Apologies if this question has already been discussed, but I have only been a member for a couple of days.
Putting aside any specific religious belief, what is your argument that the human species should continue to live? If life is arbitrary, what is the value in continuing our existence?
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Saying that the human species has an inherent purpose is a teleological claim that cannot be falsified.
For an individual, in my view, ideally, life has the meaning you give it, and this meaning is of absolute importance to you. That is far from arbitrary.
None. If our demise is set, then what can we do about it? If there is a NEO we know nothing about that is 20km in size coming at us from near perpendicular to the ecliptic, what could we do to stop it? I live each day as if it could be the last. I do not worry about tomorrow until it gets here. In my truest philosophy, time, day, date, are completely and totally irrelevant. There is only NOW.
rmfr
EDIT: inserted omitted word
Well, speaking for myself, my reason to continue living right now is that I really quite like it. It’s fairly simple. No need for fancy-schmancy philosophical rhetoric...liking being alive seems quite sufficient.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Interesting comments so far. Obviously, we all have our personal reasons to live. I don’t suggest anyone kill themselves. But my OP is asking more of the philosophical for the entire of humanity. If, as many claim, we are only harming the earth, or promoting human suffering through slavery and/religion, what is a reason that suggests the value of human life?
You're telling us it is arbitrary, and personal; then wanting to know what it is in general (to the entirety of humanity)?!? I'm guessing you won't be receiving a satisfactory answer to a question of that form.
-----------/e-----------------------------------------
You might as well ask what is atheism's favorite color. While some of us might have a favorite color, I'm not even sure what an appropriate answer to that question could be when applied to the whole.
You’re a fucking nuisance. Comments coming in and out, detracting from the point. WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE FOR LIFE. I only said it was arbitrary because I know half of you would say this
v.s.
What makes you think there is an "entirety of humanity." Value of human life??? We are ONLY harming the earth? What the fk planet are you living on?
We respect human life because we want to live in a world where human beings respect one another. I want respect and you want respect. It's simple, I agree to respect you and you agree to respect me. There is no big secret here. We are social animals. When those among us do not respect human life we eliminate them. They are killed, banished from the clan, ostracized from the tribe, shunned from the pulpit, or imprisoned by the system. Those possessing the genes to cooperate and get along with others are free to continue breeding. The respect for human life is as much an evolutionary trait as hair color.
If I was an atheist I would say there is no purpose to life, but I can make up any purpose I choose(idol) in order to feel as if my life has meaning, and to be happy. This underlying idea is the basis for other decisions I will make, and will shape how I view the world. I can now only view evidence for or against the existence of God through this lens. So I will never be able to see truth that conflicts with my ability to maintain this meaning and my happiness.
If you were an atheist we would start a new club and you would still be a lonely pompous prick who avoids questions and argues dishonestly.
I would argue that we 'choose' to live or survive because it is engrained within the very fabric of our genetic makeup.
This is simple evolution.
Obviously I cannot correctly determine the first life on earth but if we follow the natural causality and go with the best hypothesis, that being a first self replicating cell...
It adapted and evolved to survive, this follows for millions of years of similar processes of our ancestors right to how we are now.
It is entrenched within us to survive and to survive one must live.
You are obviously confused. Biologically all species want to live. You are assigning purpose to where there is none. The meaning of life is to perpetuate itself. Life feeds on life. Life needs life to exist in any form. We are lucky to be living beings at this point and time. Purpose is what you bring to your life. Only you can decide the purpose of your life. If you have not figured that out yet, you have been living it wrong.
I honestly feel like we are collectively a waste of conciousness. The responses here affirm a superiority over fucking Socrates himself. Of course I know what fucking evolution is bro. Are we able to ponder beyond that at all? Now I know why you have an atheist exclusive forum. So you can circle jerk weak ideas based on Star Trek from your sisters basement while wondering what it would be like to be a fucking human being.
Edit: Cognistic. Idk if you are serious. But you are worthless in this forum. Nothin you have said is valid, and nothing you have said offers anything substantial. I am taking a page out of your atheist playbook and cussing at all of you.
@ DOE
All you have proved is that bourbon does not agree with you. It has revealed the falseness of all your posts to date with your fake humility ( which most of saw through in a second).
Don't worry, if you keep cussing out the mods you will be gone...not forgotten as another wilfully ignorant theist will pop up with the same tired old cliches and arrogant attitude.
At least your religion is declining at a very rapid rate and soon, (within my great grandchild's lifetime at current rates) be extinct in civilised society.
And in answer to your OP; nope I do not know of any purpose beyond living today. I can plan for the future I can speculate but in the end, purpose is moot as it is for any living thing.
Sad. Go ahead and ban me. It will be To my benefit, and at the expense of yourself. Do you not see the hypocrisy in almost everything you are saying??? Sure, I might swear here and there, but at least my beliefs have some grounding.
[reminder from a moderator: "curse words" do NOT violate the forum rules of AR.]@ DOE
Nope again, your beliefs have only a dodgy tradition as grounding. I give you a phrase below as you are constantly harping on about reasonable debate:
"There is no contemporary evidence for a Jesus figure as described in the gospels. None."
Your beliefs are based on personal revelation (unarguable) which is just personal assertion and inadmissible as evidence, or they are based on traditions warped and altered to suit a prevailing political and social environment, maybe you believe as you do because others do (fallacy of ad populum) whichever way you want to cut it, your beliefs have no grounding.
You have a right to believe as you wish, as I have a right to call you out on them when you wave them like shamefully dirty underwear in my face.
