People who have grown up in Europe, Canada and the US after World War II have grown up with the idea that, to be good, successful and happy one's life must have purpose and a goal. On top of this, the society ranks and catagorizes occupations and life-styles and tells us whether that occupation/life-style demonstrates an approved purpose and goal. Actually, it really only appears to be the society that does this pigeon-holing. Behind it is religion, government, family and the current economic system.
A society may require that you have a purpose and it will assign a goal. The purpose is always the promotion of the society. The goal may appear personally satisfying but that's because the society indoctrinates its members to believe that the assigned goal is satisfying. Keeping women subservient is a good example. Patriarchial societies since recorded history began have been seen to work hard at keeping women "in their place." I bet you anything that it wasn't the young woman's idea that her purpose be to serve her husband and her goal be to make her husband happy, have lots of children and assume that in doing so she is happy.
Religions always have a purpose and goal which they impose upon followers. I say impose because for most of history, and in many places today, one does not have a choice of religion. Religion is imposed. Again, the goal is assigned and is generally related to the purpose. For religion the purpose is often compliance, proselyting and fulfills the requirements to achieve the assigned goal. Religion has historically been used by government to control the population. Working together both religion and government have total control over the individual's life.
Families sometime require a purpose and goal, but that's usually based upon social and/or religious pressure and requirement. For example, a family that has an especially high place in the society will want the children to behave in such a manner as to maintain their status. Imposing purpose - to maintain the family status - and a goal - to carry on the family business or have a highly admired profession thereby maintaining the family's status - is an integral part of the family dynamics.
Capitalism tells us that life must have purpose and goal. Of course the purpose is to provide obedient workers and the goal is to make capitalists richer and richer, but capitalists have most people convinced that the purpose is to make everyone "better off" and the goal is happiness. Just because it doesn't work that way doesn't seem to bother anyone. Capitalist cleverly convince the populace that any lack of happiness or success is the fault of those who do not agree with capitalism no matter how ludicrous that really is. I worked hard all my life. Most of the time I worked two jobs to pay the bills. I paid taxes and contributed to the society. But because I believe that capitalism is not good and not sustainable, I am lumped among those who are the cause of anything in capitalism that goes wrong. Always having a convenient bad guy makes them look even better.
The fact that the question is worded "does life require..." implies that our society does believe that life itself requires us to have a purpose and goal or it wouldn't ask the question. Those of us whose lifestyle in any way contradicts this social dictum are frequently verbally abused and almost always blamed for every social ill known to the society. Credible evidence not required.
So from our discussion thus far we can deduce that modern society requires purpose and goal, but it does not follow that life requires the same. If we attempt to take society, religion, family, economics and politics out of the discussion, I believe that we must conclude that life does not require purpose and goal. In fact, life requires nothing from us. It is to our benefit to be good citizens of nature, but it is not required. We pay the price for any indiscression, as humans in general are paying for our over-population and destruction of the environment, but life does not require that we be good citizens, or have a purpose or goal.
Our individual lives experience greater satisfaction when we do those things which bring fulfillment and happiness. That, in itself, requires neither purpose nor goal. Fortunately for nature and other creatures, things which bring fulfillment and happiness are more often than not things which also benefit others, or at least do not hurt others. Bad things generally come with their own punishment which does not make them fulfilling. But this pushes us into a discussion of right and wrong, good and bad. I don't want to get into that here.
In summary, I believe that the evidence points to the fact that societies, families, religion, economic systems and governments would have us believe that "life" requires a purpose and a goal. Of course, that purpose and goal are defined by the the society, family, religion, economic system or government, and those entities are the first beneficiary whether or not the individual experiences any fulfillment, happiness or reward. There is no evidence that life - defined here as the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity and continual change preceding death - makes any demands or sets any requirements.
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