The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life.

This is a fun topic; Your answer ultimately defines the way you live your life.

I will tell you my answer, the answer which I believe I can show to be correct.

1. When we refer to 'the meaning' of something (be it an action, a symbol, or a statement) we refer not to its justification, but to its purpose. In other words, to ask "what does it mean" is the same as asking "what is its purpose".
1a. The meaning of a statement is whatever information it was designed to convey to you. Its purpose is to convey to you some specific information.
2. To live is to exist, and to die is to cease to exist. Thus life is necessarily existence, and death nonexistence.
3. So when we ask: "What is the meaning of life?" we are really asking "What is the purpose of existence?".

So...
What is the purpose of existence?

1. Existence exists. Existence needs no justification, it is an absolute.
2. Existence is the cause to which everything else is an effect.
3. If existence is the root cause there can be no higher cause.
4. If there can be no higher cause, then existence cannot be an effect of something else, unless that something is existence itself (in another form).
5. Existence cannot have a purpose as existence is the fundamental purpose of all things.


The meaning of life is:
There necessarily cannot be a meaning, because life is what creates meaning to begin with. Life creates life. Life creates meaning. Meaning does not create life. Life is the cause to which meaning is the effect. Causality cannot be reversed; Life is the root of all meaning and meaning cannot exist without life. Life came before meaning existed, and created meaning. Meaning is dependent on life; It cannot exist without a living mind. Life therefore cannot have meaning, because meaning requires life to exist -- life therefore had to come before meaning.

The above is true for the first life that ever existed. For us, however, it is different.


It depends on how you examine the question.

1. "What is the meaning of (all) life?"
2. "What is the meaning of (my) life?"

The first question was answered above: there necessarily can be no meaning as meaning requires life in the first place.
The second question is answered below:

Consider the following:

1. Reproduction is an element of human survival which is both important and universally preferred.
2. If reproduction is the cause, to which your existence is the effect, then your existence has meaning.
3. The meaning of your life is to live. The purpose of your existence is to exist.


Q: What is the meaning of (my) life?
A: to live.

Q: What is the purpose of (my) existence?
A: to exist.

 

[The_Flames]

Existence exists. Existence needs no justification, it is an absolute.

lol

 

Existence exists. Existence needs no justification, it is an absolute.

lol

'Existence exists' is an axiomatic premise. It is self evident truth. It cannot be refuted without first being accepted as an implicit premise into the argument of the refuter.

 

[excell]

life creates it self which creates meaning and life creates meaning

im seriously confused lolz

 

[Jopeto]

Life exists yet it is a form of our imagination.
Your born, you live, you die and over the years slowly become forgotten
and the cycle continues.

 

life creates it self which creates meaning and life creates meaning

im seriously confused lolz

No. Paradoxes cannot exist in reality.
Life creates meaning.
Meaning cannot exist without life.
Life must have come first; there can be no meaning to the first of all life.

 

[Macroman]

I live for god, God put me on this planet to take care of it, to enjoy it and to bring glory to him.

 

[Eric]

You left religion out of this completely which I think is good, but someone with religious views may think differently.
Ultimately, "meaning" of life really depends on if you're religious or whatnot. For example, Jews life to serve god, while Hindus life their life with the hope of being reincarnated as something of more importance; And these are just two theistic views.

The meaning of my life, simplified slightly, is to obtain self-value, happiness, and the freeing of influence from non-natural values, like wealth and fame.

And you can't tell me you only live to live

 

I live for god, God put me on this planet to take care of it, to enjoy it and to bring glory to him.

Is this the same god that is all knowing and all powerful?
Observe:

1. God is all knowing.
2. God is all powerful.
3. God knows the future.
4. God has the ability to change the future.
5. God does not have the ability to change the future without first knowing what he will change.
6. God is not all powerful because he cannot change the future without first knowing what he will change. He does not have this power. He is not all powerful.
7. God is a contradiction.

 

[RaVnoS]

Well here is my point of view:
Everything in this world has a purpose. If you were born, it's for a purpose.
Everything that happens in this world is happening because it NEEDS to happen, which means that if something wouldn't happen the way it's happening now, our universe wouldn't exist.
the fact that we are talking about this now has the same purpose.
At the end, everything gathers to this same purpose that is unkown to us. (I got some ideas but I won't talk about them right now)

That's all,

Thanks =)

 

[The_Flames]

'Existence exists' is an axiomatic premise. It is self evident truth. It cannot be refuted without first being accepted as an implicit premise into the argument of the refuter.

What if there is no argument?

 

What if there is no argument?

Then you must accept it as true, if you can make no rational counterargument. To not accept it as true, at this point, is to hold an irrational position and therefore bar yourself from rational debates.

 

[Cruel__Machine]

God is not all powerful because he cannot change the future without first knowing what he will change. He does not have this power. He is not all powerful.

I don't understand. His inability to change the future is conditional. Why do you assume the condition that He doesn't know what He will change?

 

I don't understand. His inability to change the future is conditional. Why do you assume the condition that He doesn't know what He will change?

Its a contradiction.

If god is all powerful then there is nothing he cannot do.
But I have given an example of something he cannot do. Therefore he is not all powerful.

Premises: (All powerful + All knowing) -> logic -> Conclusion: (God is either not all powerful or not all knowing) = contradiction.

 

[Cruel__Machine]

He's all knowing. So how can you assume the condition?

Might as well say He cannot have the power to do something without having the power to do it. :/

 

He's all knowing. So how can you assume the condition?

Because the position, or the action, of 'making a change without knowing the result' is an absolute statement you cannot reject. If he is all powerful then he has the power to do anything. This statement rests within the scope of anything, yet it is in contradiction with one of the premises.

Are you that thick you can't even understand a simple contradiction. What is the purpose of this forum if everyone is too stupid to see reason?

 

-Meanings of Life-

1. Take Care oF your Family
2. Be what you want to be.
3. Having a goal in life
4. Religion - It's going to guide you to a good future.
5. Believe in God.

That's my meanings of life.

Have you got a head full of mud? When you enter a thread you are supposed to read the first post, even if you read no others.

To make your statement is simple ignorance and indifference to the truth value of your philosophy. Metaphysical justice will have its way with you, also.

 

[Cruel__Machine]

Because the position, or the action, of 'making a change without knowing the result' is an absolute statement you cannot reject. If he is all powerful then he has the power to do anything. This statement rests within the scope of anything, yet it is in contradiction with one of the premises.

So it's essentially like saying God cannot create a ball of mass so big that He cannot carry it. Because to do the action, he'd have to limit his power and/or knowledge.
If you're including self-limiting actions in the realm of 'anything', then I guess you're right. He cannot forget, He cannot create an entity more powerful than himself, etc... you're including these? They're obviously not meant to be inclusive, I think.

 

So it's essentially like saying God cannot create a ball of mass so big that He cannot carry it. Because to do the action, he'd have to limit his power and/or knowledge.
If you're including self-limiting actions in the realm of 'anything', then I guess you're right. He cannot forget, He cannot create an entity more powerful than himself, etc... you're including these? They're obviously not meant to be inclusive, I think.

Of course they are included in the scope of anything. It doesn't matter what is 'meant' to be included, the statement "god is all knowing and all powerful" remains a contradiction. Complete knowledge and complete power are mutually exclusive.

 

[PerfectPc]

The meaning of life is to die. We were born to live for a long period of time and eventually achieve the goal of death.

Death is the end chapter our lives wait for. So the meaning of life is death.


Edit: added more


All we think about is how to protect ourselves from death. We all wonder about death. Life is death. I rest my point