Challenges to Human Life on Earth
Challenges to human life on earth are usual but sometimes when they superabound people tend to doubt the meaning they have for their lives. Some people have altered entirely meaning of their lives at the end of an awful event. Prosecution and murder of Jews by Nazi gave philosophers a new task to work on; searching for meaning. It is after this holocaust that Levinas, Buber Frankl, and Wiesel searched for the answer to the question of God, humanity, and man.
The Philosophy of the Relationship between God and Humanity
To start with, Buber got interested in comprehending the relationship between God and man as well as the humanity, particularly after the Holocaust event. This relationship was vital for the believers, in particular, the Jewish faith. According to Buber the realization of God's covenant relationship to human could only take place after discernment of where the relationship would be available. According to Buber, it is only within the relationship between two people or someone and nature that its meaning can be found.
The Influence and Meaning in Relationships
Levinas is yet another person who worked on the philosophy of relationship between God and humanity. According to Levina, one's influence is not only the factor affecting a relationship but also that which precedes the association as well. Levina believed that the meaning could not be found in the self-wisdom or championship. The sense originates from the love that exists between persons. One can find the real wisdom while in a mutual love association unlike in archaic intelligence which pivots on the self. For Levina, the responsibility on the other person comes before the relationship, and this is what gives the meaning.
Questioning the Covenant of God's Relationship
Elie Wiesel was a victim of the Holocaust. He questioned the covenant of the association of God and Jewish people after being involved in the terrible event, Holocaust. One can easily comprehend the question after seeing the suffering endured by people who were chosen by God. Wiesel's mother and sister were killed, and they were left with his father. The countless horrible experiences in the camp including the killing of his family members altered Wiesel's viewpoint about the covenant of God's relationship with the man. He wondered where God was when His people perished. Wiesel concluded that it is only God himself can answer questions about God but a human can not.
Man's Search for Meaning
Frankl in his book "Man's Search for Meaning" pays attention to three elements; freedom, suffering, and responsibility. The view of Frankl was different from that of Wiesel, Levina, and Buber who believed that meaning originated from the relationship (Frankl,1985). His teachings said that meaning was found in freedom. There is always freedom of a certain form regardless of the situation. Frankl was a victim of the atrocities in the camp. Frankl believed that even in the midst of a bad situation, one has the adequate freedom to choose how he/she would respond to the event. His positive or negative response to a situation was primarily influenced by himself. While still in the worst condition, one becomes the person he wants to be. It is within this freedom that someone's responsibility and purpose exists. Every person's struggles are different from others and hence their response to the suffering and struggles are also unique. Frankl believes that every person is responsible for their suffering irrespective of their situation.
Finding Meaning in Atrocities
In retrospect, it is clear that Frankl had a unique view of the Holocaust. The occurrence in Frankl and Wiesel's made them the people they were at the time they left, and this resonates significantly with their teachings. Frankl (1985) says that "He who has why to live for can bear almost any how." Every person after going through such atrocities find meaning in enquiring whether or not such an event can provide meaning. The argument contains facts which cannot be easily understood by those who had not experienced such problems.
References
Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man's Search for Meaning. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
