Terry Eagleton/The Meaning of Life

[jesusgray922]

Your vid is popular on Bogota

[RV56]

I actually think Eagleton has it right.

SPOILER

The meaning of life is communism.

/SPOLER

[ryand49005]

His mouth looks like a hairy pussy :)

[SeedsofJoy]

"Wise", Terry Eagleton? In the same sentence?

[304MTodd63]

The heart of philosophy is this: "Does God exist? If he does then what of us?" As to the meaning of life the materialistic philosophers cannot answer nor even ask the question without subverting their position. For if thought (ruminations, calculations, memory, etc.) is merely an electrochemical fizz in the great cascade of matter-energy fluctuations then there can be no correct/incorrect or ethical/unethical since all is only an outworking of energized particles.

[Zoundsism999]

Eagleton knows as much about the meaning of life (flourishing is a Masonic concept) as I do about thermonuclear dynamics. I'm an idiot.But not a fool to this decaying socialist King Lear.

[NVaizard]

Life is not a game, it's a toy. There is no meaning and no rules, each one creates it's own when playing. -- Felipe N.A.

[Longlivethe4th]

42

[ChuckNorris100000]

I personal think their, is no meaning to life as a whole. Life existing in this world does nothing to server a bigger purpose. Even if all life is wipe out from the face of the the world, the world wouldn't be effected. Life's definition can only be define by human minds. Because life has no meaning there no answer to the question " what is the meaning of life?" Because we are human, we make up our own personal meaning. Each and everyone of us have our own meaning. but in reality their is none.

[Da0YiN]

the meaning of life is to eat all dead matter!!!

[RockyBalboa211]

The meaning of life is to live a life for others!

[videvideooo]

The meaning of life is death

[grobbledonk]

If the meaning of life is something other than what individuals impose upon themselves, then it presumably has to be biological; but that could well be the case and still seem like an exterior force unsympathetic to our lives as individuals. Whatever the meaning of life is, it certainly isn't happness

[BigBrother187]

Their is no meaning to life, the thought of life having "a meaning" is just being lazy and boring, life has no meaning .....

[rehndawg]

pro-create!!!!!!!

[levanyzzuf]

I'd like to know how Eagleton is able to grow the facial hair that he has. It looks like the peach fuzz of a 13-year-old pubescent. It's like a beard, only not.

[patriciaz11]

For the past 6 years, I've personally have had an interest in near death experience accounts...and I've read probably over a thousand accounts by now. If you do the research yourself, you will see that many of these people have experienced a continuation of life after death. Many of the messages that these people bring back is that the meaning of life is: Love. "What did you do in order to help you fellow brothers and sisters?" A "life review" is extreamly common for nde's. (Research it).

[thetwentyfourth]

Since meaning is a property of thought and understanding, and is interpreted subjectively by each individual, it can be argued that the only "meaning" to life (or anything) is that which we ascribe to it, and it is likely different for everyone.

The question is not a very deft one at digging to the heart of things. Something like "What is the purpose of existence?" comes closer, but is still only answerable within a personal and relative philosophy or understanding of reality.

[ejohnwright]

@thetwentyfourth

It seems to mean "what is the value of existence, and what should you do with your life, keeping that value in mind?"

[thetwentyfourth]

@ejohnwright That's a good interpretation of the question, though it is no more concretely answerable since value itself is completely subjective. Each individual must find their own answer to that question.

I think the "meaning of life" questions which are most useful are those which attempt to shed light on the fundamentals of reality which we all share in the experience of. Meaning is a much more personal thing.

[ejohnwright]

@thetwentyfourth

Yes, but Literary theorists are not in the business of finding "useful" questions. They are in the business of assessing, comparing, and articulating already held ideas. So the question is important to Literary theorists because it has been asked so many times in literature. Alternative theories of subjective value are irrelevent because they actually don't answer the question; they only try to set up something else in its place.

[justana2]

@ejohnwright

Do you really believe that literature has nothing to do with life?

Maybe you are reading too much Danielle Steel.

There is not one Literary Theory. There are many and other fields are necessary to approach literature such as philosophy, psychology, sociology... even physics.

Literary and business in the same phrase is not a good combination.

[ejohnwright]

@justana2

Those attacks are misdirected. I never said that literature has nothing to do with life. I said that literary theorists don't have to interpret works through the lense of 'subjective meaning.'

I don't believe that any field is "necessary" to approach literature. The sentence itself makes no sense. It always must be qualified with: to approach literature if literature is x.

