WITHOUT A PURPOSE, LIFE IS LIKE A RUDDERLESS SHIP

In the middle of the 19th century Europe was undergoing a similar revolutionary upheaval. A French artist, Paul Gauguin was born during that period. In 1897, he was going through a rough patch in his life. He was struggling with multiple diseases, the death of his daughter and a financial crisis. Before committing suicide, he wanted to capture his mental struggles on a canvas. Fortunately, at the completion of his painting, his suicide attempt was unsuccessful. However, his painting very successfully initiated a debate among philosophers regarding the purpose of life. His painting was entitled, “Where do we come from? Where are we? Where are we going?” These 3 rhetorical questions raised the issue of human’s existence and its purpose.