Does Life Have Meaning - and Would It Still Matter If We Lived Forever?

Written by Kitty Tran

The Question of Meaning:

The question of whether life has meaning is not simply a practical concern about how we should live, but a deeply metaphysical one. At its core, it asks whether meaning exists independently within the structure of the universe, or whether it is something human beings project onto a world that is otherwise indifferent to their existence. When this question is extended further - to ask whether life would still have meaning if humans lived forever - it becomes an inquiry into the relationship between time, limitation, and value.

Image source: Three Levels of Human Existence: Physical Domain, Quantum Domain and Virtual Domain

Meaning as a Human Creation:

From one philosophical perspective, life has no inherent or pre-given meaning. The universe existed for billions of years before humans appeared and will continue long after humanity is gone, seemingly unaffected by human hopes, suffering, or achievements. Existentialist thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, a 20th-century philosopher known for focusing on human freedom and responsibility, argue that meaning does not exist prior to human life. Instead, existence precedes essence: humans are born into the world without a fixed purpose or nature, and only later define themselves through the choices they make. Meaning, therefore, is not something waiting to be discovered, but something actively created through action, commitment, and responsibility. Though this meaning may be subjective and fragile, it remains deeply real to the individual who lives it.

The Role of Mortality:

However, the creation of meaning does not occur in isolation from time. The awareness of death plays a crucial role in shaping human life.

Philosopher Martin Heidegger, whose work explored the nature of existence and human experience, describes human existence as being-toward-death, meaning that we live with an ongoing awareness - often unspoken - that our time is limited. This awareness gives structure to our lives. Decisions matter because they are irreversible; choosing one path necessarily means abandoning others. Time pressures us to commit, to prioritise, and to act rather than endlessly delay. Without the reality of death, life risks becoming an endless series of postponed decisions, where nothing ever feels complete or fully significant.

Immortality and the Shift in Meaning:

If immortality were possible, the foundations upon which meaning is built would begin to shift. An infinite life would remove scarcity - not only of time, but also of experience. With no final deadline, goals could always be delayed, and achievements might lose their sense of completion. The shape of a human life, often understood as a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, would dissolve into an unbroken and continuous sequence. Meaning, which frequently depends on contrast, limitation, and closure, could weaken as life stretches on without resolution.

This does not necessarily mean that immortality would make meaning impossible, but it would fundamentally change its nature. Without finitude, meaning would no longer arise from urgency or limitation, but from the way consciousness engages with existence itself. A passive immortal life might drift into repetition and emptiness, while an active one could still find meaning through creativity, growth, and reflection. The challenge would no longer be a lack of time, but the risk of losing intensity and purpose within endless duration.

In the end, philosophy offers no final or universal answer. Life does not arrive with meaning already attached, just as death does not automatically provide it. Meaning emerges in the tension between human awareness and freedom - between the silence of the universe and the human insistence that life must matter. Whether finite or infinite, life becomes meaningful not through how long it lasts, but through how deliberately and thoughtfully it is lived.