JiayoJames

What is the meaning of life?

dictionary.reference.com defines life as:

"the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally."

I disagree with this definition because there may have been an entity that once existed, that posessed all of the above mentioned qualities save reproduction. Would that entity not be alive? Are mules not alive?

Of course, the website did contain 35 other definitions of life that I couldn't be bothered to read, so I guess one of them might be more accurate.

What is the purpose of life?

It is my opinion that when people ask what the meaning of life is, they are generally just using the question as a form for the one I just asked a few lines above.

From the perspective of an inanimate lump of rock, life is just another function of the Universe; it has no purpose. But we like to think we do have a purpose, right? We are not inanimate lumps of rock. So what differentiates us from a lump of rock? Life! No, wait... we're not getting anywhere. There is nothing in the step up from rock to amoeba that provides purpose. So, let's modify our question.

What is the purpose of human life?

To answer that, I think it would next be appropriate to ask the question: what differentiates humans from rocks and amoebae?

Have you got it yet?

That's right: sentience. To an even further degree, sapience.

And what does sapience enable us to have?

(Ah, finally, we reach the crux.)

Values.

So I think the real question here, ladies and gentlemen, is not what is the meaning of life?, but rather if I sell you this rock, will it become sapient?

JiayoJames

As an addendum, sapience also enables us to (mis)understand what a discourse is... and, indeed, what philosophy is.

Zensati

Meaning and purpose is probably the same thing. But what is conciousness? Where does it come from? and where does it go after death? What is the nature of this life energy which gives us a feeling of sapience? What is the purpose and meaning of sapience?

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Eman

I think that for most people, God or rather the idea of god, is the meaning of life, literally. The idea of god is the power that determines the meaning and limits of the desirable ( good ), which determines the nature and function of the undesirable ( evil ), which is the foundation and power over which every idea of existence has been constructed. The idea of god is the power that makes the particular idea of what should be consequent, even if the nature of human knowledge ( because nobody knows everything every explanation is condemned to let us down ) makes the explanation a contradiction.
So we say, because God is the explanation that through the power of his name ( been imagined as the absolute truth ) makes every explanation possible, God is the means, the extension, and the limits of human happiness ( we are basically fucked ).

Zensati

There appears to be a basic human need to search for a higher truth or spiritual relationship with a higher power. This need is as nessesry as our needs for sex, Food, defence and sleep. But some people deny this need and try to replace it by pursuing animalistic desires. Why does this need for spiritual satisfaction even exist within us?

You dont see other animals going to church, Or spending time in meditation, These spiritual needs seem to be only felt by humans. Animals dont worry about ideas of rightness and wrongness and yet Humans seem preoccupied with values and taboos.

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Admit it. Zensati is our god. - JHB