NationStates Jolt Archive

What is Purpose? And what is the human purpose? and does everyone have purpose on earth?

Hey, is this your 42nd post? Did you do that on purpose? If it is, you probably did, right?

Yes. It's the meaning of life.

Reproduce and ensure the survival of your species.

(EDIT: Heeeey....great 42nd post)

Reproduce and ensure the survival of your species.


But our species is gonna die anyway no matter how much we reproduce.

What is Purpose? And what is the human purpose? and does everyone have purpose on earth?
To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women. :eek:

The purpose of every entity is to survive (and breed if possible).

There is no other "purpose" that overrides this one. it is what I like to call a "biological imperative" (like Kant's categorical imperative, only more so). That's why I'm so dead against people trying to legislate away my Biological Right to Self Defense by the most efficient means avilable to me.

So if everyone's purpose is to reproduce then what about sterile people? Are they adrift in the endless sea of purposelessness?

So if everyone's purpose is to reproduce then what about sterile people? Are they adrift in the endless sea of purposelessness?
No. See above.

Why let the species survive for the sole purpose of the survival of the species? There is not very much special about human beings unless we assign them special qualities. People are ugly, stupid(smarter than other animals but still), disgusting, destructive, dangerous, and are really only a small step above most other animals.

Why not have our purpose be to help diamonds survive the cruel processes of gem cutting? Diamonds are not as ugly, destructive, disgusting or dangerous. Besides, intelligence is a quality that people invented, maybe to a certain extent diamonds are more evolved than people are, diamonds do not go to war, diamonds do not destroy the environment, diamonds are peaceful and passive and are not prone to the self-destructiveness of mankind. I say we should go out and protect diamonds.

No person can say with logical certainty what their purpose or the purpose of humanity is. Were a man, for example, to be created by scientists and politicians for the sole purpose of being the leader of the world in some far-off future dystopia, that could still not be said to be his purpose. Maybe his purpose was to disobey? - but there is no way he could know whether his purpose was to obey or disobey the instructions given him.

No. See above.

Survival, you mean? Until when? Until they die? Or did you mean the evil. Does that mean sterile people are supposed to be evil?

To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women. :eek:

The purpose of every entity is to survive (and breed if possible).

There is no other "purpose" that overrides this one. it is what I like to call a "biological imperative" (like Kant's categorical imperative, only more so). That's why I'm so dead against people trying to legislate away my Biological Right to Self Defense by the most efficient means avilable to me.
Why survive? Death is inevitable. Does it really matter if you die as an infant compared to dying at 76 while taking a dump on the toilet? What makes life so important that surviving against the odds is worth it?

The purpose of every entity is to survive (and breed if possible).

There is no other "purpose" that overrides this one.
I think that could be a dangerous assumption. That could make homosexuality wrong, contraception wrong, and non-procreative sex wrong, deending on how it is interpreted. Of course, I'm not exactly sure how you mean for it to be interpreted.

I personally think that our intelligence and the ability to choose that results from it override any biological purpose we have. I would say that our purpose is whatever we decide it is.

You should all know the answer...it is actually quite simple, the meaning of life IS....


NATIONSTATES!!!!!

I personally think that our intelligence and the ability to choose that results from it override any biological purpose we have. I would say that our purpose is whatever we decide it is.

Sure, that's the purpose we set for ourselves, but what about a higher purpose? Something inherent in the universe? Or God, if that's your sort of thing.

You should all know the answer...it is actually quite simple, the meaning of life IS....

NATIONSTATES!!!!!
Therefore, life would be meaningless if Max Barry did not exist.

Max Barry must be GOD!!
(Just kidding :D ... or am I?)

If we decide our purpose then what is the purpose of the purpose that we decide on? Ultimately the purpose that we decide on would only be a mental construct, how would it apply to the world outside of us? What is the difference between deciding that the best purpose is to kill all life over deciding that humanity should be saved? Why should we just make up purposes instead of accepting some version of nihilism to be the truth? Where did I put my car keys?

Sure, that's the purpose we set for ourselves, but what about a higher purpose? Something inherent in the universe? Or God, if that's your sort of thing.
Well, I haven't really seen much that would suggest there being a higher purpose. It's quite possible there is one, but I haven't seen it.

I think that could be a dangerous assumption. That could make homosexuality wrong, contraception wrong, and non-procreative sex wrong, deending on how it is interpreted. Of course, I'm not exactly sure how you mean for it to be interpreted.Note the "if possible". For rational beings "possibility" often = "practicality" or "desirability". Because of a minor surgery, it is not "possible" for me to breed. Because of a choice of sex partners, it is not "possible" for other people to breed. If one wears a condom &/or takes a pill it is (mostly) not possible to breed in that instance.

NOTHING, however, overrides the FIRST purpose, and that is to SURVIVE. You can't breed if you die/somthing kills you.

I personally think that our intelligence and the ability to choose that results from it override any biological purpose we have. I would say that our purpose is whatever we decide it is.Not if you don't survive...

Not if you don't survive...
Why is survival important? We all die. Why choose life over death?

There is no absolute purpose for anything in the world. All things happen as a result from something, not as an effort to achieve some goal in the future. We humans, through our logic, have purposes to our actions, however, those purposes are always derived from genetics and previous experiences, so in the end are merely results as well.

Why is survival important? We all die. Why choose life over death?
Ask me again after you've stuck your head in an unlit gas cooker for a few hours... :rolleyes:

Ask me again after you've stuck your head in an unlit gas cooker for a few hours... :rolleyes:
Look, I have chosen to live. I am just wondering about your reasoning. To claim that life is important in order to live seems sort of pointless. What makes life important enough to keep living. What is the purpose? Nothing in this world is really self-evident.

What about artificial lifes do they or don't they have a purpose.

Look, I have chosen to live. I am just wondering about your reasoning. To claim that life is important in order to live seems sort of pointless. What makes life important enough to keep living. What is the purpose? Nothing in this world is really self-evident.
Well, we are looking at orders of abstraction here. What more is there to life for an amobea than to survive? Now about a rabbit? Even if the rabbit cannot breed (a lone bunny in the woods) it will contentedly munch away and continue to attempt survival until it fails.

Any "purpose" beyond survival is a subjective construct and therefore an abstraction that cannot be applied to "life" on the whole. When asked "what is the purpose of life" the only non subjective answer can be "to stay alive".

Anything else is called Philosophy or Theosophy...

Life has no purpose.

If it did then it would be to serve me.

Or

To attack me viciously.

Either way tis a win win situation for me.

Joking of course, or am I. I can be ambigious like Czardas.

Anything else is called Philosophy or Theosophy...
The question is a philosophical question. It to some extent requires a philosophical answer.

Why choose life over death?
Because dead people don't get to fuck.

The question is a philosophical question. It to some extent requires a philosophical answer.
No, here are the questions:

What is Purpose? - This requires an objective definition at the lowest order of abstraction.

And what is the human purpose? THE human purpose is, both individually and as a species, to survive. Had Shedor said "What is the purpose of or for humans we wouldn't be having this discussion.

and does everyone have purpose on earth? - This is the only potentially philosophical question of the 3, and I have no desire to debate it other than to say the only "purpose" that everyone shares is to survive.

I am oblivious to the purpose of life, but I've taken the stance that my personal purpose is to advance civilization through all neccessary means.

Purpose of life? To live. Simple.

Our purpose on Earth is to overcome our base animal desires and so move closer to God, plus putting everyone else in front of us in all matters.
Even if it means giving up our lives.

Also to root out all evil and crush it with no remorse.

different religions have different connotations of purpose, but perhaps there is no real purpose...