Meaning of Life Questions.

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Olaus

Registered Senior Member
I think philisophical questioning and discussion sometimes goes in circles because, overall, people are actually poor communicators or preceivers of subtle or repressed emotions and drives.

There was a circling post on the philosophy forum about the meaning of life that never went anywhere.

Though I didn't read ALL the posts (there are alot of them) in that thread, I did quickly get the feeling that no one was answering correctly because the question was never asked correctly. It got me to wondering whether many, most, or all instances of questions regarding "the meaning of life" are smoke screes for something else, more threatening, even less certain, and perhaps vaguely childish and arrogant (though pressing).

And that question would be: Are we immortal or more openly, what happens when we die?

I think anyone could live without any firm meaning if they had foreknowledge of their personal immortality. Meaning is a figment, a dynamic abstract. Immortality is ultimately a a need; don't get it, you die, quite literally and ultimately.

This might be suppressed because:

1. People aren't taught to ask it in so many words, so they turn to the well-trodden "meaning of life."
2. The abrupt question of ultimate existential fate is threatening (This possibility sounds cliche, but I notice a dearth of comment or question regarding this directly besides dogmatic expectorations from certain religious groups, often with an agenda or a self-reassuring motive)
3. Nobody can possibly know. Another reason for the lack of discussion.
4. Some people might think it's arrogant to say everything is for naught if we aren't the lords of eternity. That everything is for nothing without immortality is logically valid, however. Or so I suggest.

Even if it is insoluble and more than a little depressing, I consider this question at least a potential plus ne ultra of human inquiry.
 
What is meant by the phrase “Meaning of Life”?

The word ‘meaning’ refers to a deliberate intention to fulfill some purpose or to convey some specific information.

Life can only have such a deliberate meaning if it was created by some external intelligence like a god perhaps or some other species with more advanced capabilities than we can currently imagine.

Until such being(s) choose to communicate with us their intentions then we can never know the meaning of life, in this context.

If however, life began via abiogenesis, which currently seems the most likely rational explanation then life can have no meaning. If it began through natural processes then that necessarily means that no intelligence was involved and hence no meaning or purpose was intended.
 
I think you really need to ask whose meaning you want.

Is your life's meaning to be determined by somebody else, or is it really up to you?
 
James

Is your life's meaning to be determined by somebody else, or is it really up to you?
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i think we're lookin outside the pre fabricated destinations already outlined in major religions... is it just hard to accept the fact that we might not be different than other animals? that we're probably gonna end up back in the ground instead of gettin wings and flyin off to illusionary bipolar destinations?
 
My original topic was the statement of a psychological possibility; that people are asking or pleading concerns over personal annihilation when they ask for a meaning to life.

I don't belive life can have a meaning, no matter what. If there's a god, who cares? He may grant a meaning, but what's His meaning? That's just another dependancy.

If it's space aliens, well, I assume they too are mortal in this theory. If so, then they too die, and fail to produce lasting meaning.

Please, everyone, don't heap up posts about what you think meaning is or isn't, or what you might or might ot think is the meaning to life. I wanted comments about the psychology of this question and concerns over death.
 
Looking at this question from a Christian stand point, the ultimate purpose in life is to try our best to glorify God in all we do.

In the Bible in 1 Corinthians 6 19 and 20 Paul wrote ( Paul was the man who had his life radically changed by the grace of God... he killed Christians before he lived for the Lord ) You are not your own, for you were bought at a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Basically it's saying, this life and everything about it has been provided by the Lord, so who are we to call it our own. How can we possibly claim ownership on this life, we didn't make ourself come into existance, nor did anyone on the Earth, and we want to glorify God because God has done what none of us would. He came to the Earth in physical form and died on a cross so we can receive eternal life.

Rarely will someone die for a good man, but for a righteous man someone might dare to die, but Jesus proves his love for us in that while we hate him and sin against him he still died for us after living a perfect life. And this is why we should live a life that glorifies God.

It's what we were created for, to be private worshippers of our creator.
 
Originally posted by Gomer
Looking at this question from a Christian stand point, the ultimate purpose in life is to try our best to glorify God in all we do.

