The question of “finding your purpose” has been constantly asked as people try to find a greater meaning for their life. These purposes usually tend to focus on the activity of the soul, rather than worldly concerns, in the sense that they aren’t about a person’s work but rather a more spiritual activity.
Aristotle argues that “just as for a flute-player, a sculptor, or any artist, and, in general, for all things that have a function or activity, the good and the ‘well’ is thought to reside in the function, so would it seem to be for man, if he has a function.” The argument here is thought-provoking, because indeed, every art has its own purpose. An athlete's purpose is to win a tournament, a student’s purpose is to earn a degree, but what is the purpose of a human being when all worldly distractions are disregarded? Aristotle claims that “human good turns out to be the activity of soul in accordance with virtue.”
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Although the argument seems plausible, acting in accordance with virtue seems to regard every soul as equivalent. I know that the initial argument here was trying to find a purpose for a person without regarding jobs or other distractions, but we tend to indulge in greater activity when there is something that sets us apart. That is when every individual has their own unique purpose. Aristotle’s argument could still be true, and it is, most likely. So the part of the argument that sets every soul apart is the idea of virtue.
Socrates in the Meno inquires into the definition of virtue and ends the dialogue by, as per usual, perplexing the reader even more about what virtue is. Socrates attempts to find a definition that he considers “real”, which makes it a universally accepted definition. But perhaps it is supposed to be considered as a personal definition. Yet that doesn’t mean that for someone virtue could be wisdom and for another, it could be violence. There are subtle tweaks in every individual’s definition of virtue that makes a person “unique”, giving them their own purpose that differs from another person, but its definition should remain close to what we consider virtue to be.
One could argue that these slight differences will stem from our own worldly concerns, but they could be on the other hand, based on our souls’ identities. Some qualities will indeed be acquired from experience, but others may be innate. The ability to define virtue according to yourself, and then acting in accordance with it may, in fact, light the way towards finding your own purpose.
