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THE MEANING OF LIFE

Life Stories

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THE MEANING OF LIFE

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  1. The Meaning of Life

  2. The Meaning of Life L1: Why Dying is Bad

  3. Perspective • If we can understand why death is bad, it may help us to realise what is good about life, which might help us work out the meaning of life • NOTE: Most of the arguments from this class are from the first Mark Rowlands reading in the course book

  4. Aside – Why Study Philosophy? • You might get to become a philosophy lecturer • Which means that your university will pay you lots of money to fly to exotic locations around the world so you can get drunk and discuss the meaning of life with other philosophers

  5. Death is (Sometimes) Good • Death in general can be good • It prevents overcrowding • It ensures genetic variation (imagine if I were king of the universe) • Death of specific people or creatures can be good for others • The death of Hitler probably prevented some future massacres • The death (by heart attack?) of a grizzly bear that is charging at your family is probably good for you

  6. But is Death Good for the One that Dies? • Some people think so (in some cases) • Some religions think the right kind of death will give you a better ‘life’ • Some people in ancient times thought that an honourable death made your life better • Someone who is terminally ill and in terrible pain may be very happy to die • But usually, death is seen as bad for the person who dies • If I were to die right now, most of you would think it was bad for me

  7. Most of Us are Afraid of Dying • Would it help if you knew exactly when you’d be kicking the bucket? • http://www.deathclock.com/ • http://www.canadianbusiness.com/my_money/planning/retirement_rrsp/life_expectancy/tool.jsp • Would it help if you knew exactly how you’d be kicking the bucket? • http://www.gotoquiz.com/how_will_i_die

  8. Why is Death Bad?

  9. What Happens when we Die? • Random perspective • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE9vgIuOgoI • Your view?

  10. Assume there is no Afterlife • If you think there is an afterlife, then imagine a universe in which there isn’t • I’m not trying to be depressing… just philosophical • And, it should help us work out what’s good about life! • What does death rob us of that is so valuable?

  11. What is Death?

  12. What is Death? • It doesn’t happen in a life… • It is the limit of a life • A limit of some thing (e.g. a visual field or a life) is not a part of that thing • Now we have agreed on this, a 2000+ year old problem arises…

  13. The Epicurean Argument • Death can’t harm us, so it can’t be bad for us • P1) We can only be harmed when we are alive • P2) Death is the limit of life (it’s not a part of life) • C) Therefore, death cannot harm us

  14. Reply to The Epicurean Argument • Denying P2 seems impossible • Deny P1: We can also be harmed when we’re not alive • But how?

  15. Harms of Depravation • Some harms are only harms because of their relation to your previous states • If I broke your leg right off last year and you now have a prosthetic replacement, then the harm I have caused you is affecting you now because I have deprived you of something you would otherwise have had • (Maybe awesome dancing skills?) • But, how can being deprived of life hurt us when we are dead?

  16. Death and Possibility • Can something that doesn’t happen in our life harm us? • Death harms us because it prevents us from realising our possibilities • I could have been a star…

  17. Death and Possibility • Can something that doesn’t happen in our life harm us? • Death harms us because it prevents us from realising our possibilities • I could have been a star… • Possibilities are not going to work • There are a lot of possibilities for my future… • dying now wouldn’t rob me of those possibilities because nearly all of them would never have happened anyway!

  18. Losing a Future • Can something that doesn’t happen in our life harm us? • Death harms us because it deprives us of a future • Future = experiences, beliefs, desires, projects etc. • But how can you lose something that doesn’t exist yet? • And if it doesn’t exist yet… isn’t it just a possibility?

  19. Some Concepts of ‘Future’ • 1) Minimal future: • Everything that exists has at least a minimal future unless it is instantaneously destroyed • 2) Being-towards-a-future: • Has future-oriented mental states: desires, goals and projects that can be satisfied or thwarted • So we all have a future in this sense (while still being alive) • Two versions of this type of ‘future’

  20. Three Concepts of ‘Future’ (Cont.) • 2A) Being-towards-a-weak-future: means having non-conceptual future-directed states • Or goals about the future that you can hold without needing a concept of the future • E.g. I want an ice cream • 2B) Being-towards-a-strong-future: means having conceptual future-directed states • Or goals you hold about the future that you need a concept of ‘the future’ to make sense of • E.g. I want to pass the PHIL105 exam so I can become a philosophy lecturer in a few years and go to those meaning of life drinking conferences

  21. We are All Being-Towards-a-Strong-Future • So many of the things that we do are based on the fact that we have future goals (that we know cannot be realised right now) • Just about every time you pick up your coursebook or come to a lecture or refrain from drinking at lunch time is because of your future goals (e.g. getting a job after uni)

  22. Death is Bad • Can something that doesn’t happen in our life harm us? • Death harms us because it deprives us of a future • Future = experiences, beliefs, desires, projects etc. • Death harms us because it takes away the future that we would have otherwise had (which thwarts our weak and strong future-directed mental states)

  23. Death is Bad (Cont.) • Death harms us because it takes away the future that we would have otherwise had (which thwarts our weak and strong future-directed mental states) • The strong future-directed mental states such as life plans are more important… they are a bigger loss if they are thwarted • So, is Epicurus’ argument resolved?

