The Meaning
of Life
The Meaning
of Life
L1: Why Dying is Bad
Perspective
• If we can understand why
death is bad, it may help us to
realise what is good about life,
which might help us work out
the meaning of life
• NOTE: Most of the arguments
from this class are from the
first Mark Rowlands reading in
the course book
Aside – Why Study Philosophy?
• You might get to become
a philosophy lecturer
• Which means that your
university will pay you lots
of money to fly to exotic
locations around the
world so you can get
drunk and discuss the
meaning of life with other
philosophers
Death is (Sometimes) Good
• Death in general can be good
– It prevents overcrowding
– It ensures genetic variation (imagine if I were
king of the universe)
• Death of specific people or creatures can be
good for others
– The death of Hitler probably prevented some
future massacres
– The death (by heart attack?) of a grizzly bear
that is charging at your family is probably good
for you
But is Death Good for the One that
Dies?
• Some people think so (in some cases)
– Some religions think the right kind of death will
give you a better ‘life’
– Some people in ancient times thought that an
honourable death made your life better
– Someone who is terminally ill and in terrible
pain may be very happy to die
• But usually, death is seen as bad for the
person who dies
– If I were to die right now, most of you would
think it was bad for me
Most of Us are Afraid of Dying
• Would it help if you knew exactly when
you’d be kicking the bucket?
– http://www.deathclock.com/
– http://www.canadianbusiness.com/my_money/pl
anning/retirement_rrsp/life_expectancy/tool.jsp
• Would it help if you knew exactly how you’d
be kicking the bucket?
– http://www.gotoquiz.com/how_will_i_die
Why is Death Bad?
What Happens when we Die?
• Random perspective
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE9vgIuOgoI
• Your view?
Assume there is no Afterlife
• If you think there is an afterlife, then imagine
a universe in which there isn’t
• I’m not trying to be depressing… just
philosophical
• And, it should help us work out what’s good
about life!
• What does death rob us of that is so
valuable?
What
is
Death
?
What is Death?
• It doesn’t happen in a life…
• It is the limit of a life
• A limit of some thing (e.g. a visual field or a
life) is not a part of that thing
• Now we have agreed on this, a 2000+ year
old problem arises…
The Epicurean Argument
• Death can’t harm us, so it can’t be bad for
us
• P1) We can only be harmed when we are
alive
• P2) Death is the limit of life (it’s not a part of
life)
• C) Therefore, death cannot harm us
Reply to The Epicurean Argument
• Denying P2 seems impossible
• Deny P1: We can also be harmed when
we’re not alive
– But how?
Harms of Depravation
• Some harms are only harms because of
their relation to your previous states
• If I broke your leg right off last year and you
now have a prosthetic replacement, then the
harm I have caused you is affecting you now
because I have deprived you of something
you would otherwise have had
– (Maybe awesome dancing skills?)
• But, how can being deprived of life hurt us
when we are dead?
Death and Possibility
• Can something that doesn’t happen in our
life harm us?
• Death harms us because it prevents us from
realising our possibilities
– I could have been a star…
Death and Possibility
• Can something that doesn’t happen in our
life harm us?
• Death harms us because it prevents us from
realising our possibilities
– I could have been a star…
• Possibilities are not going to work
• There are a lot of possibilities for my
future…
– dying now wouldn’t rob me of those possibilities
because nearly all of them would never have
happened anyway!
Losing a Future
• Can something that doesn’t happen in our
life harm us?
• Death harms us because it deprives us of a
future
– Future = experiences, beliefs, desires, projects
etc.
• But how can you lose something that
doesn’t exist yet?
• And if it doesn’t exist yet… isn’t it just a
possibility?
Some Concepts of ‘Future’
• 1) Minimal future:
– Everything that exists has at least a minimal
future unless it is instantaneously destroyed
• 2) Being-towards-a-future:
– Has future-oriented mental states: desires,
goals and projects that can be satisfied or
thwarted
– So we all have a future in this sense (while still
being alive)
– Two versions of this type of ‘future’
Three Concepts of ‘Future’ (Cont.)
