Joel Steele

This research compares and contrasts various existential philosophies pertaining to the human condition and its purpose. It specifically focuses on the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Nicomachean Ethics and The Nature of the Gods regarding virtue, courage, and the necessity of an eternal source were examined as they relate to the subject from a Western worldview. The intended contributions of this research are to disclose that without an objectifiable reference society becomes a cluster of subjective abominations susceptible to a miserable existence, a slow descent into madness, "a chasing after the wind." To escape this vanity something eternal must exist. Nevertheless, humanity must confront the abyss that Nietzsche struggled with in his version of existential philosophy to find meaning in this life. Indeed, when gazing into an abyss the abyss gazes back into humanity, but rather than surrendering one's autonomy to the meaningless void, individuals should determine the inherent value of their life. Otherwise, death, as Qohelet recognized, has a grip on the individual long before they actually die.

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