Philosophy

What's it all about ?

photo by Andre Furtado - pexels.com

 

A taxi driver once had Bertrand Russell in his cab. Being the most famous philosopher of his day, (Bertrand Russell, not the taxi driver), he seized the opportunity and asked him, 

“So what’s it all about?”

Not surprisingly, no answer was forthcoming from the guru, for isn't 'the meaning of life’ the most profound and elusive mystery of them all, unanswerable by even the greatest of minds?

So, is there no answer to be had for a question of such significance?

Puzzled, perhaps there is - and we might progress to an answer by considering what makes life worth living... 

The positive outcome of a personal struggle; the infinite variety in nature; laughter; pets; the Jupiter symphony; Mozart; singing; the works of Da Vinci or Dali; that seafood restaurant; that favourite snack; the cold morning air; that abiding friendship; that special child’s face; the love of and from another; the elimination of suffering; helping someone; listening; taking a moment to look; caring; hobbies; the nurturing of a child? 

Certainly a huge variety there, complicated by the very unpredictable nature of it all - but if we can come to a basic answer, here goes - perhaps too simplistic and probably missing much, although only so because, not unreasonably, we expect something much more elaborate.
 

"The only sense that we can make of the idea that life has meaning is that there are some reasons to live, rather than to die, and those reasons are to be found in the living of life itself!"

Julain Baggini, writer and philosopher

 

For Julian's regular micro philosophical 'thought provoker' see HERE

You can also watch a recent interview with Julian where he talks more about 'the meaning of life'

here

and for more information about his books, please go to his website:

baggini.com