|
|
#21
10-03-2006, 02:59 AM
|
|||
|
|||
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
Why does my question lack meaning? [/ QUOTE ] I use the word meaning to signify purpose or goal. If the universe has no ultimate purpose, neither does anything within the universe. You can't justify your life in terms of ultimate goal if there is no ultimate goal. If justify means to warrant or provide reasons for, and there are no ultimate reasons, then the question is meaningless. 
|
|
#22
10-03-2006, 03:19 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
That's not even close to a tautology, unless by "tautology" you mean "fallacy." [/ QUOTE ] I meant it the same way I used it here [ QUOTE ] First, the conclusion you're looking for is that the question has no ultimate meaning, not that it has no meaning. You can't just "hide" the ultimate part, especially not if you're claiming to be logical. [/ QUOTE ] In context, I obviously meant ultimate. [ QUOTE ] Second, just because the universe has no ultimate meaning doesn't mean that its constituents don't. "This apple has no meaning, but its seeds do" is not an inherently contradictory statement. If you want to exclude it you need to frame your argument more rigorously. [/ QUOTE ] Now you're making the mistake of which you accused me. How can the constituents have ultimate meaning if the universe doesn't? More accurately, I use universe in conjunction with ultimate meaning, but the real issue is ultimate meaning itself, whether the universe, mankind, etc. ANY ultimate meaning will do. [ QUOTE ] The question may be directed toward transcending the universe, for example. [/ QUOTE ] That's fine. Ultimate meaning exists above the universe even though the universe has no ultimate meaning. I may even agree with this. [ QUOTE ] Therefore, your question has no meaning at all. [/ QUOTE ] I believe that's what I said.
|
|
#23
10-03-2006, 03:23 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
Another question is: what makes it valuable? [/ QUOTE ] If there is no ultimate meaning and purpose, finite human life can't have ultimate meaning and purpose, thus no value(ultimate). And I see no way to have ultimate purpose without ultimate personality, i.e., God.
|
|
#24
10-03-2006, 03:35 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
Instinct and natural selection.
|
|
#25
10-03-2006, 03:53 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] Why does my question lack meaning? [/ QUOTE ] I use the word meaning to signify purpose or goal. If the universe has no ultimate purpose, neither does anything within the universe. You can't justify your life in terms of ultimate goal if there is no ultimate goal. If justify means to warrant or provide reasons for, and there are no ultimate reasons, then the question is meaningless. [/ QUOTE ] Yes, and those who cannot accept the fact that life is utimately meaningless and have not got the skills, abilities, intellect and empathy to make meaning for themselves need to invent a god to be able to stand being alive. LOL, that's the easy and meaningless way out of the cunundrum!
|
|
#26
10-03-2006, 05:50 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
If there is no ultimate meaning and purpose, finite human life can't have ultimate meaning and purpose, thus no value(ultimate). And I see no way to have ultimate purpose without ultimate personality, i.e., God. [/ QUOTE ] God does not rescue existence from having no ultimate meaning or purpose. God has no superior to give his existence meaning or purpose, and therefore by your requirements, has a meaningless existence. If there is to be any meaning in anyone's existence then meaning has to be self-referential; my life has meaning because it has meaning to me.
|
|
#28
10-03-2006, 12:29 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
If there is to be any meaning in anyone's existence then meaning has to be self-referential; my life has meaning because it has meaning to me. [/ QUOTE ] God is ultimate and therefore is ultimate meaning. The meaning of everything else is derived from God, refers not to itself but to God, the Absolute. The meaning your life has for you is itself meaningless in itself because you are finite. Your life must derive its true significance from the ultimate, God.
|
|
#30
10-03-2006, 12:56 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: How is Life Justified?
[ QUOTE ]
Replicators that like to be alive will come to outnumber replicators that do not like to be alive. [/ QUOTE ] You seem to have hit the nail on the head here.
|
 |
|
|
Linear Mode