• 2A) Being-towards-a-weak-future: means having
non-conceptual future-directed states
– Or goals about the future that you can hold without
needing a concept of the future
– E.g. I want an ice cream
• 2B) Being-towards-a-strong-future: means having
conceptual future-directed states
– Or goals you hold about the future that you need a
concept of ‘the future’ to make sense of
– E.g. I want to pass the PHIL105 exam so I can become
a philosophy lecturer in a few years and go to those
meaning of life drinking conferences
We are All Being-Towards-aStrong-Future
• So many of the things that we do are based
on the fact that we have future goals (that
we know cannot be realised right now)
– Just about every time you pick up your
coursebook or come to a lecture or refrain from
drinking at lunch time is because of your future
goals (e.g. getting a job after uni)
Death is Bad
• Can something that doesn’t happen in our
life harm us?
• Death harms us because it deprives us of a
future
– Future = experiences, beliefs, desires, projects
etc.
• Death harms us because it takes away the
future that we would have otherwise had
(which thwarts our weak and strong futuredirected mental states)
Death is Bad (Cont.)
• Death harms us because it takes away the
future that we would have otherwise had
(which thwarts our weak and strong futuredirected mental states)
• The strong future-directed mental states
such as life plans are more important… they
are a bigger loss if they are thwarted
• So, is Epicurus’ argument resolved?
Is Epicurus’ argument resolved?
• P1) We can only be harmed when we are
alive
• P2) Death is the limit of life (it’s not a part of
life)
• C) Therefore, death cannot harm us
• Deny P1: Death harms us because it takes
away our future (which thwarts our weak
and strong future-directed mental states)
Death and the Meaning of Life 1
• Death harms us because it takes away the
future that we would have otherwise had
(which thwarts our weak and strong futuredirected mental states)
• Since death harms us, being a beingtowards-a-future must have value
• So, perhaps what is valuable about life is
bound up with being a being-towards-afuture – especially in a strong way
Death and the Meaning of Life 2
• The value of our life seems connected to our
being a being-towards-a-strong-future…
• We think its sad when people die
young/before completing their goals
• But what does this mean for the meaning of
life?
• Is life meaningless without future plans?
• What about living in the moment?
Death and the Meaning of Life 3
• Maybe if we thought we were about to die,
we would better understand what is valuable
in life…
Take-Home Lessons
• Death takes away something
important, something
valuable… maybe even
something meaningful
• Death is bad because it
deprives you of future
philosophizing
• Don’t make future plans when
you know you are about to
die
• Buy more crappy stuff while
you still can!
Next Time
• Read
• The Mark Rowlands chapter excerpts
– p218-234 of the coursebook
• Get ready to discuss
• The absurdity of life
The Meaning
of Life
L2: The Absurd and
the Meaning of Life
Last Time
• Perhaps what is valuable about life is
bound up with being a being-towards-afuture
– especially in a ‘strong’ way
• We think its sad when people die
young/before completing their goals
• So, maybe our desires, plans and
projects are important… even meaningful
Last Time 2
• But what does this mean for the meaning of
life?
• Is life meaningless without future plans?
• What about living in the moment?
• Is pursuing our goals what makes our life
meaningful or are our goals absurdly
insignificant?
So, Our Plans are Meaningful?
• Maybe not… maybe the best way
to understand the relationship
between our plans and even our
very existence is to see it as
absurd!
• NOTE: Most of the arguments
from this class are from the
second Mark ‘the rock star’
Rowlands reading in the course
book
‘Absurd’ in the Ordinary Sense
• A noticeable difference between what
someone intends or claims and reality
‘Absurd’ in the Ordinary Sense
• A noticeable difference between what
someone intends or claims and reality
• A clash between the internal and external
perspectives
– George Bush doesn’t think he’s a kitten-eater,
but…
– Everyone else knows that he is
Absurd to Philosophers
• The dramatic difference between:
– Our (internal) perception of the significance of
our lives
– The objective (external) perception of the
significance of our lives
• It’s absurd because, from the external view,
our lives have only a tiny fraction of the
significance that we feel and act as though it
has
Our Significance from the Inside
• Every event in the universe is viewed by its
actual and likely impacts on us
• Events are only significant if they are likely
to or actually do significantly affect us
– The universe revolves around us
• We are all like this to some extent, but some
people don’t realise that this is the same for
other people!
