• MoK
    1.9k

    Do you mean this?: The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
  • Outlander
    2.7k
    Do you mean this?: The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.MoK

    Think of it like having a favorite color. Everyone has one, and no one's favorite color is any more better or worse than that of another's.

    He seems to be describing "life drive", what one wakes up for each morning. Everyone has something they favor over another thing, let that mean "meaning of life".

    ...and, cue renewing discussion!. Man, I love solving problems. They should pay me to be ambassador, of well, everyone, really. Imagine the peace that would bring.
  • MoK
    1.9k
    Think of it like having a favorite color. Everyone has one, and no one's favorite color is any more better or worse than that of another's.Outlander
    Yes, we all have different preferences.

    He seems to be describing "life drive", what one wakes up for each morning. Everyone has something they favor over another thing, let that mean "meaning of life".Outlander
    Desires and emotions are life's forces, whereas thoughts are life's drive.

    ...and, cue renewing discussion!. Man, I love solving problems.Outlander
    I, too, love solving problems.
  • Darkneos
    997
    Do you mean this?: The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.MoK

    That's a description of what life is not the meaning of life.
  • MoK
    1.9k

    So what is the meaning of life?
  • Outlander
    2.7k
    So what is the meaning of life?MoK

    He's saying it is subjective, the "idea exists" the concept is what he is arguing, not the individual and specific actualization of said idea or concept. It's "whatever the person wants" or otherwise decides. So consider that as free will (scratch that, let's not complicate things) but rather individual understanding and quasi-objective meaning in a world that for all we know may be as we understand it, or may be the opposite. This is a minor hang up.

    What are you two even arguing about? I recall you made the claim "we cannot argue about the meaning if life if it is not defined." Which he seems to consider subjectivity as sufficient, and you, perhaps, seem to consider it fitting a universal textbook definition.These two beliefs are incompatible as far as one's preferred comfort zone and resulting reliance and grasp of concepts, but this does not in anyway make the larger argument possible. You must simply accept, in practical terms, his view of "there is no meaning of life but what we decide", similar to a piece of clay becoming a great piece of pottery in any respectable home, no matter what shape the potter wishes it to be, and he must accept, you do not consider this valid and therefore a fatal flaw in his argument. So we have two choices from that point. Either he can tailor his definition to yours, if not for fun, simply to further the discussion, or you can consider his premise flawed and no longer of any reasonable contribution or interest to continue.

    It's all really quite simple.
  • MoK
    1.9k

    I agree with most of the things that you said. The problem is that he didn't provide any definition for the meaning of life, so we cannot discuss whether the concept is subjective or objective.
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