Existence Theories

[demonboy]

My theory is simple. The meaning of life is to live it, hopefully the best you can, then die. That's it. Baiscally Lix's answer pretty much sums mine up.

[Adahn]

[size=2]Brasil is content to enjoy the ride of life, traversing the train cars and living happily with what they have to offer, unconcerned with the destination, because the destination isn't worth worrying about.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]We're all on the same train here, and we can't escape it. When the train stops to let someone off, they leave, and the train just keeps going. What happens to the people when they get off? Where do they go? We can't see them anymore, they're already out of sight.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]The train is the only thing we can see. We don't know where it's headed, and we don't know what happens to the people when we get off. We do have a choice, however, in what we believe.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]Brasil believes in the train. Brasil believes in what he can see.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]There are so many possibilities, and the train analogy really is quite perfect, Brasil, so don't take my comments as derogatory.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]I believe the train tracks are circular. What then, is our destination? The answer is easy. Our destination is right where we are.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2][/size]

[Syk3]

It's these sorts of threads that remind me why I haven't been coming by OtakuBoards much recently, heh. There are so many different theories and opinions on philosophies that I would love to debate, but unfortunately I don't have the time to quote and respond to each post, which for me is a shame.

On a side note of my following argument, I came up with a phrase about a year or so ago that attempts to answer "the meaning of life." Basically, I would say that the meaning of life is to give meaning to it, whatever that may be for a particular person, rather than unifying the entire race.

I am currently taking a course called Introduction to Moral Theory, and much of these questions have been raised and to a point.. somewhat answered. I'm reluctant to say that because as the title suggests, all we truly have to go on are theories. With that in consideration, however, great minds such as Aristotle have made significant progress in what goes into a good person, and for that matter, why we care about being good in the overall purpose of life. I could go on for a while on this subject, but I'll provide the basics and ask you to refer to the book [i]Nichomachean Ethics[/i] if you want to continue learning about what I have described. I understand that my post will be a bit of a tangent, but it does cover these questions.

Think of it like this: in order to know whether any object is good, you must first know what it is trying to do. This is not a use, but rather a proper function of this thing. For example, a tire could be used as first base in a pick-up baseball game, but the function of it is to roll, so a function is what is built into something that it is intended to do all along. To be a really good tire, it must do its function really well.

The same ideology can be applied to humans. In the search for a moral doctrine that people can live by, Aristotle seems to have uncovered an end purpose to what we are all attaining. For a second, try to think about what sorts of things you value in life, and think to yourself, would you trade that for anything? If so, what would it be? What is the ultimate end to these goods? Imagine a single end goal that we're trying to reach, which can also be called a purpose to life in an entirely realistic sense, outside of what you may believe in a religion. Would that help to know if you're curious about this thread?

This end goal is Eudaimonea, a Greek word that roughly translates into happiness, but is close to happiness over the course of your lifetime. It's not really about why we're here, but what you have to live for and do with your life rather than just sitting there and rotting.

So how do we know eudaimonea is the function of human beings, and how should you use it to your advantage? Well, there are three points to be made of how it's happiness over you're lifetime. First of all, it's read off our actions; it's clear that every action someone makes is in some way a reflection of how they percieve it will make them happy in some way. Second, it's the state of which we will reach naturally without falling into poverty, or in general if nothing stops us. And third, it's uniquely human because of the inherent rationality (what we have in common with plants is growth, with animals animation, but we can reason which sets our goals apart as well as above any creature on this planet).

Obviously everyone wants to be happy in life, so use that foresight to take advantage of virtues that will help you accomplish this function. We're not guarunteed of anything after this life, so might as well make the best of what you have. I'm also taking an Astronomy course that is teaching about the big bang theory, which would lead to the answer that humans themselves are part of a cosmic coincidence.

So yeah, I felt the need to share and I hope someone is able to take something away from the post.

[Juu]

[size=1]On one hand I believe that humans as individual physical beings aren't nearly as important as we like to think we are. However, on the other hand, the emotional, intellectual capacity of a person is so open-ended and complex that we feel the need to make footholes in a whirlpool of questions that we can't just dip our toes into. Because of this, I don't think there's exactly a 'reason' we were 'put here' but moreso it's a question of 'what we do during our stay here'. Not what we change or create, but what we learn. Earth is still a pretty young planet, but it obviously isn't going to last forever. So my theory is, me not knowing whether I'll get hit by a bus tomorrow morning, just to appreciate the beauty in everything here while I can. Just to learn as much and not have anything to regret. By 'learn' it doesn't mean academically/professionally, but I guess... morally. In a way to discover oneself... I just like to think of the physical body as a shell- like a shuttle-type thing that lets my soul 'visit' this planet in the environment it provides, that can use resources like oxygen and adapt. Then when my time's up and I move on this shell's no longer needed since I'll be off exploring somewhere else.

Something like that. Language itself is a barrier when trying to express issues like this, I guess.[/size]