When religious certainty declines, one question becomes impossible to avoid: if meaning is not handed down from above, where does it come from?
Meaning as Creation
Humanism does not prescribe a single answer. Humanists commonly argue that people create meaning rather than discover a fixed purpose built into the universe. Meaning can emerge through happiness, friendship, love, moral action, creative work, and participation in human history.
This view places responsibility on individuals. No external authority can complete the task of deciding what makes a life worthwhile.
Sisyphus and the Absurd
Albert Camus’ image of Sisyphus captures the humanist challenge. In the Greek myth, Sisyphus is condemned to push a rock uphill, only to watch it roll back and repeat the task forever. Camus presents him as an “absurd” hero who rejects preset divine meanings but does not conclude that life lacks value.
Instead, value comes from agency: the person continues, chooses, and gives significance to existence. The struggle itself can become meaningful because it is lived consciously.
A Relational Life
Humanist accounts of meaning can include a morally worthy purpose, positive self-understanding, connection with others, and an ability to understand one’s environment. Meaning may also involve relationships with animals, plants, and the wider human story.
Some humanists emphasize ceremonies and rituals as opportunities for reflection, even without supernatural beliefs. Such practices can help people mark transitions, grieve, celebrate, and reconsider their commitments.
The surprising implication is that a universe without a guaranteed purpose need not be a meaningless universe. It may be an invitation: meaning is not waiting to be uncovered—it is built through what people love, do, and take responsibility for.