"Their business" meaning: their practice. But you know that.

Danielle Steel. So much venom.

[justana2]

@ejohnwright Do you consider it as an "attack"? I consider it as a discussion. Anyway... "subjective meaning" is one of may aspects of literature. Each author deals with some aspects and sometimes if someone, it doesn't even has to be a literary theorists, makes it explicit it's good.

Good literature can never be described as something unique, like you said "literature is x."

I rather say that theorists should not interpret they must make it clear.

[ejohnwright]

@justana2

I do consider comments that lack politeness to be attacks, regardless of the subject matter.

But I agree with most of what you've said.

[sonoki82]

So this is what it means to be a professional philosopher. Don't answer any questions put to you or help people in any meaningful way. Just rattle off a series of new questions, some of which have little bearing on the original question, for which you offer no answers.

[Marenqo]

@sonoki82

maybe there are no answers

[ejohnwright]

@sonoki82

It is odd that you would base your opinion of philosophers on a 2 minute video of someone who is actually incorrectly described as a philosopher. Mr. Eagleton is a literary theorist, so he reviews ideas in literature and offers critiques.

But, on the topic of philosophers. Philosophers are professional thinkers, all with different minds. Some are better than others. Some do answer the questions; others don't.

[TheKiemaster]

Im i the only person in here who is a Nihilist

[MrKarlWilliams]

@TheKiemaster Does it matter?

[Flerg3]

close your eyes and this dude sounds like george martin. I think life is nothing but a 75 year roller coaster ride of emotions and learning experiences.

[leparditas]

krishna have all answers.

[jblacktree]

Ferociously idiotic and tasteless about literature and a positive caveman about politics, so this pre-Alzheimer's maundering video/cum shilling his book is violently disgusting.

[levanyzzuf]

What a classic blowhard. I love him!

[TheKiemaster]

In my opinon the meaning of Life is Happiness.

[leparditas]

@TheKiemaster more pain more gain.fuck you.sorry

[1tephania]

Funny to see Dawkins acolytes getting so grilled over the fact that someone dares to criticize the man!

Eagleton, more than once, admitted the possibility that all his ideas about faith may not be more than just talk. That doesn't render his other criticisms of Dawkins irrelevant. Most of the things he says to criticize Dawkins are bang on..

[sonicthebadger]

So, eh... What? Did he really just say BUY MY BOOK!!

I can say that in three seconds. That's two minutes and 11 seconds you owe me you waffler! What a tool.

[arnull40]

@sonicthebadger Yes... DO! It is a quick read and at the same time gives you a quick overview of various opinions on the meaning of life. Plus, it is fun to read. Highly recommended to everyone who ever asked the question!

[LoginErroronu]

It's happiness.

Everything we do is to either gain happiness or to keep it from dropping further.

[BalkanibalX]

Dawkins must have a counterpoint, otherwise it's fundamentalism and ideology all over again

[annarogersable]

Terry Eagleton gained this perspective of life by moping, stuffing his face with biscuits and regurgitating misanthropic banter.

[urion43]

meaning of life?pfffffffffffft! what is that bullshit? go out and get some good eats, drink beer and get some pussy. That's it man, that's all.

[patrick112590]

@urion43 And yet here you are, watching the video and leaving a comment.

[Slyboy4life]

Eagleton is a great literary critic but I have to disagree with him on religion

[fomastephanovitch]

This dude is absurd.

He must be taking the piss: he believes in the ontologically pre-determined dictatorship of the proletariat...

Talk about the opium of the academics!

[CorvidaeHerald]

@fomastephanovitch a very similar opium of the medieval theologians paved the ground for modern democracy.

[KingsleyReinhardt]

To the dunderheads on this thread who expected o get an answer in 30 seconds, try reading a book sometime.

[Luke1268]

you really underestimate people. i mean i dunno what sort of people you have dreamed up in your sad little mind but i assure you that they have minds of their own and didnt take the ttitle as seriously as you.

[KingsleyReinhardt]

Did you read the responses from all the people who took the title seriously? Obviously you did not.

[Luke1268]

the problem isnt that he is supposed to somehow tell us the meaning of life and doesnt. no ones that stupid. if you think that is what people are annoyed at then you should get out more and talk to real people. obviously you have not. the problem is that this is basically an atvertisment for his new book and he tells us nothing insightful. rather, 'you will just have to read the book'.

[KingsleyReinhardt]

Yeah, he's stupid. You're smart.

