What does Death have to do with the Meaning of Life?
Published Dec 1, 1987 · M. Levine
Religious Studies
19
Citations
1
Influential Citations
Abstract
Philosophers often distinguish in some way between two (or more) senses of life's meaning. Paul Edwards terms these a ‘cosmic’ and ‘terrestrial’ sense. The cosmic sense is that of an overall purpose of which our lives are a part and in terms of which our lives must be understood and our purposes and interests arranged. This overall purpose is often identified with God's divine scheme, but the two need not necessarily be equated. The terrestrial sense of meaning is the meaning people find (subjectively) in their own lives apart from the place of their lives in any ultimate end or context.
Study Snapshot
Key takeawayThe meaning of life can be divided into two types: cosmic and terrestrial.
PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)
Sample size24
MethodsObservational
OutcomesBody Mass Index projections
ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.