Existentialist philosophy, popularized by thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, argues that humans have no inherent, predetermined purpose. In a universe devoid of intrinsic meaning, we are 'condemned to be free' – free to create our own values and define our own purpose through our choices and actions. This perspective can be both daunting and liberating, placing the full responsibility for meaning-making squarely on the individual. It suggests that searching for an external, divinely ordained purpose is a futile endeavor, an 'escape from freedom.' Conversely, teleological philosophies, stretching back to Aristotle, posit that purpose is inherent in the natural world and in human beings. Aristotle believed in *telos*, an ultimate end or goal towards which everything strives. For humans, this *telos* was *eudaimonia*, often translated as 'flourishing' or 'human well-being,' achieved through living virtuously and exercising reason. These views suggest purpose is discovered, not invented, and often tied to our essential nature or a divine plan.