But you're "peal people."

Yeah real stupid people.

[scotty123123]

Eagleton singularly embodies everything that's wrong with contemporary English criticism. He has nothing to say. He is bottomlessly vapid

[lottiesocks]

Eagleton has nothing interesting or insightful to tell us. He is but an ideological relict

[JamieUnicorn]

Hello,

I'll set out my stall first; raised rationalist, secular; do not adhere to any creeds.

If you'd like some insight into the benefits of religion and faith, then I found the writings of Carl Jung very illuminating. Esp. 'Psychology and the East', 'Modern Man in Search of a Soul' and his autobiography (of sorts) 'Memories, Dreams, Reflections'. I found Jung to be a great 'in' to understanding the benefits of faith/religion from a secular viewpoint.

[CobinRain]

This pompous twerp has actually set out to rubbish the arguments against religion presented by Richard Dawkins! He is unequal to the task: Dawkins' attack is rationalist , rooted in science and scientific scepticism. THIS geezer has spent his whole life arguing with people very like himself about the "correct" approach to literary criticism.

In the end he does what every faith nut does..he uses one part of a fictional text as "evidence" supporting some other bit of eqaully dubious text .

[RoboDouche]

So he criticised Dawkins... and now you are angry? :(

Look out Terry! CobinRain gets mad when you tear down his heroes.

[Mazurka1001]

Sounds like any 'liberal' cultist these days.

[antwanswan1]

fuck you man i know tyhis man hes a fookin ledgend and he knows wat hes on about he knows wat life is about he understands and he is a hero and his sons the best skater i skate with so fuck off

[fomastephanovitch]

Your spelling says more about his point than your arguments ever could.

"Mind you, his son skates with me, therefore he's a good philosopher" is about as congruently vapid as a person can be without believing in economic determinism and the ontologically pre-determined victory of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie in the 21st century...

[lphelt4inter]

i am agree with you. i think who cannot agree with are ignorants

[johnisallin]

or both

[Raffzeee]

Happy people are like slugs, they do nothing to move the human race forwards.

[nickyact1]

Happiness isn't a goal, it's a by-product.

[hexkid]

I think the real question should be 'Is there a meaning to Terry Eagleton?'

What a pointless video, no answers apart from an advert for his book.

[norwonk]

That's a good question. It seems to me that the answer is: "Not much."

Peel away all the words (dear dog, there are many of them!) and you're left with a few old fallacies and standard apologist rubbish. There's no there there.

[snapcase55]

Simple minded fools such as yourself want the answers handed to you. No doubt you will keep searching for "the one."

[johnisallin]

Are you people really trying to form an opinion about this man from a 2 minute video?

Either you are stupid or bible thumpers.

[norwonk]

My opinion is not based on this video. But the video does confirm my impression that Eagleton is full of crap. He pretends that there are these amazing arguments for religious faith out there, but never tells us what they are. Strange, isn't it?

[CLean1987]

agree

[Dean04tw]

JUST GREAT "the meaning of life is in my book" DUHH

[blueeyedog]

What a tedious douchebag.

[conwict7]

If you're talking about the speaker, I'd hate to see you try to actually read most philosophers

[blueeyedog]

I am talking about the speaker. And now I'm talking about you: What a tedious douchebag.

[blueeyedog]

By the way, Terry Eagleton is a literary critic and theorist, not a philosopher, genius.

[thefastest800]

As he said, happiness is certainly what everybody would like to achieve in their lives. Unfortunately, we have gone about this the wrong way (oppressing other people, etc.) over the many years humans have been in existence.

Now before our lives can even have meaning.. we're going to have to fix all the prejudice and destruction we've caused on our planet.

After that.. maybe everybody will be able to achieve the meaning of life (if they work for it).

[fiver79]

to grow from one point to another generally bettering oneself at each stage in a continous change while adapting to the surrounding enviroment.

[madmanmagee1]

i think that there is no meaning

i think maybe we are just here

so we should be grateful for what we have

[mjohnduff]

Terry Eagleton isn't a philosopher

[notthelastword]

He's a wanker?

[blueeyedog]

Yes, he's a wanker, in addition to being a tedious douchebag.

[MCRtheblakparade737]

Wow! Terry Eagleton is my neighbour + my best friends' Dad! He is like a dear family friend :)

[peterpittos]

I think the US bill of rights said it all- " life liberty and the right to happiness." an historic classical Greek perspective of life would be the simplest of all: a giant erect penis, a priapus. the greeks always had a word for it!

