How and why
Science asks how
- How the universe began
- How life and minds work
- What we can test and measure
Philosophy and faith ask why
- Why there is something rather than nothing
- What we ought to do
- What gives life purpose
Some answers people have proposed
| Tradition | Source of meaning |
|---|---|
| Many religions | A relationship with God and living by divine purpose |
| Aristotle | Living well by developing good character |
| The Stoics | Virtue and accepting what you can't control |
| Existentialists | Meaning is something each person creates |
| Viktor Frankl | Purpose, love and courage, even in suffering |
These are summaries; each tradition is much richer.
What research finds
Close relationships
The strongest predictor of a happy, healthy life
Purpose
A reason to get up in the morning
Helping others
Service builds meaning for the giver
Gratitude
Noticing what's good changes outlook
Sources: Harvard Study of Adult Development; Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
Remember
Science explains how the world works; finding why it matters is a question each person and tradition answers.
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Answer key
- Which kind of question does science mainly answer?How things workScience explains how the natural world works.
- Which philosopher tied a good life to developing good character?AristotleAristotle's idea of living well.
- What did existentialist thinkers say about meaning?Each person creates itMeaning is made through choices.
- Who wrote Man's Search for Meaning?Viktor FranklFrankl drew on surviving the Holocaust.
- What does long-term research link most strongly to a happy life?Close relationshipsThe Harvard study points to relationships.