In the Bible in 1 Corinthians 6 19 and 20 Paul wrote ( Paul was the man who had his life radically changed by the grace of God... he killed Christians before he lived for the Lord ) You are not your own, for you were bought at a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Basically it's saying, this life and everything about it has been provided by the Lord, so who are we to call it our own. How can we possibly claim ownership on this life, we didn't make ourself come into existance, nor did anyone on the Earth, and we want to glorify God because God has done what none of us would. He came to the Earth in physical form and died on a cross so we can receive eternal life.

Rarely will someone die for a good man, but for a righteous man someone might dare to die, but Jesus proves his love for us in that while we hate him and sin against him he still died for us after living a perfect life. And this is why we should live a life that glorifies God.

It's what we were created for, to be private worshippers of our creator.
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OK.

This is all certainly unsubstantiated.

And it does nothing to address my hypothesis.
 
Ok, I believe people deny the truth that something came from nothing, and that at some time someone or something had to create the earth and everything on it. If you deny this then you will have a hard time finding the meaning in life.

If you believe in your head that God created the Heavens and earth then you will hopefully listen to what he says in the Bible and understand that we should live a life that attempts to seek and glorifies him.
 
Meaning is attributed. It's a philosophical entity, much like belief, not a physical one. That is why hardcore naturalists can't tolerate it. What it means depends on what it changes, i.e. its visibility on the cause-effect continuum. If it doesn't register, it doesn't exist.

However, there's another qualifyer for perceiving change in reality: "ground and consequent". I see it as an inferred (invisible) cause and effect. Meaning is inferred onto already existing patterns, such as life.

Take a buddhist monk living in isolation, looking for the meaning of life. If he dies without writing down or conveying the results of his meditations, did his life have meaning? Even to himself? Possibly - if he can convince himself that what he is doing has meaning. But that's very unpredictable. For someone who has depression it might not be so easy to see meaning in his or her life.

A more dependable meaning can be gotten from other people. If someone benefits from your actions, they might attribute meaning to your life - possibly even more than you attribute to it yourself. A father might think his life has no meaning, but his daughter or his wife might differ...

But you are still dependent on subjective judgements to determine any 'meaning' or lack thereof. Which is why most people just deny that any meaning exists, and take everything that does develop meaning as an undefined bonus. It's probably very hard for a naturalist to argue for meaning, for in the great scheme of nature, we are no different than rocks. I reject this meaningless ;) assumption.

Intrinsically, I'm prone to episodes of depression or loneliness - especially since compared to my girlfriend a 1000km's away, everything else seems to be of negligible importance or meaning :( It takes a lot of effort to create any subjective meaning. I guess it also depends on what rings your bell. Some people find meaning in collecting stamps. But I have to consciously weave it like a fragile spider's web and hope it holds. Somehow I'm aware that the meaning I find in my life during those periods exists even after I cease to be aware of it. The only explanation I come up with, is that my life has an extrinsic, objective meaning.

If I were the last human on earth, all alone and probably quite depressed, I am convinced my life would still have meaning. But only because I believe in a (personal) Creator. I believe He attributes meaning to me that corresponds to what He has doen for me. And that He attributes that meaning to everybody elses life as well, which is why I am obligated to respect all life as if it were my own. Since I know myself (to a large extent), I know that I'm no better than anyone, but that I'm in a position to give (actually, convey) meaning to other people's lives. There can be no greater meaning than what God has given to us.

Incidentally, it also solves the mortality question. Isn't it ironic that the last thing God wants for us is to have meaningless lives, and that just immortality would make such a life possible or bearable, as Olaus stated. An angel is guarding the "tree of eternal life", according to Genesis, because we have 'died to meaning' by discovering sin. We aren't living up to the meaning we have been given, and fall short of ever deserving it. People aren't seeking eternal life because they feel "threatend" by death, it's because they want it - they fantasize about it! We don't have to be trapped into having to look for meaning because, hooray! there won't have to be any!

The meaning God gives to life is eternal. We can't grasp it. But He promised it to us in a "second life". We are mortal, and we will al become dust again, but to those who accept the gift of meaning, He will once again grant eternal life. It is possible to die to sin in this life, and thereby start living your second life already - and this is what I would call a meaningful life: one that has hope beyond our own weaknesses.
 
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