[heartachingpain]

i know the meaning of life, mail me for the answer at Androski92 (yahoo)

you may not be contempt with my answer but i do have what i believe is the true meaning.

[TheIsFactor]

This is easy! There is no "meaning of Life." There cannot be, everything simply is!! Although, an individual can bring something called "meaning" to Life.

[pimpscanfly]

U say everything simply 'is' and therefore there is no "meaning of life". how can u deny existence to the 'meaning of life'? Why can they not exist together? The meaning of life and the absence of it's existence? Because it's undefined? This does not mean that it does not exist. In fact, definition is less an animator and more a creator of useless shells. 2 give life 2 something, u need not define it. Conscious recognition is all that is required. In fact a name is 2 much, once fully understood.

[wugm]

The meaning (the truth) is in the eye of beholder. That`s why the question of objective answer is not relevant.

"Any reality... is an

opinion. You create your

own reality... WOW!"

-Timothy Leary

[shuvit90]

Down with postmodern hyperrelativism!!... it encourage people to do nothing than doing dope while watching reality shows

[shuvit90]

Nothing "simply is...", everything is artificial anda intencional, historically situated, and tehrefore changeable.

[lxweapon]

Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life" was good for a laugh but the flaw with Marxist criticism is that it always tries to define what makes us happy, which for most on this board is likely violence and not humor.

[Baexire]

Yawn

[deadlyvengeance222]

WHAT SUCKS MORe, ISLAMICS OR THIS FAG

[deadlyvengeance222]

THIS GUY IS A IRISH FUCKING FRAUD

[cmfisch978]

I don't work in the academic community, I work in the real World

-----------

Ah, the tired "I work in the real world" line. If you're world is so "real" and "demanding," why do you have the time and energy to engage in pointless arguments in the comments section of a youtube video?

[cmfisch978]

*your

[twmills777]

Ah, Richard Dawkins' sock puppet.

[asakatali]

He was only trying to sell his book, poor thing. Let adults like Zizek eat him for breakfast.

[pec104]

It's a widely-held belief among those like me

who got their degrees and professional qualifications by doing a bit more than regurgitating the same old facile buzzword-riddled mantras about empowerment and addressing this and engaging with that and embracing diversity blah blah bullshit bullshit. Give an antibiotic-soaked cracker to Terry, maybe it'll cure him of his intellectual psittacosis.

[nikwilko]

oh terry<3

[pec104]

That was utterly banal in the absolute extreme. He's nothing but a 'neocons under the bed' lefty sociologist who thinks he can win arguments by denouncing people as 'racists', 'islamophobes' etc.

Everyone who ever studied under him should realise that they have wasted their three years and got into twenty grand of debt for absolutely f**k-all apart from a lifetime of mixed up loser mentality.

[myroseaccount]

Don't worry might one day grow out of these pressing personal problems, petty jealousies and irrational thinking.

[pec104]

Who?What?Where is the subject of your sentence?It is meaningless and you are a dunce.

[myroseaccount]

Don't worry! YOU might one day grow out of the pressing personal problems, petty jealousies and irrational thinking, that YOU are so clearly assailed with. Is that clear enough for you?

[pec104]

Pity you're too thick to do it right the first time though. The only thing assailing me is the incessant diarrhoea churned out by the humanities bullshit industry. If you happen to be the sneering Mancunian snot himself I strongly suggest you get a proper shave. What are you trying to hide? Scrofula?

[myroseaccount]

LOL!

[falstaffswims]

Holy Jesus, you're inarticulate, pec104! "The incessant diarrhoea churned out by the humanities bullshit industry..."

What the fck? Do you know how metaphors work? Do you actually think your thoughts in such artless, blundering language? I would kill myself if I had such an painfully awkward and uninspired voice in my mind, narrating the whole world for me. Now I'm not encouraging you to take your own life, pec104, but Jesus fucking Christ in a chicken basket, you're a dim one!

[pec104]

Hi Terry. I see you like to dish it out but don't like to take it.

How does my stating that the humanities bullshit industry

is an academic conveyor belt for hopeless dunces indicate that I am inarticulate?

[tuftybox1821]

Seems like this can be classified under 'personal issues'.

[pec104]

'Issues' - more social-worker-speak. Buzzword-bingo anyone?

[tuftybox1821]

But don't you think it's time for you to let Terry go and move on with your life?

[pec104]

Like the last two weeks you mean?

