Philosophical question of the month-June

[RichardNixon]

What is the meaning of life?

OK, now I realize that this is probably the most generic philosophical question of all-time, but it's also the most widely asked and discussed. So, for this installment of PQOTM, it's back to the basics.

[RichardNixon]

I have spent many a day smoking cigarettes while watching passerby's, or spent many a nights awake, lying in bed, thinking about what is the meaning of it all. I've tried to make sense of what life is all about, often coming to different conclusions, sometimes depending on my mood.

Right now I don't think that there really is a meaning. I don't see a grand plan, a cosmic scheme, or much meaning or point to anything. I think we come into being from emptiness, we live, we die, more emptiness. Life is but a brief state of consciousness? sandwiched between two eternities of nothingness.

That said, I don't think that everything need be all gloom and doom. Does there really need to be a point? While we are here we can just enjoy the time that we have. Perhaps the brevity of life makes it all the more precious.

[godiva]

Bit early for June, isn't it? This old lady in the retirement home I used to know sums it up nicely. She was terminally ill and talked about not believing in god or heaven. She believed when life ended, that was it. One of my colleagues asked her if she wasn't afraid to die because of her beliefs, and wouldn't she be more comfortable if life didn't end when we die. She looked at my co-worker in disbelief and replied " But dear, isn't this enough for you?" There you go, life doesn't really have a point, just enjoy the ride!

Needless to say, as I'm a girl, my point of view changes every 5 minutes. Ask me again in half an hour and you might get a different answer!

[RichardNixon]

While I find it logical that life has no meaning and we should just ?enjoy the ride,? I also find that answer to be completely unsatisfying. It?s not enough. I want to wake up and go to bed believing that there is a reason. But what if there is not? What if there is no God? Sometimes I take comfort in this belief because I feel less stress; even if I am a failure, it ultimately doesn?t matter. But I also feel disillusioned by the thought that life has no meaning.   

[Axlfreek]

sometimes i feel like the whole universe is a series of coincodental set of events. like one event inspires the next to happen, like there is no such thing as fate. but like godiva said my point of vewi changes alot too (even though i'm not a female).

but if you do look at the big piture, wheather there is a god or not, what you do during your life, what kind of things you buy, what people you meet, what you acomplish, really doesn't make any difference at all. life has a 100% death rate and in 500 years nobody will remember you or aknwoledge what you have done. but that still doesn't mean im not gonna try and be succeful and do good things and treat people the way they would treat me.

[Danny Top Hat]

All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be...


Still, cheer up Dave Gilmour, it's not all bad!? Our universe is a wonderful gift - whether it be a gift from science, God, or both - and all we can do while we're here is enjoy ourselves and try to experience as much of the world as we can.

*Ahem*

But that's not actually answering the question, so i'm gonna start again.? The meaning of life is to live and reproduce - that's the goal of every animal on the planet and humans are no different.? It's why we enjoy sex, it's why we enjoy food, it's why we fear death and it's why we were given the gift of free thought.? Our intelligence is the ultimate survival machanism, more effective than big jaws, hard skin or fast legs.? Humans have always organised themselves and formed towns so that everyone can be safe together and our race (the human race) can expand.? We're not all that different from a virus in that respect, though we are maybe a little more evolved than that.

[2NaFish]

now that my philosophy courses are finished for summer, i'm looking at physics - y'know, going a bit crazy and letting my hair down - and at the basis of it is essentially probability. which is kinda frustrating.

it either means god (assuming He exists, and created ALL) gave not only us free will but the universe free will too, or that god (assuming he exists, but is not all powerful) created the universe but does have complete control of the basics - sort of a caretaker - or that essentially we are just dust in the wind (dust....wind...dood (Bill & Ted)) and we're randomly floating about and there is no real, greater, meaning to life. I go for option 3

time, matter and energy will all eventually cease to be.

"whats'a problem? you came from nothing, you're going back to nothing. what have you lost? Nothing"


Thats the short answer

[Izzy]

Its your life - it has whatever meaning you choose to give it

[Danny Top Hat]

"whats'a problem? you came from nothing, you're going back to nothing. what have you lost? Nothing"

Dude!? When you die, you lose everything!? Just because you start life from scratch it doesn't mean you have nothing to lose.? If you were in mortal danger you would surely fight for your life, to be able to see your loved ones again or to be able to eat pizza for one last time.? Am I wrong?

Life is everything and we have everything to lose.

