The purpose of life is to find a purpose that suits one's dispositions, is reasonable and fulfilling to the soul. — TheMadFool

Too luke warm.

Too luke warm. — Noble Dust

What are your views on the issue?

Don't you think the search for purpose evolved in humans? There seems to be nothing about the world that speaks of purpose. It is only humans that look for meaning/purpose. If you agree then it is only right that we make our own purpose.

The purpose of life is to pro-create. There would be no life without fulfilling that one purpose.

The purpose of life is to pro-create. There would be no life without fulfilling that one purpose. — alice wilson

A self-replicating system (like life) can arise without purpose. Organizing matter and energy (life), some say, is built into the laws of physics and chemistry. Some even claim that given the laws of nature life is an inevitability.

So, no the purpose of life is not to procreate.

Perhaps before jumping into the deep end of the meaning-of-life pool, a decent respect for the requirements of being a good swimmer in that pool would have one first safely paddling about at the shallow end in the what-is-life pool.

For example, not what is the meaning of life, but rather, what does it mean to be alive? How indeed do I know that I am alive - what are the signs of being alive? If I am alive, what things, what sorts of things, do I do that exemplify the fact of my being alive.

None of this is the question of being non-dead. Life is presupposed, else you're not asking. In a sense, then, the questions are already answered or being answered in a vague sort of a way. On can argue that the task, then, is to make vague understandings explicit.

Perhaps before jumping into the deep end of the meaning-of-life pool, a decent respect for the requirements of being a good swimmer in that pool would have one first safely paddling about at the shallow end in the what-is-life pool. — tim wood

Good advice. Thanks.

For example, not what is the meaning of life, but rather, what does it mean to be alive? How indeed do I know that I am alive - what are the signs of being alive? If I am alive, what things, what sorts of things, do I do that exemplify the fact of my being alive. — tim wood

Living for a human is different from living for an animal. Humans desire a purpose over and above that of simply satisfying their basic instincts of hunger and sex. Therein we fail to find meaning.

I think it helps to distinguish general meaning from individual meaning. People find the latter - sports, science, philosophy, etc. Finding the former, a general universal meaning for human existence, is the difficult part.

People seem to be put off by death which I regard as the true meaning-destroyer for all life, including humans. We see meaning in the everlasting. This is an admirable folly. Admirable becuase there is a fighting spirit - to resist what is natural and inevitable, death. Folly because it's a battle that can't be won.

None of this is the question of being non-dead. Life is presupposed, else you're not asking. In a sense, then, the questions are already answered or being answered in a vague sort of a way. On can argue that the task, then, is to make vague understandings explicit. — tim wood

The situation is neither vague nor ambiguous. We don't see a fuzzy world of meaning that needs to be clarified. Neither do we see a multiple meanings we confuse over. The situation is more like an empty box. There's no meaning at all, neither vague nor ambiguous.

Human beings have certain potentialities (things they're good at, or would be under a given set of circumstances), everyone has a different set, based on their biology, their "build" as organic machines, and then their "bildung," the process whereby that potential expresses itself (is educed), in the context of their family, community, etc. The purpose of life is to fulfil (or in the older, classical philosophical jargon "perfect") your particular set of potentialities, in the context that you're given.

So: the purpose of life is to be the best you that you can be, in the world as you find it.

The exercise of that functionality brings happiness, in the higher sense of fulfillment (as opposed to the lower sense of the hedonistic whim gratification), which is the self-contained meaning of life. IOW, the meaning of life is to be found in the exercise, the enjoyment, the lived-through process, of self-perfection.

(Note: often that will include some contribution to, and perfection of, the community that sustains you, but it needn't necessarily - it's a question of weighting, which will be different for different people, and the appropriate weighting is for each individual to discover.)

The answer to that question hasn't been answered satisfactorily. Some have even gone as far as to call life absurd, lacking any meaning or purpose and that any search in that direction is eventually futile. — TheMadFool

Not sure if you are making a different point here or not. But what my understanding of the "Absurdists" ideas, was not that life was absurd. What was absurd was some inherent desire to search for meaning, where there is none. Is there a reason we a pushing the mythical rock back up the hill, just to have it roll back down.

