This paper will look to three thinkers in the existential tradition to examine the connection between a meaningful life and death contemplation. My aim is to demonstrate how an honest look at the reasons one should live is far from a tragic approach or a symptom of despair. It is rather an important existential journey for zeroing in on one’s purpose and one’s joys. The amount of time and effort such a journey takes is often shelved for the immediacy of the tasks of habit, convention, and even social media. I will argue that the consequence of pushing this matter to the side leads to higher rates of depression and a general malaise. How can we dismantle the feelings of being thrown into a system of being or way of being? How can we pause to appreciate and learn an authentic mode of existence? In a world where image is gaining more traction of importance than character, how can we stay true to our personal growth? By employing the works of Tolstoy, de Beauvoir, and the contemporary theologian Rev Dr Gorrell, I will unpack their philosophical works into this very question and formulate tools for incorporating this into our everyday lives.

Authors:
Gwendolyn Dolske, California State Polytechnic University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Gwendolyn Dolske is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, United States

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