What's the meaning of life?

[Meniscus]

Life has no inherent meaning.

"If nothing we do really matters, then all that matters is what we do."
--Angel (the TV Show)

 

[HazelGod]

Existentialism, essentially, Phil?

Speaking of, we made it a point of having a bite and a drink or two in both Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore last week. I swore could almost hear Sartre and de Beauvoir stroking each other off...philosophically speaking, of course.

 

[rickygNOLA]

when you find the anwer, please let me know.

 

[Axcess]

I got it. The meaning of life is Anarchy , living without rules .:biggrin1::biggrin1:

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Existentialism, essentially, Phil?

no... I don't agree with the existential disregard for science.

That human experience is, by definition, subjective, does not mean that there is no objective and knowable reality... it simply means all we can know of it is what which we can demonstrate. And that even that knowledge will be a subjective interpretation of experience.

I am philosophically a taoist in the purest sense ( not the elixirs of immortality populist sense )

I also believe that the individual does not exist in isolation, but as a functional part of a Meta-Organism we think of as Culture.

You are as reliant on the other members of your society for survival as the cell of your body are reliant on the other tissues of your body.

Thus, we HAVE an ethical construct that is emergent from our mutual self reliance and independent of the self- therefore, not existentialist in nature.

You CAN examine your role in life as a member of a community and the actions that will have meaning will be emergent from your ethical obligation to your fellows.


Raising children has meaning, not because of god... but because you have an obligation to your society to provide it with an ethically functional replacement for your place in that society. ( just as your parent provided their society with you )
Thus, parents feel that having children gives them purpose and meaning and context.

If cells could feel, they would feel division gave their life purpose.


But in other ways... humans can invent meaning and purpose... but that sense meaning will be tied to the satisfaction of an ethical obligation to your culture or to another individual.
A soldier dying to defend his culture feels a sense of purpose and meaning.

A community organizer helping the disadvantaged feels it.


But if you are educated enough to consider ALL living things part of your culture... then opposing war may give you that sense of meaning... fighting for conservation of the environment might give you that sense.

The thing is.... its not set. YOU define the scope and extent of what you consider your ethical obligation... A family, a tribe, a nation, a species, a planet... a universe...

How wide will you cast your net of inclusion?... who will you consider a member of your circle?

From the bible to the latest Batman movie... humanity sees life as narrative.
A narrative we invent.

You are the architect of your own character.
Don't LOOK for meaning.

Build it.

 

[Calboner]

One word: plastics.

 

[JustAsking]

One word: plastics.

According to the movie Risky Business, the one word is 'micro chips'.
"Ummm... that's two words, sir."

 

[8060]

I'm a faithful person so I would say, for me, the meaning of life is follow the things that's in that Book. I don't do everything that I'm supposed to do according to that Book, but I think that's my purpose. Actually, I haven't even made it to the end yet. It's a long read.

That's what I think...