LIA:

Western Worldviews Final Comprehensive Project

The Meaning of Life

Final Term Project

Due: Tuesday December 5 at 11:59 through LEA.

Value: 20%

1. Each reflection should include a key philosophical concept. Concepts can include, but are

not exclusive to:

 Being in the world

 Anxiety

 Freedom

 Subjectivity

 Faith

 Boredom

 Risk

 Alienation

 Absurdity

 Phenomenology

 God
  Nihilism

 Authenticity

 Individuality

 Choice

Evaluation Checklist:

 There are 10 entries.

 Each starts with a quote from ten different philosophers.

 Each entry includes one philosophical concept.

 Each entry is at least 250 words.

 Your work shows thought, depth, originality.

 It is authentic.

 It is presented with care and attention to detail.

 Your work is proofread, grammatically correct and has no spelling errors.

1- “I think therefore I am” -Rene Descartes

This quote triggers reflections on our most recent class trip (or in my case, individual journey),

where we delved into the profound concept of 'Dasein' and the accompanying consciousness it

entails. During this experience, we were prompted to think fundamental existential questions—

Who are we? Why are we here? What is the nature of all this and more? In contemplating these

questions, the resonance with Rene Descartes' quote becomes very clear. The act of doubting or

engaging in thought implies the existence of something to doubt or think about in the first place.
It establishes a process where questioning becomes evidence of one's existence as a thinking

being. Moreover, Descartes' assertion, 'I think, therefore I am,' underlines the undeniable

existence of the thinking self and the explanation of this quote is very confusing, and sort hurts

my head to think about, but it also makes sense.

2- “Everything happens for a reason” (Aristotle)

I believe I used this quote as one of the "outside" quotes we had to write about one week,

though I did not know the idea came from Aristotle. It is one of my personal favorites and holds

significant meaning in my life, as it is something I live by and try to embrace in everything that I

do. I find comfort in this quote as, in my opinion, it also reads as "everything works out in the

end." The sense is that no matter what you are going through, there is a point to it, and you will

come out better for it if you keep the faith in life. This perspective works regardless of whether

you are religious or not, as the statement itself is subjective. Some may associate random events

in life with random chance, while others may interpret obstacles as part of a plan that is bigger

than us. Personally, I relate to the latter, as I associate these actions with God and believe that

there is a path for me, even if right now I'm not understanding it. Once again, I associate this

quote the most with the graveyard trip, as I was reflecting on those I had lost personally in the

past—some but not all who have passed away. Instead, some are no longer in my life, and their

absence has led to both positive and negative outcomes and I can accept the losses as it be

followed by something else like the rainbow after the storm.

3- “Faith consists of in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”

Voltaire
 This Voltaire quote holds a profound relevance in the context of anxiety. Anxiety often

transports individuals into a state where reason is struggles to provide solace. In the face of

uncertainty, even the mere idea of faith can become a stabilizing force. Anxiety grips on to

your mind and overwhelms you, often time this clouds your judgement beyond reason. When

struggling with intrusive thoughts and uncertainty that defies straight forward reason. Faith

steps in as a guiding light, encouraging trust in a positive outcome despite the lack of

immediate evidence. It is a conviction that, even during overwhelming anxiety, there exists a

purpose or a path that transcends immediate understanding. Faith, in its essence, becomes the

bridge between the known and the unknown, providing solace in the face of anxiety's

relentless assault on reason. It instills a mindset of resilience, reinforcing the belief that,

beyond the current struggle, lies a realm of possibilities.

4- “Everything in the world displeases me: but, above all, my displeasure in everything

displeases me.” Nietzsche

The quote, "Everything in the world displeases me: but, above all, my displeasure in

everything displeases me," portrays a deep sense of discontent and frustration. I gather from

it that the writer in unhappy with the outside world and in turn himself. This sentiment can be

closely tied to nihilism, a philosophical perspective that there is no meaning or value to life.

Nihilism challenges traditional beliefs and asserts that fundamental aspects of existence lack

objective significance. The dissatisfaction not only with external circumstances but also with

their internal reaction forms a steady pattern of negativity, reflecting the nihilistic

acknowledgment that established values and norms may be noy mean anything at all or void

of ultimate importance. The struggle that is represented in this quote is existential nihilism as
they are unable to find satisfaction or meaning in life. This branch of nihilism suggests that

individuals must create their own meaning and values in a seemingly indifferent or chaotic

universe. The speaker's reflection of disillusionment and discontent with circumstances

mirrors the existential frustration with the outside world. Nihilism, as a philosophical

concept, expresses a range of ideas, from the denial of objective morality to the rejection of

absolute truths. Nietzsche’s dissatisfaction serves as a manifestation of this rejection, pushing

against the notion the idea that there is inherent meaning in the external world or in one's

internal reactions.

