Existentialism

Madeline · Post by **Madeline** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 2:37 pm

I have my view on why we were put on this earth and the purpose of our existence. I know that there are agnostics and atheist here who argue about our existence from a philosophical viewpoint. I'm as curious what some of you might reason as to why we exist—in a nutshell, please explain.

Love,
Madeline

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 3:35 pm

We're here because we're here.

Madeline · Post by **Madeline** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 3:54 pm

McCulloch wrote:We're here because we're here.

mmmmm...k! Cute, LOL!!!

Love,
Madeline

bernee51 · Post by **bernee51** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:55 pm

Madeline wrote:
McCulloch wrote:We're here because we're here.
mmmmm...k! Cute, LOL!!!

Love,
Madeline

I agree with McC.

We are here..that's one issue.

How we make sense of being here is another issue. Your religion conflates these two as if they are somehow related. They are not.

Cathar1950 · Post by **Cathar1950** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:26 am

Existentialism
Why do you believe we are here?

Existentialism, It has been awhile since I have discussed that subject.
After many years it becomes like a background noise.
I think all we know is we are here.
Why because we are here is as good as answer as we know the rest we have to make up, put it to a story or describe it as a description of what is and figure out how.
It is like asking the big "why".
Who said it was "because nothing is unstable"? I liked that one.
I think we are here because we experience and because we experience it adds something. It is a change(experience) and as long as there is change we will want to fill in the blanks. It is the nature of existence.
Should I get out my old phenomenology and existentialism books?
This could be fun or tedious.

QED · Post by **QED** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:07 am

I think Cathar1950, bernee51 and McCulloch have all provided sound answers. It looks like Madeline thinks it's funny to say we're here because we're here but it's a very significant statement all the same. Douglas Adams once told a story about a puddle who was utterly convinced that the world was made specially for him. After all, the hole matched his outline precisely. Observers like this contemplating their place in the "scheme of things" are intrinsically self-selecting and prone to coming up with unsound conclusions. This sort of subtle fallacy is just the sort of thing that can become accidentally fixed into a written tradition.

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:20 am

McCulloch wrote:We're here because we're here.

Let me expand on this.
We are here because if we were there, then there would be here.

Why are we here?
Four words and already an ambiguous question.
If you interpret here to mean this site, we are here because

we entered or caused to be entered the correct url into our browser
we want to debate Christianity and religion
otseng has made this place available for civil and open debate.

But I suspect that you really meant to ask Why are we?.
To that I must answer, why do you think that there is a particular purpose for our existence?

QED · Post by **QED** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:51 am

McCulloch wrote: But I suspect that you really meant to ask Why are we?.
To that I must answer, why do you think that there is a particular purpose for our existence?

I think McCulloch is saying that you're working on the assumption that we're intended to exist. How would we know this apart from listening to men claiming to have gleaned as much from God? After all, there seem to be things that do exist that I doubt you would ever wish to argue were intended to. Thus we establish a precedent for the existence of things that were never intended, and therefore need to be able to demonstrate in some way that we are not also a part of that set.

Madeline · Post by **Madeline** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:00 pm

QED wrote:I think Cathar1950, bernee51 and McCulloch have all provided sound answers. It looks like Madeline thinks it's funny to say we're here because we're here but it's a very significant statement all the same. Douglas Adams once told a story about a puddle who was utterly convinced that the world was made specially for him. After all, the hole matched his outline precisely. Observers like this contemplating their place in the "scheme of things" are intrinsically self-selecting and prone to coming up with unsound conclusions. This sort of subtle fallacy is just the sort of thing that can become accidentally fixed into a written tradition.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no guys! I don't think its funny at all! I just believe that there is a rhyme and a reason for everything and that there is no happenstance. It just doesn't seem plausbile that we exist just because, it is almost chaotic. The universe displays order in its creation, not a random sequence of events. I look at the splendor and grandeur of the night sky and all its bright stars and wonder, there has got to be more to it. Whats out there, any gorgeous guys?, LOL!!! Why are we here?

Love,
Madeline

bernee51 · Post by **bernee51** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:56 pm

Madeline wrote:
Oh, no, no, no, no, no guys! I don't think its funny at all! I just believe that there is a rhyme and a reason for everything and that there is no happenstance.

I note your words "just believe". And that is all it is - a belief. That does not equal fact. Others believe other things.

Madeline wrote: It just doesn't seem plausbile that we exist just because, it is almost chaotic. The universe displays order in its creation, not a random sequence of events.

The universe does display order...but also chaos. There is balance. If that balance did not exist, neither would we.