Ethics as “Practical Philosophy”

Categories of Ethics and Concepts of Moral Consciousness

The Meaning of Life as a Moral Problem

One of the central issues in ethics is the determination of humanity's place in the world and the significance of its existence. Humans constantly question themselves: "Why do I exist? What do I want from life? What is the purpose of my life? Is it worth living at all?"

1. V. Ilyenkov stated that a person who merely absorbs substances from the surrounding world and who does not experience sorrow, joy, love, or suffering, who does not actively engage with the world around them, does not live; they merely exist. From a philosophical perspective, life can be defined as a process of active engagement with the world, adjusting it to meet human needs. Therefore, merely fulfilling biological functions is insufficient for true living; life encompasses both emotions and experiences.

The meaning of life is a regulative concept that defines what it is worthwhile to live for. The problem of life's meaning confronts an individual in light of their awareness of their own limitations and finitude. The inevitability of death imparts a unique and irreplaceable character to earthly existence. The conviction that life on Earth is granted only once compels one to regard it with utmost seriousness.

How is the contemporary interpretation of the meaning of life manifested?

The question of the loss of life's meaning has been clearly articulated by humanistic ethics and existential psychology, gaining particular development in Viktor Frankl's logotherapy. To live and act actively, a person must believe in the meaning embodied in their actions. The absence of meaning engenders a state which the thinker describes as existential vacuum—a void of existence, characterizing situations where universally acknowledged ideals have crumbled.

Frankl articulates several crucial theses for understanding the role of meaning in human life:

The quest for meaning is a value vital for survival. Meaning is invariably tied to significant goals and values that we strive for. In circumstances where an individual loses prior goals and values—such as war, a sudden change in fate, or the loss of loved ones—the search for and discovery of new meaning, or the actualization of former meanings, can help a person survive, endure difficulties, and maintain their physical and mental well-being.

A person's life cannot be devoid of meaning under any circumstances. Meaning can always be found.

Meaning cannot be given; it must be discovered. No one can offer a ready-made meaning to a person; only the individual can imbue reality with significance.

Meaning can be found, but it cannot be created. The scholar believes that the meaning of life is not subjective; it is not invented by an individual but found within the world of objective reality, which is why it presents itself to a person as an imperative demanding realization.

The search for meaning is not a neurosis; it is a normal trait of human nature that distinguishes humanity from animals.

For each individual, meaning is unique and singularly true, which they must seek and discover for themselves. Yet, it is not enough to merely find meaning; one must also actualize it. A person bears the responsibility for realizing the unique meaning of their life, which is necessary due to the finitude, limitation, and inevitability of human existence in the world, and the impossibility of deferring anything "for later" due to the irrepeatability of each specific situation. A person can actualize the meaning of life through the freedom of will, which aids them in discovering and fulfilling the significance of their existence.

Our lives are imbued with meaning through a system of values. Thus, Frankl identifies three primary classes of values capable of filling individual human existence with meaning: the values of creativity, experiential values, and attitudinal values.

In a general interpretation, creativity is the act of creating something entirely new, something that did not previously exist. Not everyone is inclined toward such creation, but anyone can be a creative individual without producing masterpieces. For each of us, as V. Malakhov writes, our own activity, our "aggregate of life’s deeds," presents itself "as a unique individual task, the fulfillment of which connects" us with others "and with the world" as a whole. Realizing oneself through creative activity (work) is what endows our existence with meaning.

Experiential values, associated, for instance, with religious sentiments, the appreciation of works of art, and reverence for nature, can acquire significant life-meaning for us.

A person may find the meaning of life in the experience of love, compassion, and sympathy for others, among other things.

Even when human life and the individual's possibilities are constrained—by obligations, fate, death, or suffering—the meaning of life can be discovered in one’s attitude toward these factors. In fateful situations, life reveals itself to a person in new facets and depths. For indeed, the Stoics taught that the matter lies not in fleeing from fate—one cannot escape it!—but in meeting it with dignity. The entirety of human experience demonstrates that when a person is aware of their life’s purpose, they possess a sense of meaningfulness in their existence and actions, making it considerably easier to endure even the most challenging trials. Even in the harshest circumstances, a person can and is capable of accepting their suffering and existence with dignity and meaning.

By realizing the meanings of their life, a person thus actualizes themselves. Yet, beyond this, an individual can never truly know whether they have succeeded in embodying the meaning of their life. Perhaps it is not by chance that the eminent philosopher M. Berdyaev asserted that the meaning of life lies in the quest for this meaning. Knowledge of life's meaning, its definition for oneself, is necessary, but more crucial is the conscious living of one’s own life.