5- “Often father and daughter look down on mother (woman) together. They exchange

meaningful glances when she misses a point. They agree that she is not bright as

they are, cannot reason as they do. This collusion does not save the daughter from

the mother’s fate.” - Bonnie Burstow, Radical Feminist Therapy: Working in the

Context of Violence

Technically the quote above is not form of philosophy but rather comes from a feminist

activist but regardless it is one of my favorites, I decided to include it. The quote above

can be associate with many concepts but I’m going to focused on how it fits into “place

in this world”. Society has always treated women differently, this isn’t a new idea, an

objective one but more of a fact. I genuinely do think of this quote anytime me and my

brothers or dad make jokes at the expense of my mother, will I take on her role when I

have a family of my own? Has it already started among my dad and brothers? Is this what

I am forever destined for? I sure hope I’m not destined for thus faith but is just something
 that is an automatic, are we just put on this earth and supposed to accept that this how it’s

going to be? I am a feminist and I know this entry may seem that I am not but have been

since I was 11 (or at least that when I learned the word) when my brother explained the

concept to me. I think women are incredible and we can do anything we want if we want

it bad enough. However, I really don’t know if even if I find our “place in this world” if I

will ever truly be satisfied.

6- “One night I summoned God, if He really existed, to show Himself to me. He didn't,

and I never addressed another word to Him. In my heart of hearts, I was very glad

He didn't exist. I should have hated it if what was going on here below had had to

end up in eternity.”― Simone de Beauvoir, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter’

My goals with this quote were to find one that I had not heard before ( or at least I did not

remember) and to see if she had some about God. I’m not extremely religious but it’s still

the back of my mind when something goes wrong, manifesting in an internal dialogue: “

God’s got this, no worries it’s all going to work out”. This quote reminds of me of a crisis

of faith, or at least this is my thought process when once in a blue moon ( more like once

a week) lay in bed at night unable to sleep just think about if God is real, how they can

be found on earth and why do bad thing happen to good people? “In my heart of hearts,

I was very glad He didn't exist. I should have hated it if what was going on here

below had had to end up in eternity.” This part of the quote is what draw my attention

to it, if life on earth can be so painful for some with war, hunger, death, and abuse if God

is real is that what is awaiting us after death? Is it worst up there or the denial of God

better since it means that we deny that any of this their fault and do not exist, therefore

there is a dream land up there? Such a confusing concept but so is existentialism.

7- Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. -Leo

Tolstoy

I have heard of this quote before but never thought of it in the sense of

authenticity before. I am guilty of wanting to change everything around me and even who

is around me prior to reflecting on how to change myself in order to adapt to the life I

already have around me. This quote reflects on the idea that people often aspire to make a

vast, positive impact on the world but in the process may neglect the importance of

personal growth and learning too authentically who we are. Tolstoy‘s quote suggest that

true change begins at a personal level and indiduals are encouraged to consider changes

they can make themselves (developing positive habit’s, fostering empathy and a sense of

responsibility).By focusing on personal growth, individuals may contribute to a more

positive and harmonious world.

8- “And I can go anywhere I want

Anywhere I want, just not home” (Taylor swift- my tears ricochet)

Okay I know it said not doing pop artist would be better but when I think of freedom in

think of this excerpt of my tears ricochet. In the wrote above Taylor swift demonstrated

the concept that even if you have a home, you are not necessarily free in fact it may be

the exact opposite. The freedom to go anywhere is very fun and can be exciting but that’s

if you have a home to back too, freedom to me means nothing if mi not allowed to return

to a base at the end of it, it can get exhausting. I can’t imagine not being able to go home,

but that is the case of a lot of people. In addition, individuals who leave abusive homes,
 the ones who ARE able to make it out can’t return, they can go anywhere just not where

they originally tagged the name and concept of their home.

9- Boredom is the root of all evil.- Søren Kierkegaard

From a philosophical point of view, the statement "Boredom is the root of all evil" suggests

that people may engage in harmful ideas or harmful behaviors when their minds are idle or

unoccupied. The concept, which is frequently attributed to a variety of thinkers, reflects the idea

that when people are bored or do not have meaningful activities, they may be more likely to

cause trouble, mischief, or unethical behavior. Recognizing that this statement has been debated

and is not universally accepted is essential to our understanding of it . It is likely an

oversimplification to attribute all evil or negative actions exclusivity to boredom, not our choice

that we make and the actions that represent them . Human behavior is influenced by a variety of

factors. Personal values, societal norms, psychological traits, and environmental conditions all

play a role in determining people's actions. Although boredom may influence behavior in some

instances, it is not accurate to decide that it is the sole cause of all evil.

10- “All that I know about my life, it seems, I have learned in books.” Jean-Paul

Sartre

I chose this quote as I didn't know it when I started this excerpt. I grew up in a

neighborhood where all of the street’s names were French writers or philosophers

including Jean-Paul Sartre. I personally grew up on rue Pierre-Corneille but did not find a

quote that caught my attention. Regardless this was just to say that I have a familiarity

with this philosopher. The quote " all I know about my life, it seems, I have learned it in
books." reminds me of my final year of high school and the concept of alienation. I

changed schools my final year and found it very difficult to make long-lasting friendships

as the girls had known each other for so long. In addition, by the end of the year a girl

who I had known for about 15 years, Uninvited me to prom and our plans following the

dance. In the last month, everything that I learned about myself was from books, I believe

I ended up reading 5 books within a week. Do I felt alone, and it sucked to be alienated at

the time, these books have taught me more about myself than our entire friendship did. I

got used to being by myself and to doing things for myself and in all I think that was a

very important life lesson that I learned, and it came from books and sourced from

alienation. In addition, it also led me to one of my strongest friendships as another girl in

school had also been alienated and we found ourselves often in the library and started

discussing the books we were reading, and she ended up being one of the only people that

I speak to from high school and we had only started speaking about a month before the

end