The Meaning of a Just Existence as understood through the Self, the Soul, and God

An examination of what it means to have a meaningful existence through the lenses of Plato, Shakespeare, Descartes, Pascal, Kierkegaard, The Bible, and the correlation this has with the self and God

Abstract

In this paper, I will argue what it means to achieve a good life, which cannot be found in the Platonic world but rather in the various schools of thought that have included the principles of love, equality, and freedom. By drawing on the works of Plato, Descartes, and Biblical authors, and with references to Kierkegaard, Pascal, and Shakespeare, I will show that to reach a meaningful existence you must incorporate principles of ‘The Self’, Equality, the ‘Soul’, and God. From this, I will demonstrate exactly why these principles are necessary to push past the limiting and hierarchical realm of the finite. Lastly, I will show why it is important to not only recognize the Infinite but commit to living by the principles of the Infinite as well.