Life philosophy is a person’s system of views. The search for answers to the main questions in life, what is its meaning, why, what and how to do, does not stop. Since ancient times, the minds of philosophers have been pondering this. Dozens of teachings have been formed, but people still ask themselves these questions.
Philosophy of life - basic ideas
The philosophy of life united various directions, united by common ideas. It arose as a reaction to outdated philosophical traditions determined by rationalism. The ideas of the philosophy of life are that being is the fundamental principle, and only through it can something be comprehended. All rational methods of understanding the world are in the past. They are being replaced by irrational ones. Feelings, instincts, faith are the main tools for comprehending reality.
What is life
Movement in space and time, during which personal development occurs, experience, skills and knowledge are acquired, energy is expended on interaction with other individuals - this is what life means.
Important! There is no precise definition and characteristic signs for this phenomenon.
Types of concept
Life is a concept that can be viewed from different points of view:
- Physical. A continuous process, which is accompanied by the accumulation and dissipation of energy in order to increase or decrease chaos in the system - this is real life, as the science of physics tells in detail.
- Biological. According to this view, social existence is a special form of living matter, in each cell of which physical and chemical processes take place. The main criteria of a developing organism are: growth, metabolism, reactions to stimuli and reproduction. As long as a person breathes, he continues to live.
- If you look at this term from a psychological or cultural angle, you can find more than 7 billion definitions, since every adult and child interprets this phenomenon in their own way.
The concept of life in philosophy
For more than 30 centuries, philosophers and prophets from different nations of the world have been striving to understand life, to understand what it is and what its boundaries are. Spinoza, Socrates, Diogenes, Antisthenes and other sages reduced their thoughts to the fact that the foundation of the existence of all life on earth comes down to the search for the purpose of existence.
Important! Therefore, life in philosophy is a kind of key to determining the main motives and paths of development of the world, as well as the self-improvement of a person through his meaningful creative activity.
Benedict Spinoza
Often, in order to understand this term, ancient treatises used a comparison with death and non-existence. Life as being is an outdated philosophical definition.
Additional Information. In modern times, rational knowledge of the world has been replaced by irrational views. Faith, instincts and feelings have become the main tools that allow us to comprehend real existence.
Irrationalism and philosophy of life
Irrationalism is based on the uniqueness of human experience, the importance of instincts and feelings, as opposed to rational knowledge. It, like romanticism in literature, became a reaction to rationalism. Reflected in the historicism and relativism of Wilhelm Dilthey. For him, all knowledge was conditioned by a personal historical perspective, so he asserted the importance of the humanities.
Johann Georg Hamann, a German philosopher, rejected the process of reflection and sought truth in feeling and faith. Personal confidence is the final criterion of truth. His colleague in the literary group Sturm und Drang, Friedrich Jacobi, exalted the certainty and clarity of faith at the expense of intellectual knowledge.
Friedrich Schelling and Henri Bergson, concerned with the uniqueness of human experience, turned to intuitionism, which “sees things invisible to science.” Reason itself was not annulled, it lost its leading role. Instinct is the engine that underlies existence. Pragmatism, existentialism, irrationalism are a philosophy of life that has expanded the understanding of human life and thought.
It’s different for everyone, but I don’t have a destiny invented by someone in heaven.
There are only cause-and-effect relationships, actions performed and a little karma from this or past life. Events in my life depend on my choice and I myself am responsible for everything that happens to me. This doesn't mean that I don't believe in God. Of course, I believe in him, I read prayers, meditate and often turn to the higher powers in my heart. Sometimes I visit churches and temples, I believe in the power of saints and the existence of guardian angels, as I have seen them more than once in my dreams and felt their strength and help in real life. My universe always takes care of me, and I love it and trust it completely.
The meaning of human life - philosophy
The problem of the meaning of life in philosophy has been and remains relevant. Philosophers of different directions have been looking for answers to the questions, what is the meaning of life and what makes life meaningful over the centuries:
- Ancient philosophers were unanimous in the opinion that the essence of human life lies in the desire for good and happiness. For Socrates, happiness is equal to the improvement of the soul. For Aristotle - the embodiment of human essence. And the essence of a person is his soul. Spiritual work, thinking and knowledge lead to the achievement of happiness. Epicurus saw meaning (happiness) in pleasure, which he represented not as pleasure, but as the absence of fear, physical and spiritual suffering.
- In the Middle Ages in Europe, the idea of the meaning of life was directly related to traditions, religious ideals and class values. There is a similarity here with the philosophy of life in India, where repeating the life of ancestors and maintaining class status are key.
