaSandbox\\LuaSandboxCallback::getAllExpandedArguments","100","7.0"],["recursiveClone \u003CmwInit.lua:45\u003E","80","5.6"],["MediaWiki\\Extension\\Scribunto\\Engines\\LuaSandbox\\LuaSandboxCallback::gsub","60","4.2"],["MediaWiki\\Extension\\Scribunto\\Engines\\LuaSandbox\\LuaSandboxCallback::sub","40","2.8"],["makeMessage \u003Cmw.message.lua:76\u003E","40","2.8"],["tostring","40","2.8"],["date","40","2.8"],["[others]","540","38.0"]]},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-59ccf9db48-h2gtb","timestamp":"20250103055912","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Meaning of life","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meaning_of_life","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q223675","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q223675","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2001-10-23T09:33:15Z","dateModified":"2025-01-01T02:12:55Z","headline":"philosophical and spiritual question concerning the significance of living or existence in general"}</script> </body> </html>