  24. Is Epicurus’ argument resolved? • P1) We can only be harmed when we are alive • P2) Death is the limit of life (it’s not a part of life) • C) Therefore, death cannot harm us • Deny P1: Death harms us because it takes away our future (which thwarts our weak and strong future-directed mental states)

  25. Death and the Meaning of Life 1 • Death harms us because it takes away the future that we would have otherwise had (which thwarts our weak and strong future-directed mental states) • Since death harms us, being a being-towards-a-future must have value • So, perhaps what is valuable about life is bound up with being a being-towards-a-future – especially in a strong way

  26. Death and the Meaning of Life 2 • The value of our life seems connected to our being a being-towards-a-strong-future… • We think its sad when people die young/before completing their goals • But what does this mean for themeaningof life? • Is life meaningless without future plans? • What about living in the moment?

  27. Death and the Meaning of Life 3 • Maybe if we thought we were about to die, we would better understand what is valuable in life…

  28. Take-Home Lessons • Death takes away something important, something valuable… maybe even something meaningful • Death is bad because it deprives you of future philosophizing • Don’t make future plans when you know you are about to die • Buy more crappy stuff while you still can!

  29. Next Time • Read • The Mark Rowlands chapter excerpts • p218-234 of the coursebook • Get ready to discuss • The absurdity of life

  30. The Meaning of Life L2: The Absurd and the Meaning of Life

  31. Last Time • Perhaps what is valuable about life is bound up with being a being-towards-a-future • especially in a ‘strong’ way • We think its sad when people die young/before completing their goals • So, maybe our desires, plans and projects are important… even meaningful

  32. Last Time 2 • But what does this mean for themeaningof life? • Is life meaningless without future plans? • What about living in the moment? • Is pursuing our goals what makes our life meaningful or are our goals absurdly insignificant?

  33. So, Our Plans are Meaningful? • Maybe not… maybe the best way to understand the relationship between our plans and even our very existence is to see it as absurd! • NOTE: Most of the arguments from this class are from the second Mark ‘the rock star’ Rowlands reading in the course book

  34. ‘Absurd’ in the Ordinary Sense • A noticeable difference between what someone intends or claims and reality

  35. ‘Absurd’ in the Ordinary Sense • A noticeable difference between what someone intends or claims and reality • A clash between the internal and external perspectives • George Bush doesn’t think he’s a kitten-eater, but… • Everyone else knows that he is

  36. Absurd to Philosophers • The dramatic difference between: • Our (internal) perception of the significance of our lives • The objective (external) perception of the significance of our lives • It’s absurd because, from the external view, our lives have only a tiny fraction of the significance that we feel and act as though it has

  37. Our Significance from the Inside • Every event in the universe is viewed by its actual and likely impacts on us • Events are only significant if they are likely to or actually do significantly affect us • The universe revolves around us • We are all like this to some extent, but some people don’t realise that this is the same for other people! • You may know people like this

  38. Our Significance from the Outside 1 • Each and every one of us are completely insignificant to 99.9999999999999999999% of what exists • When heat death kills the universe, our plans would seem beyond insignificant to anything left to observe • How big are we? (Not very big) • How long do we live compared to the universe? (Not very long)

  39. Our Significance from the Outside 2 • Even if we do have free will, so many of our ‘choices’ are still the result of our prior causes • Why will most of you vote for the same political party that your parents do? • Why are you (and not all the other try-hards) so individual?

  40. The Human Condition • Also known as the Human Situation • From the inside, our significance is paramount • From the outside, our significance is basically none-existent • The Human Condition is being aware of the contradiction between these two points, the absurdity of our situation • Humans are thought to be unique in their ability to be aware of this situation

  41. Which Story is True? • From the inside, our significance is paramount • From the outside, our significance is basically none-existent • According to logic, our lives either are or are not significant • It’s a logical contradiction to say that our life is both significant and insignificant at the same time • So, which one of these ‘stories’ is true?

  42. The Myth of Sisyphus • Sisyphus made a deal with the Gods and then went back on it • They punished him by giving him a meaningless chore to do for eternity • Sisyphus is much like us in this way • But Sisyphus defiantly curses the Gods • An act that only makes sense if his existence has internal significance

  43. The Absurd and The Meaning of Life • Sisyphus’ labour and the way he approaches it might help solve the problem of absurdity • Does it matter if our life is objectively meaningless? • Perhaps all that matters is that we think our lives are meaningful… • But, being happy with the illusion of meaningfulness is not necessarily a very appealing solution!

  44. The Human Condition Revisited • From the inside, our significance is paramount • From the outside, our significance is basically none-existent • The Human Condition is being aware of the contradiction between these two points, the absurdity of our situation • So, are our plans significant or not? • And can our lives be meaningful?

  45. Take-Home Lessons • Don’t drop out of uni or you might end up with a job like Sisyphus • Don’t ever let George Bush cuddle your kitten • No one likes it when you act like you are the centre of the universe • The Human Condition is absurd because we can understand that our lives are insignificant… but we cannot get rid of our self-importance

  46. Next Time • Read • The Meaning of Life by Richard Taylor • p235-239 of the coursebook • Get ready to discuss • The real meaning of life!

  47. The Meaning of Life L3: What Makes Life Meaningful?

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