- Philosophers of the 19th and 20th centuries believed that human life is meaningless and absurd. Schopenhauer argued that all religions and philosophies are only attempts to find meaning and make a meaningless life bearable. Existentialists, Sartre, Heidegger, Camus, equated life with absurdity, and only a person could give it some meaning through his own actions and choices.
- Modern positivist and pragmatic approaches argue that life takes on the meaning that is important for an individual within the framework of his reality. It can be anything - achievements, career, family, art, travel. What a particular person values his life for and what he strives for. This philosophy of life is very close to many modern people.
Enjoy: living the moment like the Cyrenaics
His students, known as the Cyrenaic school, disagreed with Socrates. They believed that knowledge is subjective - that is, everyone has their own truth, and therefore there is no need to learn wisdom, but it is better to declare various joys (including simple bodily pleasures like food and sex) as the meaning of life.
The Cyrenaics reasoned like this: since the future is unknown, and the same thing can bring both pleasure and suffering to different people (or one person at different times), you need to live in the present and try to make every moment of your life as happy as possible: enjoy delicious food and wine, good weather and meeting friends.
It is unknown what the future will turn out to be, but life is already happening now and consists of such individual moments.
This is the meaning of the Cyrenaiese - to enjoy life and decide for yourself what “pleasure” is for you: feasts and wine or intellectual conversations and philosophy. The Cyrenaics approved of everything.
“There is no need to regret the past or fear the future; but one must be content only with the present, and even then only with each individual moment of it.
A particular pleasure is in itself worthy of choice. But happiness does not arise through itself, but through individual pleasures.”
— quotes from the Cyrenaics according to Losev, “Cyrenaica”
Philosophy of life and death
The problem of life and death in philosophy is one of the key ones. Death as a result of the process of life. Man, like any biological organism, is mortal, but unlike other animals, he is aware of his mortality. This pushes him to think about the meaning of life and death. All philosophical teachings can be divided into two types:
- There is no life after death
. After death there is no existence; along with a person’s body, his soul and his consciousness perish. - There is life after death
. A religious-idealistic approach, life on earth is a preparation for the afterlife or reincarnation.
Spiritually Enjoy: Living the Epicurean Way
The Cyrenaic view is what is usually meant when people talk about hedonism: pleasure and permissiveness. But not all philosophers are ready to admit that the meaning of our life lies in simple pleasures. However, they are not always ready to give up pleasures. How to combine this?
The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus divided all pleasures into “temporary” and “permanent”. The first ones are those that come and go, and they are necessarily followed by suffering: for example, we were hungry, ate deliciously and enjoyed the food, but after a couple of hours we want to eat again, which means we suffer and are again in search of pleasure. And so on in a circle. Later, the English utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill would call these pleasures “lower” and emphasize that the Epicureans advised abstaining from them.
Instead, Epicurus proposed making the meaning of his life to receive “permanent” (or “higher”) pleasures - peace of mind, prudence and moderation.
If we achieve peace of mind, it does not go anywhere and supports us in difficult moments, helps us see the main thing in life. To achieve such a state of mind, Epicurus advised to engage in self-knowledge, learn everything new, not be afraid of the gods and death, and also focus on what is in our power.
“When we say that pleasure is the ultimate goal, we do not mean the pleasures of debauchery or sensuality, as those who do not know, do not share or poorly understand our teaching believe - no, we mean freedom from the suffering of the body and from the turmoil of the soul . For it is not endless drinking bouts and holidays, not the enjoyment of boys and women or the fish table and other joys of a luxurious feast that make our life sweet, but only sober reasoning, examining the reasons for our every preference and avoidance and expelling opinions that place great anxiety in the soul.”
— Epicurus, “Letter to Menoeceus”
Books about the philosophy of life for self-development
Fiction can be an excellent source of philosophical enlightenment. Not only scientific or popular science books written by philosophers introduce new philosophical ideas and give impetus to spiritual development. Five books that present the philosophy of human life:
- "Stranger"
. Albert Camus. The book is fiction; in it the author managed to reflect the basic ideas of existentialism, even better than in philosophical treatises. - "Siddhartha"
. Hermann Hesse. This book will take your thoughts from worries about the future to thoughts about the beauty of the present. - "The Picture of Dorian Grey"
. Oscar Wilde. A great book about the dangers associated with pride and vanity, in it the reader will find a lot of self-reflection and sensory exploration. - "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
. Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche built one of the most original and radical philosophies in his entire history. His ideas continue to send shock waves through the Christian community. Most people reject Nietzsche's slogan that "God is dead", but in this work Nietzsche actually explains this statement and voices interesting ideas about life on Earth. - "Transformation"
. Franz Kafka. One day, waking up, the hero of the story discovers that he has turned into a large insect...