Don't you think the search for purpose evolved in humans? There seems to be nothing about the world that speaks of purpose. It is only humans that look for meaning/purpose. If you agree then it is only right that we make our own purpose. — TheMadFool

I do not see the logic in - only humans look for meaning , therefor it is ONLY humans right that we make our own purpose. I think we are still free to explore meanings that can possible be outside out purpose.

I think it helps to distinguish general meaning from individual meaning. People find the latter - sports, science, philosophy, etc. Finding the former, a general universal meaning for human existence, is the difficult part. — TheMadFool

agree on the general part- I am not sure, need to think some, if one can consider activities "sports...." as meaning. Want to say no - but need to think some on that.

the meaning of life is to be found in the exercise, the enjoyment, the lived-through process, of self-perfection. — gurugeorge

Can't see how that works in general. But i think very close to what Camus would have identified as the Absurd Hero

For many, we find meaning in our theistic beliefs. Camus would call that Philosophic Suicide - but he could be wrong.

As long as those beliefs are not in conflict with fact or reason, there is no reason to discount a belief in a higher entity as a meaning for existence.

The answer to the 'meaning or purpose of life is complex in that the purpose or meaning appears different for different people. Whether they get it wrong or right appears in my estimation to be relative to their respective experience of hapiness and the form quality and duration of that happiness.

Given the reality that life is meaningless in practical terms, that even the biological 'purpose' vis pro-creation is futile and short lived as the sun will fade and all of 'us' will ultimately disappear into meaningless obscurity life as an individual human being is indeed utterly meaningless. In fact history will undoubtedly judge us to have been a rather disgusting generation when one considers the suffering that could have been ameliorated by our wealth and technology, and the destruction of species that is consequenced by our materialism and greed. We are a disgusting excuse for a species and the Universe would undoubtedly fare better without us.

Suicide is indeed a moral and viable option relative to the criminal nature of our existence and the purely artificial basis of most of the relations we share with others and even with ourselves.

However self destruction, whilst somewhat morally valid is logically invalidated by the absolute meaningless of existence and indeed the inevitability of death renders its premature termination to be equally meaningless. To live and to die is ultimately pointless.

There are however two things that keep me alive, essentially two aspects of the same thing.. happiness and pleasure. Food, wine, sex and the continued refinement of my intellect.

I believe that material reality is determined and as such material existence has no real meaning. The Universe is a-temporal and in essence it was over the instant it began. however there is something distinct from the Universe and that is consciousness, aspects of which might well be free or undetermined. If this be the case then refinement of consciousness or the intellect may well be the primary purpose of existence and the pursuit of pleasure merely a secondary delusion that I am 'happy' to indulge myself in.

I suspect that consciousness is infinite and refinement of consciousness is the ultimate purpose of life. As such the purpose of life is to prepare for ones death and to enjoy the experience of the determined unfolding of the material universe.

Ultimately the practical material purpose of life is death. And one must tend ones garden in the intervening moments.

Can't see how that works in general. — Rank Amateur

Well it works in general in that being is an energetic thing, a process, not a static quality, and the process of living through life fulfilling one's potential is its own reward. It's the parallel, on the active plane, of the passive reception of sensory information - it's what we've got to work with, it's the stuff of stuff, we know of no stuff other than the stuff we experience. Similarly, we know of no other source of happiness than a life well lived, unfolding potential, fulfilling it.

Hello! :) im new here and im very much interesting in discussing all things about humanity and the reality in witch we live in. yet I must say that im not much of a scholar on such subjects, but eager to discussing as well as learning from all of you and also getting to know you all. I decided to start here:
you may think this is too simplified but I think the meaning of life should be all up to the individual but key-goals should be freedom, happiness and self-fullfillment. as long as your own pursuit of achieving that dosent get in the way of others way of life(within reason offcourse)

Perfection is life made free of evil. Maybe that is the purpose.

but what is evil?

