The purpose of life

DodgeFB · Aug 12, 2011

I decided to just let her work it out. She knows her mom and dad will support her either way. I am not the most progressive thinking ol guy anyway. And if it was left up to me I would probably say or do something wrong and make it worse. A few years ago I would have wanted to beat him/her up and bring my kid home. Some who know me have said I am learning. Others ask when I became a pushover. Is that just a nice way of calling me weak?

george · Aug 13, 2011

the purpose of life in my opinion is to be righteous. and to be a sage. and motivation is one of the basic feature.

moggo · Aug 21, 2011

the purpose of life is to live for others, be righteous not only yourself but ppl's from u

kowalskil · Aug 22, 2011

moggo said:
the purpose of life is to live for others, be righteous not only yourself but ppl's from u

The "purpose of life" is not one thing for each of us. In some cases it is "live for others," in others is to get rich, to enjoy as much a possible, to kill as many as possible, etc., etc..
.

David · Aug 22, 2011

kowalskil said:
The "purpose of life" is not one thing for each of us. In some cases it is "live for others," in others is to get rich, to enjoy as much a possible, to kill as many as possible, etc., etc..
.

Yes it is. The purpose of life is universal for all life, make more life.

myp · Aug 22, 2011

David said:
Yes it is. The purpose of life is universal for all life, make more life.

From an evolutionary standpoint, perhaps. But that is not the only perspective that one can look at it from. For example, if we are looking at it through thermodynamics, then just like everything else in the universe we are just random chemical reactions that only have one thing in common- they lead to a net increase in the entropy of the universe. In that perspective, one might suggest the purpose of life is the same as that of everything else- to increase entropy (not that we do so consciously, but that is how it plays out).

In the same sense, what kowalskil may well be true in the correct contexts (perhaps a social context?)

DodgeFB · Aug 22, 2011

Or maybe we are just someone's version of an ant-farm.

Hair · Aug 22, 2011

I think we need to start focusing onto the question of just:

What should we do with our life?

myp · Aug 22, 2011

Hair said:
I think we need to start focusing onto the question of just:

What should we do with our life?

It is up to each of us to decide for ourselves?

David · Aug 22, 2011

myp said:
From an evolutionary standpoint, perhaps. But that is not the only perspective that one can look at it from. For example, if we are looking at it through thermodynamics, then just like everything else in the universe we are just random chemical reactions that only have one thing in common- they lead to a net increase in the entropy of the universe. In that perspective, one might suggest the purpose of life is the same as that of everything else- to increase entropy (not that we do so consciously, but that is how it plays out).

In the same sense, what kowalskil may well be true in the correct contexts (perhaps a social context?)

The question isn't if life has meaning, it's if it has purpose. The answer is yes and that it's to make more life. Don't confuse the 2 questions, they're radically different topics.

myp · Aug 23, 2011

David said:
The question isn't if life has meaning, it's if it has purpose. The answer is yes and that it's to make more life. Don't confuse the 2 questions, they're radically different topics.

My response was for purpose. It depends on context.

Reproduction is only one of several qualifications for a scientific definition of life.

kowalskil · Aug 29, 2011

myp said:
My response was for purpose. It depends on context.

Reproduction is only one of several qualifications for a scientific definition of life.

I agree. In fact, not everything has a purpose, except from the point of view of a designer. What is the purpose of an earthquake? What is the purpose snow? What is the purpose of a lion? What is the purpose of sickness. We know what the consequences are, in such cases, not purposes. I am talking about things in our material world, not in out spiritual world.
.
Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

David · Aug 29, 2011

kowalskil said:
I agree. In fact, not everything has a purpose, except from the point of view of a designer. What is the purpose of an earthquake? What is the purpose snow? What is the purpose of a lion? What is the purpose of sickness. We know what the consequences are, in such cases, not purposes. I am talking about things in our material world, not in out spiritual world.
.
Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

Earthquakes relieve pressure, snow (like rain) maintains the atmosphere and provides moister for life, lions make more of themselves (as with all life), and sickness is the act of micro-organisms making more of themselves inside another organism (sometimes also a micro-organism). See, everything has a purpose. It may be utterly meaningless but it's there. As I said, the purpose of life and the meaning of life are radically different questions people would do well to treat as such.

myp · Aug 29, 2011

David said:
Earthquakes relieve pressure, snow (like rain) maintains the atmosphere and provides moister for life, lions make more of themselves (as with all life), and sickness is the act of micro-organisms making more of themselves inside another organism (sometimes also a micro-organism). See, everything has a purpose. It may be utterly meaningless but it's there. As I said, the purpose of life and the meaning of life are radically different questions people would do well to treat as such.

We are using the definition of purpose. But to clarify, would you agree with this from Merriam-Webster: "purpose : something set up as an object or end to be attained"?

David · Aug 29, 2011

myp said:
We are using the definition of purpose. But to clarify, would you agree with this from Merriam-Webster: "purpose : something set up as an object or end to be attained"?

That's just it, life is the object, more life is the end. The meaning of life is an arbitrary, metaphysical idea that varies from person to person.

myp · Aug 29, 2011

David said:
That's just it, life is the object, more life is the end. The meaning of life is an arbitrary, metaphysical idea that varies from person to person.

In this context object or end is a goal, which can be seen as the purpose. Definition is different. Definition is just what life is.

By definition, life is something that has homeostasis, growth, metabolism, AND reproduces (there might be one or two more or one or two less requirements depending on what biologist you talk to, but this is the general definition and it is never limited to just reproduction).

The purpose, or goal, of life is arguable. From a biological standpoint the purpose of life might be to reproduce (arguably). But from a thermodynamic standpoint, it might be to increase entropy. From a religious standpoint, perhaps to do good for other humans.

The purpose is clearly arguable. The definition, is arguably arguable (in the case of life I would say it is arguable

)

kowalskil · Sep 4, 2011

David said:
As I said, the purpose of life and the meaning of life are radically different questions people would do well to treat as such.

I agree with this. And each of these two phrases is different from the phrase "reality of life" = (digestion, reproduction, sickness, etc.)

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)
.

johnyj112 · Sep 4, 2011

The purpose of life is to live and do your goals in life specially, good values in life..

CatholicCrusader · Sep 9, 2011

Bishadi said:
The purpose of life

I. The life of man - to know and love God

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

2 So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Strengthened by this mission, the apostles "went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it."

Catechism of the Catholic Church

clarkfford · Nov 27, 2011

Iolo said:
I can't see that 'life' could possibly have a purpose - it just happens, and what we feel about it depends on our mental training and luck. Helping others makes it more tolerable, relationships with others makes it more worthwhile, but for myself, the real purpose of MY existence is to get free of illusion: we mostly seem to be just puppets with others pulling our strings, which is why I find Marxism and Buddhism attractive and meaningful, the capitalist 'personality' nuttiness a pain in the whatsit. The 'purpose' of intelligence is to wake up from both dreams and nightmares.

I am wondering if getting free from illusion is an illusion in itself. Illusions within illusions. That said, I am not sure we ever wake up from our dreams/nightmares... or even that it is desirable. What you are talking about is consciousness which despite our best efforts remains a mystery shrouded within a mystery...

The purpose of life

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