Well, sound and valid are moot points, because I wouldn't say it's an argument. It's not as if there are premises and a conclusion there with an implication that the conclusion follows from the premises. So question-begging is irrelevant, too.
You're probably reading it too literally, rather than understanding the spirit it was meant in. — Terrapin Station
"The meaning of life is to give life meaning" — intrapersona
I've said that. Life has no inherent meaning, no meaning ordained by God. The universe doesn't provide us meaning. If we didn't exist, meaninglessness would not be a problem. We do, however, exist and we need meaning. Therefore, if there is to be meaning, we create it. We give life meaning. — Bitter Crank
We do, however, exist and we need meaning. Therefore, if there is to be meaning, we create it. We give life meaning. — Bitter Crank
It just seems like a nonsensical pattern of misplacing objects/processes as a source explanation for larger things in existence/existence itself. — intrapersona
"Helping people" might be a good meaning for life. "I am here to help people." You could do worse. — Bitter Crank
But what is this meaning that is self-created? It seems that anyone can pick up an object, even a brick, and call it the meaning of their own life. How can we tell what is valid as a self-chosen meaning of which we give our lives? Why is "helping people" any more valid than "a brick" or "a statue" or "my bicycle"? — intrapersona
If someone asked you what is the meaning of an apple and you responded "to help people", isn't that a bit ridiculous? — intrapersona
Life has no inherent meaning, — Bitter Crank
no meaning ordained by God. — Bitter Crank
So why, presumably, would "killing people" not be a good meaning to give to life? — Noble Dust
Prove it. — lambda
Since life has inherent meaning, it is unchangeable. — Nerevar
"Helping people" might be a good meaning for life. "I am here to help people." You could do worse. Or, "Finding pleasurable experiences gives the meaning of life." Or "Learning about the natural world makes life meaningful," Or "Becoming an expert in Anthropology makes life meaningful." Or "Fixing up old cars is the meaning of my life." Or "Growing oats for horses and oatmeal is the thing that makes my life meaningful." — Bitter Crank
Apples don't ask themselves why they exist, for what purpose, or in what meaningful sense. The same can be said for bricks. They don't ask. They exist. — Bitter Crank
Yes, one's "meaning of life" could be anything. None of them are more or less "valid." Validity is a category error for this. — Terrapin Station
I don't know much about "transcendent" meaning. Religion is in itself an overlay that is quite rooted in this world and doesn't transcend anything. — Bitter Crank
"The meaning of life is to fuck as much as possible then die" is not a very elevated meaning. Some severe cases sound like that is what they think the meaning of life is. Maybe for sewer rats, it is. I think they could aim higher for people. The Chinese adage that "Getting rich is glorious" as a meaning for life isn't very elevated either. — Bitter Crank
Life is ultimately inexplicable, therefore ultimately meaningless, as long as it is assumed that appearances (rather than life) are real. Appearances are deceiving, life is true.
Since life has inherent meaning, it is unchangeable. Therefore, it is not up to you to give your life meaning, but rather to discover the (unchanging) meaning of life. — Nerevar
It is only a small directional purpose of how that farmer is to conduct his time until he
A) finds some absolute purpose or meaning for that matter
B) Dies — intrapersona
↪Bitter Crank What I was trying to point out is that there seems to be an ethical element to assigning meaning. The meanings we assign to our lives don't exist in a vacuum; they affect other people. This is why there is an ethical constraint in play. And that to me is why ethics and meaning are aspects of the same thing. Which is why I don't think the notion that "there is no inherent meaning and we assign it ourselves" holds up. If meaning is subjective, then ethics are too; yet ethics are what constrain meaning. — Noble Dust
Well if that's true then ANYTHING can be a source of meaning for ones life, which plain ludicrous. — intrapersona
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