Justin asked:

I'm finally starting to come to terms with the fact that I don't believe in God. It's not the most pleasant
realization to have in your life, especially after years of being a fairly devout religious person.
Subscribing to an organized religion gives us an easy answer to the question, 'What's the point?' We
exist because God made it so, and it's our purpose to carry out His word.

Without God, however, the problem becomes a bit stickier. You can no longer take for granted that
there is some set reason for being. The only thing I can think of in philosophy that addresses this is
existentialism, and the main conclusion is that we're all individuals who must make our own personal
choices to carve out our own meaning in life, whatever that may be. I've come up with a few possible
reasons. I was wondering if you could briefly comment on each of them, and tell me which one you
subscribe to, if any:

1. We exist to help others. To the extent that we fulfill our role and aid others in their role along the
   way, we're succeeding.

2. We exist for our own sake. We should take what we can get while we have the chance. Every man
   and woman for him or herself.

3. We exist to acquire knowledge, to learn as much about the world as we possible can, and to help
   transmit that knowledge to others.

4. We exist to exist. There's no real point to it all. We're here because we're here, and searching for
   anything deeper is likely to give you a headache but not much more.

Personally, I'm leaning towards number 4 right now, and it doesn't sit too well with me. Dissuade me
and derail an impending early mid-life crisis!

============

I'm sorry, Justin, but I don't like any of your answers! Here's why:

1. If it is true that we exist in order to help others, then why do theyexist? Or do we exist to help each
   other? Help each other do what?- Anyone gripped by your question will feel that there must be some
   aim in life beyond taking care of the necessary basic conditions for existence.

2. The first point to make is that 'Help others' and 'Look after yourself' are not alternatives. I believe
   that we should do both. But neither supplies an answer to your question. Looking after myself must
   involve something more than merely 'taking what I can when I get the chance'. Any person gripped by
   the question, 'Why do I exist?' doesn't know what to 'take' from life, what goals to aim for.

3. Not all knowledge is worth pursuing, for example, the knowledge of the number of dust mites
   currently living in my carpet. Other forms of knowledge are pursued as a means to an end. An asthma
   sufferer needs to know whether the vacuum cleaner they intend to buy is efficient in removing dust
   mites. What is it that makes certain kinds of knowledge worth pursuing for their own sake?
   Entomologists would study the physiology of dust mites, whether they posed a threat to man or not,
   simply in order to understand more about the insect kingdom. That's fine, but no knowledge - not
   even knowledge of my own field, philosophy - is worth making one's raison d'etre.

4. If I thought that there was no point to my existence, then it would not matter what I did. That is
   clearly not true. How one lives, how one grapples with the problem of existence ought to matter to us.
   The thing to notice here - and this is where the temptation towards nihilism sneaks in - is that the
   question is never about a 'one'. The question is about oneself.There is no general recipe for how
   'one' ought to exist. Iexist in an actual situation. My life has taken me to this point in time, where I
   must face challenges that are uniquely my own, just as we must all do. Things matter to me - perhaps
   they will not always matter to the same degree as they do now, perhaps they will not always be the
   same things - but this is the point where contingent circumstances and past decisions have taken me,
   and I have to face up to the issues as best I can.

Geoffrey Klempner