(Edit punctuation)
@ DOE
I am not a mod.
I don't give a fuck about your language, nobody does here. We don't have to get drunk to use the richness of the English language in all its forms.
Did you miss the bit where I pointed out that banning you is no loss? That you have brought nothing original or even heartfelt to the debate?
You will be quickly replaced by another desperate theist covering their fear of finding out their beliefs are baseless by hurling insults and foolish arguments?
I recommend you take more water with it...
*Clutching heart...... staggering to the chair ,,,,,,, transferring weight to the chair...........* "Oh the pain! The pain! I can't breath!" *Knees weakening, surrendering to the dizziness... going down, down down.....*
"Bleary, teary eyes looking up and the white textured ceiling tiles. They seem to be clouds wafting over head. The pain does not subside. Like angels the faces of my co-workers come floating into view. Their faces waving as if mirages and their voices come to me like phantoms from a long dark cave. "Whaaaaaat'sss soooooo funnnnnnnyyyyyyy?" All I can do is hold my side with one hand, point to my computer with the other, and keep laughing.
Re: OP question, "If life is arbitrary, what is the value in continuing our existence?"
Well, I cannot speak for anybody else, but here is my reason to continue living in this horrid world...
https://youtu.be/CMNry4PE93Y
@ TM
Nailed it again "I like turtles" just about sums it all up....*falls off Battlechair laughing*
That's one of my all time favorite videos,
What does the future hold..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncfeq4W7dbo
Okay, now that we got the insults out of the way (from both sides) can we address the OP?
It has been said I haven’t made any original posts, and I’m sorry for that. I was hoping to come from a unique perspective. But honestly, this question is one of the oldest amongst philosophers. That is why I’m suprised you all shrug it off as valueless.
What is the meaning of life? I gave you that you don’t have to see this from a religious perspective. That’s fine. But your answers show the hypocosy and irony of your previous comments. If life doesn’t have value, and we just are, how can you assert that the great flood, or the plagues, or sodom and gommarah were tragedies? How can you say life doesn’t matter outside ourselves, or time and space don’t exist, and then make claims like this honestly? My drunken frustration (sober now) is due to the fact that I am dealing with obvious contradictions within your own statements, yet I am on the chopping block for using the F word. I honestly feel like none of you are being honest. Are you?
DAE, you wrote, “ If life doesn’t have value, and we just are, how can you assert that the great flood, or the plagues, or sodom and gommarah were tragedies? How can you say life doesn’t matter outside ourselves, or time and space don’t exist, and then make claims like this honestly?”
Are you asserting that I, for one, think my life has no value? Are you asserting that wholesale death is only a tragedy if a god exists? Are you asserting that anyone here thinks space/time don’t exist?
@ DAE
I shall ignore all the sugar coating of complete bullshit and the 'poor me ' whining in the rest of your post.
The meaning of life? There isn't one. Life does not require a "meaning" life only requires existence, survival. Humans ascribe 'meaning' individually and collectively to their lives and their deaths, their existence. No god required. It is, it is sufficient to the day.
And you are not on the fucking chopping block for using the fucking word 'fuck" for fucks sake get over yourself.
(Edit false capitalisation and spelling)
@DAEMS Re: "Okay, now that we got the insults out of the way (from both sides) can we address the OP?"
Ummmm..... In case you have been too drunk to pay attention, it seems to me pretty much everybody has already answered your question in his/her own particular manner. Basically, everybody on here is an individual with his/her own beliefs and his/her own personal reason(s) and/or "meaning" for life. Just because you do not like those answers is YOUR problem, NOT ours.
Oh, and as far as insults go, I find it rather amusing that you seem to take honest and candid answers from people as being insulting to you... *chuckle*... As I and others have told you many times already, on here you will be treated in the manner in which you behave. Nothing very complicated about it. But, please, do carry on as you wish in your inebriated condition. I have to admit the laughter you have provided thus far has been much welcomed... *chuckle*...
DoesAtheismEven...,
"If life doesn’t have value, and we just are, how can you assert that the great flood, or the plagues, or sodom and gommarah were tragedies?"
It can be a depressing thing to think about but everything that will happen to you has already happened to countless people through time. One day you will wake up only to die. That has happened to billions of people and it will happen to all of us. So if you want your life to have value try to make a contribution to humanity that will last through the ages, like the guy who created the wheel did or the guy who created the first alphabet. Design and build an interstellar spaceship that can do 20 times the speed of light. Or you can develop a better cure for leprosy than the one in Leviticus chapters 13 & 14.
What is the meaning of life? (ITS A STUPID QUESTION. LIFE'S MEANING IS TO PERPETUATE LIFE. LIFE FEEDS ON LIFE TO MAKE MORE LIFE.)
What makes you think there is a meaning for life. Anthropomorphism has been out of vogue for decades. You do not get to attribute meaning to anything without supporting your delusion with bible quotes, prophecies, three more ignorant assertions that are related to the topic, and a personal experience story.
We still won't take you seriously but we will definitely laugh our asses off.
There is no inherent meaning of life. If we all ceased to exist tomorrow, none of us would mind (or be aware). But while we are here and conscious, we get to have opinions. Throughout history, we have worked together as communities to figure out what does and does not work for us. Our view of morality has continued to change and mature. I don't believe that there is objective morality, but that doesn't mean I don't get to take a personal stance on things. I'll fight like hell to protect the well-being of others because I say that a world with peace, health and equality is a world I want to live in.
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