[tuftybox1821]

That's it.  Closure beckons!

[pec104]

Do you like saying 'Zeitgeist' a lot? I bet you do. I bet you like saying 'Weltanschauung'

as well and feel really clever. I speak fluent German (and French and Spanish) but I never say those words because the only people who do ever say them are bullshitting 'humanities' gobshites like you Terry.

[tuftybox1821]

"like you, Terry?"

I thought we agreed it's time to let Terry go, find closure, and move on with your life?

[pec104]

'Closure' - more psychobabble. You're a sad case aren't you? You know it, be honest.

[tuftybox1821]

Closure is in the zeitgeist and is part of my weltanschauung, and you need to find it. By the way, isn't 'a sad case' also pyschobabble?

[pec104]

Oh dear, he doesn't even know that German nouns have capital letters. The really sad thing is that his lecturers at the Sociology department don't either.

[tuftybox1821]

All of which is or isn't probably true. Anyway, must dash. I have to attend to one of my many houses. It's been fun.

[pec104]

Owned.

[falstaffswims]

This guy honest to god thinks Terry Eagleton is masquerading as passing youtube commenters ...yes, pec104, you've got to him (i.e., me, in my myriad forms) and he's just so pissed off, he's got to respond ...no, pec104, you're not an ignorant twat ...yes, pec104, we (i.e. Terry Eagleton) can imagine you being well-respected in SOME academic community, since you are, yes, um, eloquent.

[pec104]

I don't work in the academic community, I work in the real World doing something a bit more demanding than bandying an endless loop of lazy idiotic buzzwords.

And when you do say 'engage', 'address', 'vibrant', 'robust' etc for the millionth time why do you always load it with some kind of post-modern ironic emphasis as if you are saying something daringly profound?

[orinincandenza]

it doesn't make any sense to use 'post-modern' the way you just did.

[jukebob]

Try 'The Illusions of Postmodernism' by Terry Eagleton - an excellent read and classic Eagleton. ....... Just thought I'd mention it :)

[falstaffswims]

...no, pec104, I don't recommend consulting a fucking dictionary to learn, once and for all, that "Zeitgeist" has, unlike most German words, been adopted into the English language, thereby ending your confusion about its more-frequent-than-usual use.

[pec104]

Only by pretentious intellectual magpies with a desperate eye for the facile and meretricious.

[Loux7]

I love him...Sorry, I confuse love with knowledge, my mistake

[andysterdam]

Which book is he promoting here? After Theory?

[TommyInVancouver]

Naaa, its all in the eye of the beholder.

[MrRochester07]

What is ironic is to find Eagleton, who was a dogmatic Marxist when I studied with him, one of the few voices defending humanism against the vacuousness of post-modernism. His formative Catholic culture is showing nowadays.

[meredumais]

Eagleton is brilliant. This isn't long enough to do his thoughts justice. I took a class from him in college; he's great.

[edbingey]

From what I've read of his work he his brilliant. What's he like in person?

[meredumais]

Accessible, just a bit arrogant...not a surprise! Wonderful lecturer, though. He was a visiting professor at Duke when I attended there (in North Carolina.) Loved his class !

[donning]

edbingey - 'Read Life After Theory'; ignore remarks from semi erudite ignoramuses.

[goldtoad55]

The meaning of life is to not waste it by watching You Tube videos.

[TommyInVancouver]

Great, so what is the meaning of life.

I think it is in the eye of the beholder.

[jvzq88]

it goes a lot further than that! did you watch the video? =)

[puertopensee]

Well, that's Nietzsche, existentialism and all of post-modernism in a nutshell. All that should be getting kind of passe anytime soon. I like that old dog of paradox, G.K. Chesterton, when he said, "Man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth."

[riciard55]

identity maker go back to sleep

[edbingey]

Fuck off you sad sop. You've just been GashBashed by the 'master' of YouTube Edbingey. Now say goodnight, tuck ya tinky back into your pants (shake off first), and kindly fuck off. Oh and take your old birds 'jazz' mag with ya'. ; )

[wayner251]

Right I should buy your book. Good scheme you make money from telling people your opinion.

[lewisduncan93]

i can find the meaning of life. why do we want money ? because we want things, right ?. why do we want things ?, because we like it, why do we like it ? keep answer questions like that and it will come if you answer the right ones ;)

[khilled]

42 is 2 4 backwards

[edbingey]

That's very true!

My philosophy on life? Have a good time...all the time.