Life is meaningless

[Drogue]

Originally posted by paiktis22
However I think the meaning of hedonism is only the pursuit of "pleasures" that are more on the physical/material and not the intellectual/spititual/cognitive side.

In which case I am not a hedonist. I agree on the meaning, which is why I don't consider myself a hedonist. I believe in maximising happiness, whatever that person believes happiness to be. If it is physical, then it is physical, if it is intellectual, then it is intellectual. People refer to a hedonistic lifestyle as wild parties, etc. which is now what I mean. That may result in the most happiness, but a longer life, at a slower pace, may result in more happiness. It depends on the person. If hedonism is pleasure in any form, then curling up in front of a fire with a book would be as hedonistic and a wild party, because it can give as much happiness, depending on the person.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Drogue
I have answered that earlier. If the purpose of life is to create more life, then the purpose of life is still simply life itself.

The purpose of life is not to make more life, but to spread your own genetic information as much as possible.

Originally posted by Drogue
That is not a meaning, that is just a biological reaction to keep the species going.

I (or rather, you) did not say meaning. You used the word "purpose." Meaning is only a human thing, purpose exists in a broader scope. Take for example, a fish's gills. It has no meaning, but the purpose of these things are to filter out oxygen dissolved in water, allowing the fish to breathe.

It is a fine but important distinction.

[curtsibling]

I think the point of life is to be creative.

To leave behind art, music or culture to inspire future peoples.

[Drogue]

UR: Very true. I would admit then, that some people's purpose, and indeed our species as a whole's purpose, is to survive and procreate. Furthering the species is a purpose. However I would still contend that that has no meaning. We live because we live, there is nothing more to it. Life is gratuitous, it has no meaning.

I also think we have biologically adapted that procreation, the furthering of the species, is pleasurable, so that in order for the individual to experience pleasure, the species as a whole gains.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Drogue
However I would still contend that that has no meaning. We live because we live, there is nothing more to it. Life is gratuitous, it has no meaning.

I agree, life has no intrinsic meaning. As I said before, you can find a meaning for yourself.

[Drogue]

I'm not sure I agree. I think you can find purpose. For instance, someone you love falls very ill, and you find purpose in helping them. However I wouldn't call that meaning. I think maybe we agree, but are using different terms. I see meaning as being intrinsic.

[RGBVideo]

Life is meaningless

Yeah. So?

[Drogue]

Originally posted by VJ
Yeah. So?

I wouldn't expect anything else from a man with a Pat Bateman avatar

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


The purpose of life is not to make more life, but to spread your own genetic information as much as possible.

I wouldn't say thats a raison d'etre, unless you say that evolutionary design equals purpose.

[Urban Ranger]

Suppose you decide to help those people in need as much as you can. I will say you have found a meaning for your life.

[RGBVideo]

If life only has meaning because we give it meaning, how can we console someone who is suicidal? Clearly, for him, his life has no meaning, and we ought to encourage him to off himself.

Yes.



Wait, you hadn't figured it out earlier than this?

or you cannot rescue a person desiring suicide

"Rescue"?

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Suppose you decide to help those people in need as much as you can. I will say you have found a meaning for your life.

I would say you have found a purpose, but since, in the grand picture of things, what we do has no effect, I would say it is still meaningless.

I think I mean meaning as you mean intrinsic meaning, and I would use purpose for that, as you described above. Not only do I not think there is an intrinsic meaning, as in meaning belongs to life by it's nature, I don't think there is an external meaning either. Indeed, I don't believe there is a point to life either. You can give yourself purpose, and you could use the word meaning for that, but that is semantics. I agee you could find a purpose in helping others, but I do not think that classes as a meaning to me.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Big Crunch
I wouldn't say thats a raison d'etre, unless you say that evolutionary design equals purpose.

What's the purpose of your lungs? In other words, why are they there?

Along the same vein, why are individual organisams are here?

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
What's the purpose of your lungs? In other words, why are they there?

To breathe

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Along the same vein, why are individual organisams are here?

To live.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Drogue
I would say you have found a purpose, but since, in the grand picture of things, what we do has no effect, I would say it is still meaningless.

I see that you are a pessimist

Originally posted by Drogue
I think I mean meaning as you mean intrinsic meaning, and I would use purpose for that, as you described above.

Meaning is entirely a subjective interpretation though, while purpose is objective.