Philosophies of Life

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the topic of personal philosophies and how the philosophies we develop are influenced by a variety of different factors. The paper maintains that religion, spirituality, government, fear of punishment and longing for reward, as well as doubt and introspection are all significant influences on the development of our personal life philosophies and that without these influences or with only a single influence, such as religion, our life philosophies would be too narrow and damaging.

From the Paper:

"When one considers the many aspects of one's "inner life," it becomes clear that most, if not all of them are based upon some philosophical conception. Psychologists have long known that individuals, who have a strong sense of their life's purpose, as well as a spiritual, religious, or ethical viewpoint, tend to live longer, healthier lives. Further, they are less likely to suffer from depressive episodes (Hassad, 2000). Although each person's individual "philosophy of life" is different, there are some well known philosophical interpretations that can shed some light upon common attitudes concerning personal identity. Six famous life philosophies are attributed to Socrates, Freud, Albert Camus, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Muhammad."

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