Perfection is life made free of evil. — EnPassant

but what is evil? — Aleksander Kvam

Exactly. Evil is in the eye of the beholder. What is evil for you and me - say the mosquitos that spread malaria - is just living your life to those mosquitos. Sexually abusing children is considered evil by the vast majority of humans, but most birds are quite OK with it.

No, I'm not just inventing stupid examples, but observing that (good and) evil depend on your point of view. Thus life cannot be made "free of evil". :chin:

you dont even have to go as far as saying abusing children is evil. I understand that. but sadly some belive that not beliving in god is evil, and not caring about the vast majority of people is evil. so...

so... — Aleksander Kvam

...life cannot be made free of evil? :wink:

yes, child-birth through rape is evil

were you refering to rape when yoy said "life made free of evil" ?

child-birth through rape is evil — Aleksander Kvam

As an absolute statement - "...is evil" --- this cannot be correct. Because it cannot be justified/proven. I accept that you consider it evil, but to state with no context that it is goes too far, I think.

were you refering to rape when yoy said "life made free of evil" ? — Aleksander Kvam

No:

some believe that not believing in god is evil, and not caring about the vast majority of people is evil. so... — Aleksander Kvam

...life cannot be made free of evil? — Pattern-chaser

what was the point again?

What you said confirmed that we cannot rid the world of evil, and I agreed. There is no point beyond that (in this sub-sub-thread). :wink:

the world is a mess, and so is my head :) im trying to understand but its hard...

...and I still dont understand what evil is...

the meaning of life is to be found in the exercise, the enjoyment, the lived-through process, of self-perfection. — gurugeorge

Thanks. I was under the impression that when philosophers talk of meaning of life they're looking for some specific purpose that applies to everyone. Isn't that the place philosophers went asearching and came out empty-handed?

That said, I too believe that there is no universal one-size-fit-all meaning to be had. Rather, as you said, one must cultivate one's talents.

Not to detract from your view on life's purpose but I must point out the very egregious generality of it is an attempt to achieve the very thing that we can't viz. a universal meaning of life. Thanks anyway.

What was absurd was some inherent desire to search for meaning, where there is none. Is there a reason we a pushing the mythical rock back up the hill, just to have it roll back down. — Rank Amateur

Can you have a read above. There is meaning and it's a very personal one. No size fits all. That would be absurd and yet the suggestion/advice ''find one's own meaning'' is itself a universal claim, making the entire exercise a parade of absurdities.

But i think very close to what Camus would have identified as the Absurd Hero — Rank Amateur

What's an absurd hero? A man who realizes that there is no meaning to life outside of his own world is free to find his own meaning. To say that life is absurd because it has no meaning and then to level the same accusation at one who creates his own meaning is trying to eat the cake and have it too.

meaning of life should be all up to the individual but key-goals should be freedom, happiness and self-fullfillment. as long as your own pursuit of achieving that dosent get in the way of others way of life(within reason offcourse) — Aleksander Kvam

Read above please.

Perfection is life made free of evil. Maybe that is the purpose. — EnPassant

We have expectations but the universe is indifferent to them. May be, if we all make the right effort, Utopia is achievable.

allways look on the bright side of life! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M

sorry, could`nt help myself :)

but what is evil? — Aleksander Kvam

St. Agustin says that evil is not a positive entity in itself. It is a deprivation of the good. An analogy is a perfect Rolls Royce and a battered one. The battered Rolls Royce has been damaged but nothing of substance has been added to it. And you cannot have a battered Rolls Royce unless you start with a good one.

Evil is a corruption of life, of goodness. It cannot exist without the good first existing.

(I need to think out loud. the reason I join this forum was to learn and find some kind of peace and understanding about myself and this world/reality. we would you else learn about things? there has to be a destination and a goal, or else its all for nothing. im looking for an epiphany. to look behind the curtains of reality for my own improvment. not to prove anything to others. my problem is that im very courious about things concerning EVERYTHING but im not very wise. its difficult for my to understand others. im stupid really.....so I wonder...all the knowledge you have inquired? how has that affected your life?

I was actually asking what speciffically "evil" is...it differs from person to person dosent it?