Published by What is the meaning of life? This is one question that has baffled philosophers for millennia. With the death of God, some say that there is no meaning, that human beings are just like cows. We eat, we sleep, and we reproduce. I am an atheist and I therefore do not believe in God. I don’t think we can find meaning in an afterlife. Quite frankly, I think that once we die, our bodies rot in the ground and we cease to exist. Although this may seem pessimistic, I still believe that meaning exists, but it took me many years to realize that.
When I first became an atheist, I was left with a huge gap. Where do I find my morals? Where do I find justice? Most importantly, where do I find meaning? It occurred to me for the first time that I may not be any different from an insect. After all, we have the same fate. An insect will die just as I will. I could no longer fool myself with the notion of an afterlife and I had to seriously consider my role in life. I was left in a deep hole of nihilism that I couldn’t get out of.
After much reading and independent thought, I finally found meaning in a godless world. This meaning is neither spiritual nor heavenly, but is merely the result of our actions. We choose for ourselves and our meaning is derived from our choices. This is not a given fact, but it is simply my take on the question of meaning.
Of course, it is true that cows also make choices, though trivial ones. So once again, how are humans different from cows? I think the fundamental difference lies in humanity’s application of reason. Although cows are capable of reason, the human’s ability to reason abstractly is unmatched by any other species. Look at what humanity has achieved with logic and reason. We have navigated the whole earth, sent people to the moon, created wonderful works of art, and discovered cures for lethal diseases. With our reason and consciousness, we are truly the masters of our own lives. We can actively define our lives.
This may sound like existentialism, and I will admit that my ideas on meaning and purpose are highly influenced by existentialism, but I would not call myself and existentialist since I disagree with many aspects of this school of thought. But what existentialism does is that it provides meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. Although I have not found the meaning of my life yet, I believe strongly that I will one day and that my actions are not futile or useless. If there is anything that can succinctly summarize my thoughts on this matter, it would be this quote by Robert Solomon: “It might be true that there are six billion people in the world and counting. Nevertheless, what you do makes a difference.” Indeed, what anyone does makes a difference.
I myself have never felt that there has to be some huge gulf between us and the other animals. What seperates me from a cow is the same thing that seperates me from other people my actions and the things I say.