Final Project: Answer The Questions

Final Projectfor Your Final Project You Will Answer The Questionswha

Final Project for your final project, you will answer the questions “What is our purpose? Why are we here?” This project will be due during the week of April 25. You are required to write an MLA-formatted paper of at least 5 pages and no more than 6 pages, exploring the nature of human purpose with an emphasis on happiness. You must create and support a definition of how happiness relates to our purpose and articulate how happiness constitutes our purpose or reason for existence.

The core of this assignment involves analyzing a primary humanities text, which can be a piece of literature, music, art, theatrical performance, television show, or film, that explicates human purpose. In addition to this primary source, you are required to utilize one of the chapters from the "Disciplines of Humanities" (chapters 4-9) to deepen your analysis. This disciplinary framework will support your interpretation and argumentation, grounding your claims within scholarly humanities discussions.

Your paper should develop a clear thesis statement addressing whether happiness is the central purpose of human existence and demonstrate critical thinking through well-organized, logical arguments. It must include at least seven quotes sourced from the primary humanities text and at least four additional scholarly or credible sources, totaling a minimum of five sources. The essay should be properly structured with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, adhering to MLA formatting guidelines throughout.

While not mandatory, you may consider discussing whether concepts such as love, morality, death, freedom, religion, and myth influence understandings of purpose and happiness. Contemplating whether humanity has yet to figure out our purpose, whether someone has, and what definitions or theories are relevant can enrich your analysis but should be integrated carefully to support your central thesis.

This assignment aims to foster critical engagement with philosophical and cultural perspectives on human purpose, encouraging an exploration of the relevance of happiness as the core of human existence.

Paper For Above instruction

Final Projectfor Your Final Project You Will Answer The Questionswha

Human purpose has been a profound inquiry across cultures, philosophies, and artistic expressions throughout history. Central to this exploration is the concept of happiness, which many disciplines and thinkers have posited as the ultimate goal of human existence. The question “What is our purpose? Why are we here?” invites a multifaceted investigation combining philosophical, artistic, and scholarly perspectives. This paper argues that happiness is not only a crucial aspect of human purpose but also the fundamental reason for our existence, supported through analysis of a primary humanities text and disciplinary insights from the humanities.

The primary source for this discussion is the film The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), directed by Gabriele Muccino, which illustrates the significance of perseverance, dignity, and hope in the pursuit of happiness. The film demonstrates that despite life's hardships, the ultimate purpose may be rooted in achieving personal fulfillment and well-being. As Chris Gardner, portrayed by Will Smith, endures numerous struggles, his relentless pursuit of stability and happiness exemplifies a core human drive. His story underscores that happiness involves a synthesis of individual effort, resilience, and purpose, aligning with Aristotelian ideas in the philosophy of the humanities.

In the context of the humanities, chapter 6 from the “Disciplines of Humanities,” which discusses existentialist thought, provides a framework to interpret this pursuit. Existentialist philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre suggest that humans create their own purpose through choices and authentic living. Sartre’s assertion that “existence precedes essence” emphasizes individual agency in defining purpose, with happiness often emerging as an authentic expression of personal freedom and self-realization. This aligns with the narrative in the film, where Chris Gardner’s choices and perseverance culminate in personal happiness despite external adversity.

Supporting this perspective, Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy underscores the importance of individual dignity and moral purpose. Kant posits that acts motivated by duty contribute to moral happiness, which complements the view that purposeful living involves aligning one’s actions with a moral framework to attain true happiness. Integrating Kant’s ideas reveals that happiness rooted in moral integrity is a high form of human purpose, elevating personal fulfillment to a moral ideal.

Furthermore, the romantic notion of happiness as personal fulfillment aligns with the ideas expressed in the song “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The song’s optimistic depiction of life’s simple beauties suggests that happiness derives from appreciating the present, fostering gratitude, and recognizing life’s inherent worth. This cultural expression reinforces the argument that happiness, as an aesthetic and emotional experience, is central to human purpose.

Critically, some argue that broader concepts like love, morality, death, and freedom are integral to understanding human purpose. For example, Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy emphasizes finding meaning through love and suffering, especially in the face of death. Frankl asserts that “the meaning of life is to find your own purpose,” which often includes acts of love and meaning-making. This perspective broadens the understanding of happiness as intertwined with purpose, extending beyond immediate pleasure to include enduring meaningful pursuits.

Within this discourse, religion and myth also play vital roles. Religious traditions often frame human purpose as fulfilling divine plan or spiritual growth, wherein happiness is achieved through spiritual alignment and moral conduct. Mythologies, similarly, encapsulate collective understandings of purpose and fulfillment, illustrating that despite diverse narratives, the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental aim persists across cultures.

Analysis from the philosophical discipline demonstrates that while definitions of purpose vary, the pursuit of happiness remains a consistent theme. Whether through existential choice, moral integrity, or spiritual fulfillment, humans appear driven by the desire to attain happiness, which offers a sense of meaning and completeness. This pervasive orientation raises questions about whether humanity has yet to fully realize or agree upon our ultimate purpose, or if perhaps the quest itself constitutes our purpose.

In conclusion, the synthesis of a primary humanities text, philosophical framework, and cultural expressions suggests that happiness is at the core of human purpose. Although definitions and pathways to happiness differ, the intrinsic pursuit of well-being, fulfillment, and authentic living appears central to our existence. Contemporary and historical perspectives converge on the idea that understanding and fostering happiness may be the fundamental question underpinning the human condition. Ultimately, human purpose may lie in continually seeking happiness through moral, philosophical, and artistic endeavors, reflecting a universal aspiration shared across cultures and epochs.

References

• Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press, 2006.
• Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Hackett Publishing, 1983.
• Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness. Routledge, 2007.
• Muccino, Gabriele, director. The Pursuit of Happyness. Columbia Pictures, 2006.
• Armstrong, Louis. What a Wonderful World. ABC Records, 1967.
• Nussbaum, Martha C. Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach. Harvard University Press, 2011.
• Williams, Bernard. Truth and Truthfulness: An Essay in Genealogy. Princeton University Press, 2002.
• Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. Vintage International, 1991.
• Maslow, Abraham. A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 1943.
• Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Harper & Row, 1962.