by Victoria Walker

Created on: March 10, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Determining the purpose of human life on earth is the eternal quest that has engaged the attention of humanity for thousands of years. It is not enough to simply acknowledge that we exist, we strive to know why we exist.

In modern terms the existence of mankind can be explained by evolution. As man has evolved he has learned to master his natural environment and has become capable of greater and greater achievements. Mankind has progressed in this respect and it is anticipated that he will continue to do so. Yet the question remains: what is the point? To explain the existence of mankind in terms of his evolutionary status, as a product of nature, describes the process of existence but it does not provide the purpose. Of course, here we reach the essence of the enigma, for by distinguishing purpose from existence we beg the question: is there a purpose?

The mystery of existence is the reason that people embrace spiritual ideas and beliefs. Long before the concept of evolution was developed, mankind advocated the presence of unseen deities and forces in order to explain the world. Now, in the modern world, spiritual beliefs and ideas still have great significance. For many people, science is just not enough to explain the reason for our existence and fulfill the quest for meaning. The fact that people look for meaning in life beyond the world which they see around them tells us something of human nature. One view may be that spiritual beliefs can be explained as purely psychological phenomena or as part of social functioning and as such can be rationalized within a 'scientific' framework. Belief in the 'beyond' - whatever this may be - could be a mechanism for coping with the world. This type of reductionism may be the preferred explanation for those wanting to ground their views on existence firmly in the material world, but surely it is debasing to 'explain away' spiritual beliefs in this manner.

It would be fair to say that part of the problem in considering the purpose of existence is the issue of attempting to reconcile 'scientific' and 'spiritual' approaches. People may believe in one or the other, though significantly there are many people who incorporate aspects of both approaches into their views on existence. Many accept the realities of day-to-day existence in the world, yet believe that there is some sort of pervading power in the universe that connects and oversees everything. These types of beliefs are also often associated with some form of belief

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