Information about Purpose

Purpose in its most general sense is the anticipated aim which guides action. It is used as the synonym of goal and objective.

The role of purpose in human life

According to some philosophies, purpose is central to a good human life. Helen Keller wrote that happiness comes from "fidelity to a worthy purpose", and Ayn Rand wrote that purpose must be one of the three ruling values of human life (the others are reason and self-esteem). Some people hold that God assigns purposes to people and that it is their mission to fulfill them. Others hold that purpose is not inherent, but instead freely chosen (or not chosen) by individuals. Among these, some say that natural propensities may determine what sorts of purposes a person needs to pursue, but do not guarantee that he or she will pursue them, that being dependent on free choice.

Pursuing a career, raising a family, devotion to a creative vocation or to a cause, and acquiring property are perhaps the most widespread of long-term purposes that make life meaningful according to such philosophies. Public service and helping the needy are often cited. Variants of philosophies such as eudaimonism and objectivism sometimes claim that self-sacrificial goals are destructive.

Modern spiritual philosophy sees the purpose in life as improving the environment and world condition for all beings. In the most immediate sense this means each individual finding the special talents which are a gift to serve others. This in turn is found in pursuing a soul level joy, so that the personal and highest individual purpose of life is pursuit of soul level joy. This is the first joy, that which has followed the individual from birth. In most instances it begins with the desire for acceptance and evolves to discovery of each person's genius or gift to serve.

Richard Dawkins and other like-minded scientists would cite man's purpose as ensuring the continuity of one's genetic and/or memetic make-up.

Teleology

Purpose is similar to teleology, the idea that a final goal is implicit in all living organisms. Until the modern age, philosophy followed Aristotle's and Plato's depiction of a teleological cosmos in which all things had a final purpose (namely, to realize their implicit perfection). Perhaps most modern philosophers of science have reversed the idea of purpose inherent in nature; they do not consider an eye explicable as being "in order to see"; instead, cause-and-effect processes are credited with bringing about the eye organ, which allows us to see. The difference is between a cause as pushing from behind (movements of billiard balls) and a cause as pulling from within (movement of a growing plant). With teleology (purpose) matter is fulfilling some aim from within.

Popular culture

• A religious point of view on purpose is expounded in the best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life.
• The Broadway play Avenue Q describes purpose as helping others, especially in the song "Purpose."

External links

• Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Causation in the Seventeenth Century: Final Causes
• The Purpose Project—Center for Spirituality & Healing—University of Minnesota