Immensity and the Meaning of Life

Does the immensity of the universe and the relative paucity of living things within it have any bearing on the question "Does life have meaning?"

Category:

Education

Tags:

• meaning
• life
• purpose
• significance
• philosophy
• universe

[TWITfromURANUS]

Yes, I also find it curious how certain extreme atheistic types complain about this supposed 'lack of meaning'... almost as if they still need some sky-daddy to tell them how to be.

[DanaGarrett]

@TWITfromURANUS I don't know if these atheist types are "extreme," but the rest of your statement is spot on.

[justicecallicles]

It sounds like lingering Christianity.

If you thought the universe only existed because we needed somewhere to stand, its size and makeup may be a shock. If you thought the universe was just a test chamber for souls, the idea of us playing almost no part in its history would seem inexplicable. If you thought meaning had to be assigned from above and "ultimate", you might feel out of luck.

[DanaGarrett]

@justicecallicles I think you are onto something. Those who think that one cannot speaking meaningfully of meaning for ones own life unless that meaning has a universality and everlastingness also strike me as disappointed adherents of a theological conceptual scheme. They've given up the god of the scheme but not the scheme itself.

[trick0171]

Indeed...but just a sidenote:

I think it important to differentiate between: "What is the meaning of an already existing life FOR that life while it exists?", and "What is the meaning of propagating new life on that does not currently have a perception of meaning?". Those are two separate questions that tend to get mixed up a lot in the question "What is the meaning of life?". The latter questions an ultimate point or purpose beyond what life already is in play.

[DanaGarrett]

@trick0171 I think there is a distinction between the two, but tell me why you think it is an "important" distinction. I'd love to know.

[niriop]

Excellent points

[drchaffee]

@drchaffee Yep, I meant "chock" full. But, from my perspective, chick full sounds appealing as well. :)

[drchaffee]

Um, okay. Who is actually being addressed here? I'm not familiar with any school of thought that espouses the view: "life has no *personal* meaning". A humanist, atheist, nihilist may all insist that "life has no meaning", but in my experience they mean that "life has no *ultimate* meaning - and upon examination, you will find each lives I life chick full of personal meaning.

[SubstancePrime]

I always enjoy your videos, glad to see you're back to making them again.

[trick0171]

@DanaGarrett

Because when certain people address "the meaning of life" they do so to address the one way, and when others complain about that way, they do so by referring to a way that is different to the point being made. Just an observation between the different conflations of "individual" meaning ...and attempting to derive an importance or purpose or "meaning" to creating further individual meaning. :)