A problem with this question is that it is not clear what sort of answer is being looked for. One common rephrasing is “What is it that makes life worth living?”. There are any number of subjective answers to this question. Think of all the reasons why you are glad you are alive, and there is the meaning of your life. Some have attempted to answer this question in a more objective way: that is to have an idea of what constitutes the good life. It seems reasonable to say that some ways of living are not conducive to human flourishing. However, I am not convinced that there is one right way to live. To suggest that there is demonstrates not so much arrogance as a lack of imagination.
Another way of rephrasing the question is “What is the purpose of life?” Again we all have our own subjective purposes but some would like to think there is a higher purpose provided for us, perhaps by a creator. It is a matter of debate whether this would make life a thing of greater value or turn us into the equivalent of rats in a laboratory experiment. Why does there have to be a purpose to life separate from those purposes generated within it? The idea that life needs no external justification appeals to me. In the “why are we here?” sense of the question there is no answer. It would be wrong, however, to conclude that life is meaningless. Life is meaningful to humans, therefore it has meaning.
I look forward to your comments
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I get into debates about this subject all of the time. I don't believe that there is a purpose for life because I don't believe in a higher power. If there isn't a higher power than how could my life have a purpose (unless i make up my own purpose for my own life, which would then be a totally different topic than the purpose of life in general). For example, what is the purpose of a plants life? You could say that it is to provide oxygen and food for animals.. but I don't believe that because then someone or something would have had to plan out the reason why plants exist. I think the world and the way it works is just a mass amount of coincidences.
ReplyDeleteI think we have the horse before the cart. Plants don't exist to provide food and oxygen to support life, life exists as a result of plant food and oxygen ... but I got your point
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