Does Life Have Meaning?

[Obsidian]

If that was supposed to be a metaphor for humans asking the purpose of the existence of God, then you've contradicted your claims to free will. Hamlet could never ask about the purpose of Shakespeare's existence unless Shakespeare himself deemed it so. In fact, he couldn't do anything without Shakespeare commanding it. Therefore, Hamlet has no free will.

We are free to choose between serving God or not serving God. By my beliefs, there is a correct answer.

 

Ah, so this is the one issue in life without a gray zone in between the options. That doesn't exactly fly by me, personally, but I'm not going to try to argue against it since that would probably just derail the thread. However, I feel you've unjustly simplified the issue of the meaning of life to two options, eliminating the capabilities of the individual and saying he or she exists to do no more than serve God (which I'm assuming is limited to the God influenced by your beliefs, so very few religions can serve what you believe to be life's purpose). I'm fine with people serving that purpose in their life, but as you said, we're born a tabula rasa, a blank slate. If we're not free to devote our lives to other causes, then I submit we're not free to do anything (especially with the coercive elements surrounding spiritual faith at times). In addition, and as much as it pains me to say this, there are too many individuals for there to be one universally correct answer to the question "What's the meaning to life?". Sure, you can argue for things such as universal ethics and universal rights, but I think you'd have a hard time logically defending the idea that there's only one purpose to life that applies to every living organism (bear in mind Humans aren't the only living things in this world).

[Vapymid]

A primer on the meaning of life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life

 

Before too much time is spent on repeating the arguments which have already been made many times before

 

Regards

[Michael Archer]

I think that it's up to every individual to decide what's the meaning of his or her life.

Is that a truth claim which you assume everyone should adopt first and foremost before accepting any other truth claims?

 

Not really. You're thinking of a logical axiom, like A=A. You must accept (really, you have no choice) that A=A before forming any logical conclusion.

 

I do think you can't do anything else but ramble, until you find the purpose in your life

[Blue]

"We are free to choose between serving God or not serving God."

 

Either we choose to serve God, or do something else, in other words.

(The earlier Playwright Metaphor works for explaining the relative position of God and the oddity of questioning his purpose. However it does not, nor is it meant to, explain the purpose of man or the meaning of life.)

[Vapymid]

A rock, stumbling down a slope does not serve the force of gravity. It is just subject to the balance of gravity and friction and does what the laws of nature dictate it to do.

 

If there is God, he created the laws of nature and you are forced to obey them. If the natural laws came into existence on their own, without a higher entity, you are still forced to obey them.

 

The question of what came first - mind (=God) or matter is the fundamental question of Philosophy. As of this moment a definitive answer is impossible therefore this should be a matter of faith.

 

About the free will and free choice I'd like to quote from a song

 

"They say we are endowed with Free Will

- at least that justifies our need for indecision.

But between our instincts and the lust to kill

we bow our heads in submission.

 

They say that no man is an island

but then they say our castles are our homes;

it's felt the choice is ours, between peace and violence

...oh, yes, we choose, alone? "

 

Regards

[IneptGuard]

A method to the madness, Most of us have heard these words in the form of a question. However, in my Army years I would frequently here them in the form of an answer, reassuring us that there is always a reason that things are done a certain way, even if no one seemed to know what that reason was.

 

I find these words fitting the question asked by this thread. Nothing happens without some kind of trigger, no cause without an effect and vice versa. Is it so difficult to believe that there is a reason behind it all?

 

In short, the universe is such an amazing and complex thing, that I can't begin to imagine that it's all just one big mistake. Perhaps life doesn't have a meaning in the traditional sense but that doesn't mean that it is without reason.

 

Rest assured, there is always a method to the madness.

[Blue]

Madness makes the world sound so much less eloquent and beautiful than it is. Sheer pessimism doesn't do justice to the wonder of the world, and pure optimism doesn't account for the evil it contains.

[Ian]

I think without sentience, meaning does not exist. We are here, so let us provide meaning to our existence as well as the universe's.

[ProHypster]

Madness makes the world sound so much less eloquent and beautiful than it is. Sheer pessimism doesn't do justice to the wonder of the world, and pure optimism doesn't account for the evil it contains.

I'm a pessimist about life in general however I am an optimist about any situation in life that I encouter.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I think without sentience, meaning does not exist. We are here, so let us provide meaning to our existence as well as the universe's.

Well said. Maybe WE and all life on Earth are the meaning of life ourselves? My mind is officially blown.

[Collective Foal]

I think without sentience, meaning does not exist. We are here, so let us provide meaning to our existence as well as the universe's.

 

There you go. That's sounds like it could put my troubles to rest. Life only has meaning if you give it meaning. So, my meaning is to enjoy life, find the person I truly love, raise a good family, and live in a personal heaven that I've earned through my life.

[Mr Green]

This is what I believe:

Life has no meaning

Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because human existence occurred out of a random chance in nature, and anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose.

Life has no meaning, but as humans we try to associate a meaning or purpose so we can justify our existence.

There is no point in life, and that is exactly what makes it so special.

[Alyxx Thorne]

This is what I believe:

Life has no meaning

Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because human existence occurred out of a random chance in nature, and anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose.

Life has no meaning, but as humans we try to associate a meaning or purpose so we can justify our existence.

There is no point in life, and that is exactly what makes it so special.

If you're fine with that, then I can respect that. Though as a Christian I do have some inherent ideas about life having meaning.

[Very7684]

I think that life has meaning..not in a religious sense of course seeing as I am agnostic, but in the sense that we are all put here for somthing important. Some choose to use their life to hurt people, but those who enjoy life and can better it for lots of people, I respect. In my opinion the only purpose you have on this earth is to learn and better everything for everyone. The planets survival basically revolves around this term for me..meaning of life differs for everyone, but for me I think everyone who knows the meaning of life can better things. Take a scientist for example, the scientist knows his meaning of life is to better medicine, and chemicals for the use of healing purposes..thats their purpose and I respect that. The true meaning of life though is to care..we are all the same no matter where we are from, or who we are..if we can care about each other then we can also care to make a change for everyone.

 

-Very7684

[Eedo Baba]

Life and existence cannot have a meaning because the word "meaning" implies intent. There can be "meaning" to me eating an apple, because there was a consciousness with intent towards an action or thought. In an atheistic world view (my world view), life can have no meaning, because there is no creator to have intent. Random occurrences cannot, by definition, have meaning, and the existence of life is very arguably a random occurrence.

However, observation of life can spawn beliefs in the observer. A person can have a standing belief about the true nature of life, or their own intentions in life. They might call that the "meaning of life", though it would be a misnomer. By definition, only a creationist can truly believe that life has meaning, because the word "meaning" requires a creator with intent.

[Arby]

The meaning of life is to live it.

^^^^^^^Vastly more profound than it would seem, its THIS. ^^^^^^^^^

 

"And no one came to say that your life belongs to you and that the good is to live it."

[Eedo Baba]

The meaning of life is to live it.

^^^^^^^Vastly more profound than it would seem, its THIS. ^^^^^^^^^

 

"And no one came to say that your life belongs to you and that the good is to live it."

 

Once again, that sounds like a misuse of the word meaning. I think what this person means to say is that "Everyone's life goal should be to live their life." Not as catchy, but it makes logical sense.

[Razor235]

I say again, the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is 42.

[Pinkie Pie]

You know with all these 'impending' doomsday scenarios being made up, it's almost like people DON'T want life to have meaning, and want to end it as quickly as possible.

[BTGBullseye]

Yes it has meaning, but the meaning is different for each person. I'll expand on this later, can't stay awake. (3:30 AM here)