Meaning of life = ?

[JoshB]

We live for a purpose. Whether the universe is created by God or scientific phenomenon, whether Jesus is real or not, whether evolution is fact or not, we live for a purpose.

Think about this idea. There is nothing that we do by our own conscious that has no purpose. There is nothing that happens to us that has no purpose. No intent. No meaning.

The only way to stop purpose is to quit, and to cease all participation in life and existence, in the ultimate sense, quit. So what are we when we "quit"? We are non-existent.

From that we arrive at this statement: If we had no purpose, we would not exist.

Therefore, if we have purpose (a reason to exist), we exist. Think about it. Its true.

So heres my philosophy on the meaning of life: We cannot live without a purpose. Thus, the meaning of life has to be to have purpose. Something to continue existing for.

Now, I can see what points will bring arguments. But I want you lions to tear my philosophy to pieces until we come to an answer.

[Goat]

But the jellyfish only moves or eats or acts because the organism recognizes the need to. That awareness, however simple, is the thing that I say creates purpose to all of our actions.

Basically, it reacts to the environment in a chemical way. That does not mean it has an awareness.. it just means that when it encounters certain environmental conditions, it reacts.

When you are in heat, your pours open up, and you sweat. Does that mean your skin is aware? No, it means that chemically, it reacts to temperature. A plants stoma will open and close depending on the external environment. Does that mean it is aware, or is that just chemical reacting to the environment?

[Cathar1950]

But the jellyfish only moves or eats or acts because the organism recognizes the need to. That awareness, however simple, is the thing that I say creates purpose to all of our actions.

Basically, it reacts to the environment in a chemical way. That does not mean it has an awareness.. it just means that when it encounters certain environmental conditions, it reacts.

When you are in heat, your pours open up, and you sweat. Does that mean your skin is aware? No, it means that chemically, it reacts to temperature. A plants stoma will open and close depending on the external environment. Does that mean it is aware, or is that just chemical reacting to the environment?

As in my last two posts I think Goat and I are in agreement.
I think it is E. Coli that responds to the lack of carbohydrates and moves on.
The point is that awareness is a form of feedback or response.
Brains evolved to process complex information about the environment and the body.
I think it was N. Bohr that said to exist was to be felt.
Changes in the environment are felt by the organism. Awareness is based on this feeling.
Whitehead and Hartshorne propose that the feeling has a subjective element as well as physical.
Feeling is a precursor to thought or awareness.

[JoshB]

Basically, it reacts to the environment in a chemical way. That does not mean it has an awareness.. it just means that when it encounters certain environmental conditions, it reacts.

When you are in heat, your pours open up, and you sweat. Does that mean your skin is aware? No, it means that chemically, it reacts to temperature. A plants stoma will open and close depending on the external environment. Does that mean it is aware, or is that just chemical reacting to the environment?

We do indeed need awareness and consciousness to perspire. Which is why we don't perspire when we die and our consciousness ceases. And I would think that the control center in out head primarily controls those functions...

Anyways, the biological structure recognizes the need to perspire, and does so. Its sub-conscious, I would think.

[Goat]

Basically, it reacts to the environment in a chemical way. That does not mean it has an awareness.. it just means that when it encounters certain environmental conditions, it reacts.

When you are in heat, your pours open up, and you sweat. Does that mean your skin is aware? No, it means that chemically, it reacts to temperature. A plants stoma will open and close depending on the external environment. Does that mean it is aware, or is that just chemical reacting to the environment?

We do indeed need awareness and consciousness to perspire. Which is why we don't perspire when we die and our consciousness ceases. And I would think that the control center in out head primarily controls those functions...

Anyways, the biological structure recognizes the need to perspire, and does so. Its sub-conscious, I would think.

No, when we die, our bodies do not get the oxygen we need, so the chemical reactions we would need to perspire don't have the right chemicals in the right form to function.

[tar2]

I can't find a line between them, but I'm pretty sure that life doesn't necessitate consciousness.
Things like the Jellyfish couldn't be said to be conscious; it's basically a big cell.

AkiThePirate,

Well I do agree that Jellyfish are not conscious like you and I are conscious, but there is some of the same stuff going on in and with a Jellyfish that goes on in and with a human. Not being a biologist, I couldn't tell you what those things are, but I would imagine there are organic compounds and chains of molecules coded to create various proteins for structure and movement and such that all together in a Jellyfish pattern make a Jellyfish. And only a Jellyfish knows how to make another Jellyfish. There seems to be great history and "intelligence" built into a Jellyfish that allows that Jellyfish's pattern to exist, contrary to the impulses of wind and wave, and all the other chemicals and organisms in the environment that have no interest in being a Jellyfish. I would say a Jellyfish is intentionally and purposefully being a Jellyfish and intentionally and purposefully passing on its pattern to the next generation of Jellyfish. On some level, does it not have to "know" its a Jellyfish?

Regards, TAR