When we are talking about value of life then there will be many measurement around it as many people value differently in life. Thus value of life may vary for each person. So it is important since the beginning to state out that this essay will not determine the value but on how the value is constructed by individual. And in order to do that, we will view this from Jungian(Psychological) and philosophical point of view.
From Jungian perspective, value is what feeling function work at. But whether it is functioning consciously or unconsciously will play a big part on one’s life. Our level of awareness is what differentiate them.
Feeling Function and Value
Feeling is primarily a process that takes place between the ego and a given content, a process, moreover, that imparts to the content a definite value in the sense of acceptance and rejection (“like” or “dislike”).
Carl G. Jung, Psychological Types
A moral, social, or aesthetic principle accepted by an individual or society as a guide to what is good, desirable, or important. The worth, usefulness, or importance attached to something.
APA Dictionary of Psychology.
From Jungian psychological point of view, feeling function has two attitudes; introverted and extraverted. Feeling function which has automatic default to go inward and check the tranquility inwardly called Introverted Feeling (Fi) and one with a default mode by going outwardly to check the harmonizing situation called Extraverted Feeling (Fe). These feeling functions are also influenced by thinking function, therefore each axis called as judging function.
Fi will be influenced by Extraverted Thinking (Te) and Fe by Introverted Thinking (Ti). These judging axes influence and determine one’s evaluations, standpoint and decision in life. Both of these feeling functions will arrange and prioritize the value of situation, things, and experiences in life. While thinking functions will comprehend and work on the logical reasoning behind things, situation, events and life in general.
These arrangements play pivotal role in one’s life since they help us to understand what’s important and valuable in our lives. When one is conscious enough to realize and understanding how one’s feeling and reasoning towards something, one will understand more about themselves. Therefore will help and lead them to a better decision about one’s situation and life itself.
Meaning of Life
From philosophical standpoint, life has different meanings for us. Even Nihilism determines that life has no meaning or in other words, life means nothing. from here we can see that it’s humane to search for meaning and yet to ignore the meaning itself. It is based on our perspectives of life itself.
By having this standpoint in mind, we can see the vague yet important interlink between value and the meaning of life. When we search for the meaning of life, we may need to look closely on how much and from what point we value life itself. Do we view life as a form of sensuous enjoyment and present happiness; Hedonism, or as a form of mission on learning and acknowledging abstraction; Platonism?
