Meaning of life as purpose of life

Abstract

What do we refer to when we ask about the meaning of life? What do we mean by “meaning” here? To answer these questions is to give a concept of meaning. My aim is to defend purpose as one of the possible interpretations of meaning. After highlighting the difference between concept and conception of meaning, I will argue that the concept of meaning as purpose is based on a double dimension shared by these two constructs. Then, I will argue that other concepts of meaning encompass the notion of purpose: meaning as transcendence and meaning as intelligibility. I then present an objection proposed by Metz (2001) that the idea of purpose is incompatible with essentialist conceptions of meaning. I answer that this objection, if accepted, may mitigate a concept of meaning that rests exclusively on the idea of purpose, but that this is not the case here.