[2NaFish]

"whats'a problem? you came from nothing, you're going back to nothing. what have you lost? Nothing"

Dude!? When you die, you lose everything!? Just because you start life from scratch it doesn't mean you have nothing to lose.? If you were in mortal danger you would surely fight for your life, to be able to see your loved ones again or to be able to eat pizza for one last time.? Am I wrong?

Life is everything and we have everything to lose.

I should have given credit to that quote. Its what eric idle says to brian of nazareth when they're up on the cross and about to start singing "always look on the bright side of life" at the end of the life of brian.

Sort of a jokey answer to the grand question of "whats the meaning of life?" after the bullshit i'd spouted before.

It wasn't tecniqually the short answer anyway, as in reality even when there was "nothing", there was something; and where there is "nothing" nowadays there is still something; and even when time, matter and space cease to exist and everything has become "nothing" there is still something. So you are right; when it comes to life, there's no such thing as nothing, really. But it was eric idle who said that, not me.

Anyway, who really cares. Wouldn't it be better just to look at this cute kitten and forget all our worries?



Awwwwwww.

[SLCPUNK]

Its your life - it has whatever meaning you choose to give it

Yup.

[RichardNixon]

Its your life - it has whatever meaning you choose to give it

Yup.

So if you think that counting blades of grass is the meaning of life, than that's just as meaningful as anything else? Charles Manson's life was just as meaningful as Mother Teresa's then. All meaning is subjective?

[Sin Cut]

What is the meaning of life?

OK, now I realize that this is probably the most generic philosophical question of all-time, but it's also the most widely asked and discussed. So, for this installment of PQOTM, it's back to the basics.

sex.
more sex.

die.

Seriusly tho, I think that's down to the root of things, if earth would be at it's primitive state and there would be no tv etc that's all I would do, and throw rocks at lions if life got too boring.

And I'd also invent something to better the life qualitees, like a waterbed, or a roller coaster.

But yeah, I'd agree life is about survival instinct, getting some offspring, and  making your life better with the spare time you have left. For an example getting good memories.

[SLCPUNK]

Its your life - it has whatever meaning you choose to give it

Yup.

So if you think that counting blades of grass is the meaning of life, than that's just as meaningful as anything else?

All meaning is subjective?

Yup.

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

the meaning of life is to play.
it's all a big game.
rules are written. we all play. it's all one big inter-dependencies system.

[Sakib]

I've realised the majority of philosophical questions set by Nixon usually involve an element of religion.

As a Muslim, life is a test set down by Allah and we have to pass it in order to get into the best afterlife. A lot of you think it's silly but i disagree. All time in life is valuable and we must keep our worldy gains in order as well as our religious gains.
The thing is Allah already knows what's going to happen so the question is, why are we living? Why aren;t we already in our destinations of jannat/heavenly gardens and jahannam/hell?

Well i believe it's because it's like you can;t be caught red handed for committing a crime you haven;t yet committed or planned to commit. There maybe some other explanation only Allah knows as Allah knows best.

I respect you all may think i'm loony but thats my answer.

[RichardNixon]

"Well i believe it's because it's like you can;t be caught red handed for committing a crime you haven;t yet committed or planned to commit. There maybe some other explanation only Allah knows as Allah knows best."

Then why doesn't God create people without the ability to commit sin. Why not create people who are perfect and unable to harm others. People can still have free will, it's just that they wont have it in them to hurt.

On a side note, in Islam, I really like the saying that Allah is closer to you than your jugular vain.

"I've realised the majority of philosophical questions set by Nixon usually involve an element of religion."

The two (religion and philosophy) are inseparable, no?

[kockstar999]

All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be...

i like that quote

[kockstar999]

Its your life - it has whatever meaning you choose to give it

Yup.

So if you think that counting blades of grass is the meaning of life, than that's just as meaningful as anything else? Charles Manson's life was just as meaningful as Mother Teresa's then. All meaning is subjective?

charles manson never killed anyone... either did mother teresa...

[journey]

What is the meaning of life?

I think life is a learning process. Maybe we're supposed to learn the true meaning of love, that unconditional kind of love. If you can get to a point where you care about everyone, even the ones who don't care about you, then maybe you've learned a lot.

Then why doesn't God create people without the ability to commit sin. Why not create people who are perfect and unable to harm others. People can still have free will, it's just that they wont have it in them to hurt.

Then that wouldn't really be free will. God wants us to learn why we shouldn't hurt others.