2007-11-10 12:10:20 · 18 answers · asked by -ZAF- 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
To answer a similar question: What is the meaning of life?
The answer to this question is a big no because it too presupposes something, but more implicitly than our previous question. Before I reveal what it falsely assumes, we need to exam what ‘meaning’ means.
Humans have evolved categorical memory, i.e. they have the ability to categorize objects in their memory in a hierarchal manner. Your memory of things looks something like this:
Stuff I do when Hungry --> Eat Food --> Cheeseburger --> No Onions
This is obviously a very rough outline of how we think, but it illustrates how we perceive objects meaningfully. A Cheeseburger is meaningless without a human to assert meaning onto it. In my example, the meaning of the cheeseburger is a food I want to eat because I am hungry. There is no one meaning for an objects and varies between person to person. For example, some people might categorize a cheeseburger as something they like to draw instead.
The key insight from this example is that meaning is a human perception of objects. The meaning of an object doesn’t exist without a human to impose that meaning onto the object. Going back to our question, we ask if there is a meaning to life. The question asks if there is something beyond humans that imposes meaning for our lives. Meaning is a human perception of objects. Assuming there is a meaning to our lives is also assuming there is an omniscient being that asserted a meaning for the lives of humans. Unless you believe in God, you will agree that there is nothing out there in the universe that can impose meaning on our lives.
Yup, life is meaningless.
2007-11-10 12:15:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, humanity does have a purpose.
According to Judaism, G-d created an imperfect world and gave human beings free will.
Our purpose is to be a partner with G-d in perfecting or fixing the world. In other words, we are here to make the world a better place. So, every single person has this job and we all should get busy doing it.
2007-11-11 09:17:26 · answer #2 · answered by happy inside 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In order to know a purpose of humanity one should be entirely non human.
2007-11-10 20:43:48 · answer #3 · answered by Oleg B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you look at a fish in the sea, what do they do? It swims around looking for food that will give it energy to swim around more. And when the oppurtunity arises, it mates and reproduces. Us humans are not very different from that fish. Our needs and activities may be more complex than those of the fish, but the same basic principle applies.
2007-11-10 20:56:31 · answer #4 · answered by Subconsciousless 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have four purposes.
1. Work
2. Pay bills.
3. Protect others.
4. Have fun.
2007-11-10 20:44:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our purpose is to have a purpose. That would be the worship of God. To love Him with all we have first and foremost and then love our neighbour as we ourselves would want to be loved.
That's a good purpose.
2007-11-10 20:17:05 · answer #6 · answered by the old dog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our sole purpose, just as for every other living thing on the planet, is to propagate our species. Simple as that. It's just biology. Sounds harsh, but that's the reality.
2007-11-10 23:41:11 · answer #7 · answered by Bach 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we don't have a purpose, if you listen to science our existence is unintentional. your purpose is what you make it to be. we are infinitesimally insignificant in the universe our purpose is to have an affect on one and other. And because we are unintentional our purpose is unintentional.
2007-11-10 20:47:02 · answer #8 · answered by Ossren 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why should we have a purpose?
2007-11-10 20:17:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, to live through all this crap until we get the great reward of dieing (and probably painfully as well).
Oh wow, do I have a bad attitude today or what?
2007-11-10 20:21:59 · answer #10 · answered by mosaic 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