Build an ideal society: living the Confucian way
Another interesting version of the meaning of life that we inherited from Eastern philosophy is the desire to build a perfect society in which harmony will be achieved between man and Heaven.
The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius teaches that an ideal society can only be built if each person fulfills his duties well and follows his destiny.
He viewed each person as a cog in a large mechanism, for the smooth operation of which it was important that everyone diligently fulfill their duties. Only by working together, fulfilling their assigned roles and treating each other with respect can people live in a better society. That is why Confucius declared self-improvement and the best performance of the work that is given to you as the meaning of life. Every person, no matter who he is, is capable of learning and improving what he does, whether it be cleaning and cooking or running a country.
In addition, Confucius reminds that people should never forget about others. Confucianism places a lot of emphasis on relationships: how to be a good son and parent, how to love all people, and how to fulfill your duty to others.
“When a person improves what is given to him by nature and uses it for the benefit of others, he is not far from the True Path. Don't do things you don't like to do to other people."
— Confucius, The Doctrine of the Mean
Films about the philosophy of life
Directors turn to the theme of human life in their films. Films about the philosophy of life that will make you think:
- "Tree of Life"
. Directed by Terrence Malick. This movie raises millions of rhetorical questions about the meaning of life, the problem of human identity. - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
. The film by Michel Gondry, released in 2004, is a kind of philosophical teaching about how to live your life, accept mistakes and not forget about them. - "Fountain"
. A fantastic movie from Darren Aronofsky will show new interpretations of reality.
The expediency of practical psychology.
There can be many answers. And here everything depends on the psychologist’s individual understanding of his task.
So, for example, if this concerns the client, this may be the achievement of some specific results in his life, for example, getting a job, getting rid of addictions, solving personal problems, problems in the family, at work, etc.
This can also be a solution to problems of a person’s personal fulfillment, depressive and stressful conditions, neuroses, etc.
This can also be a solution to global existential problems of clients, if there is such a request.
It could be a combination of all of the above (which is most likely), and much more.
It is very important to understand that the solution to the listed problems in the interaction between a psychologist and a client concerns both equally. This is important to understand for the reason that a psychologist is also a person with many of his own problems and tasks, and is not at all obliged (and in most cases is not) to be some kind of perfect person who has completely solved all his problems
This is important to understand for the reason that a psychologist is also a person with many of his own problems and tasks, and is not at all obliged (and in most cases is not) to be some kind of perfect person who has completely solved all his problems. What distinguishes a psychologist from a client is a set of certain professional skills and knowledge, which in certain cases can lead to a certain result acceptable for the psychologist-client relationship
What distinguishes a psychologist from a client is a set of certain professional skills and knowledge, which in certain cases can lead to a certain result acceptable to the psychologist-client relationship.
But what should this result be? And is there something, some universal criterion that allows us to generalize the tasks of psychology? Of course, the results of a psychologist’s work (even based on stated requests) in their purely applied aspect can differ quite significantly.
Nevertheless, there is one important general criterion - all psychological work comes down to one task - improving the client’s quality of life, and I would add that this equally applies to the psychologist.
Definition of concepts
Philosophy and psychology are closely related sciences. Psychology has two directions: knowledge and the totality of human traits that make up his character. In the first meaning, it is a science that studies the mechanisms and patterns of mental activity of society. In the second meaning, it denotes the mental processes occurring in the human body that make it individual.
Philosophy is the science of the general laws of development of nature, society and man. It reflects the state of society at a certain point in time and develops with it. Therefore it is not permanent. In different historical eras, currents arise in it, on the basis of which schools appear, and philosophers are divided in opinion.
Everything has its time.
I often hear from friends that it’s time for me to get married or have children “at least for myself”…. Oh, in part, I even agree a little with this opinion for one reason or another. At the age of 28, my mother already had two children, but I still can’t “settle” in one place and start a family. Well, everyone has their own deadlines, and the last thing in the world I want to be like someone else. Now I have other life goals and my prioritization is such that my husband and children are not in first place. But, as I already wrote above in the first paragraph, my freedom of choice, and if I want to change something, I can do it at any time.