– You may know people like this
Our Significance from the Outside 1
• Each and every one of us are completely
insignificant to 99.9999999999999999999%
of what exists
– When heat death kills the universe, our plans
would seem beyond insignificant to anything left
to observe
– How big are we? (Not very big)
– How long do we live compared to the universe?
(Not very long)
Our Significance from the Outside 2
• Even if we do have free will, so many of our
‘choices’ are still the result of our prior
causes
– Why will most of you vote for the same political
party that your parents do?
– Why are you (and not all the other try-hards) so
individual?
The Human Condition
• Also known as the Human Situation
• From the inside, our significance is
paramount
• From the outside, our significance is
basically none-existent
• The Human Condition is being aware of the
contradiction between these two points, the
absurdity of our situation
• Humans are thought to be unique in their
ability to be aware of this situation
Which Story is True?
• From the inside, our significance is
paramount
• From the outside, our significance is
basically none-existent
• According to logic, our lives either are or are
not significant
– It’s a logical contradiction to say that our life is
both significant and insignificant at the same
time
• So, which one of these ‘stories’ is true?
The Myth of Sisyphus
• Sisyphus made a deal with the
Gods and then went back on it
• They punished him by giving him
a meaningless chore to do for
eternity
– Sisyphus is much like us in this way
• But Sisyphus defiantly curses the
Gods
– An act that only makes sense if his
existence has internal significance
The Absurd and The Meaning of Life
• Sisyphus’ labour and the
way he approaches it
might help solve the
problem of absurdity
• Does it matter if our life is
objectively meaningless?
• Perhaps all that matters is
that we think our lives are
meaningful…
• But, being happy with the
illusion of meaningfulness
is not necessarily a very
appealing solution!
The Human Condition Revisited
• From the inside, our significance is
paramount
• From the outside, our significance is
basically none-existent
• The Human Condition is being aware of the
contradiction between these two points, the
absurdity of our situation
• So, are our plans significant or not?
• And can our lives be meaningful?
Take-Home Lessons
• Don’t drop out of uni or you might end up
with a job like Sisyphus
• Don’t ever let George Bush cuddle your
kitten
• No one likes it when you act like you are
the centre of the universe
• The Human Condition is absurd because
we can understand that our lives are
insignificant… but we cannot get rid of our
self-importance
Next Time
• Read
• The Meaning of Life by Richard Taylor
– p235-239 of the coursebook
• Get ready to discuss
• The real meaning of life!
The Meaning
of Life
L3: What Makes Life
Meaningful?
Last (Two) Times
• Death might be bad because our desires,
plans and projects are important… even
meaningful
• The Human Condition is absurd because
we can understand that our plans (and
our whole lives!) are insignificant… but
we cannot get rid of our self-importance
Exam Info
• There is an exam document on
Blackboard with the following info on it:
– Exam date and rooms
– Exam instructions
– Examinable sections of the course
Warm up
• This lecture is going to be a bit intense
• Warm up activity:
– Think seriously about how you would answer
this question:
• What would you tell a child if you could tell them
just one thing and they would take it on board?
– Turn to your neighbour and tell them what
your answer was
Let’s Answer the Qn Already!
• What do you guys
think the meaning of
life is?
• Youtube doco
– “Be happy”
– “Helping others”
– “Religious purposes”
– “Don’t know”
Richard Taylor!
• Richard Taylor is
our guru at the top
of the mountain
• NOTE: Most of the
arguments from
this class are from
the Richard Taylor
reading in the
course book
Recall The Myth of Sisyphus
• Sisyphus made a deal with
the Gods and then went back
on it
• They punished him by giving
him a meaningless chore to
do for eternity
• Nothing comes of Sisyphus’
labours
– And nothing will ever come of
them
• His existence is meaningless
What if He Wanted to Roll Rocks?
• Imagine that the Gods
changed Sisyphus’ desires
so that all he wants to do is
roll the rock up the hill
• He now gets exactly what he
wants for all eternity
– Sounds great!
• But, does this make his
existence any more
meaningful?
Taylor on Meaning
• Meaninglessness is endless
pointlessness
• Meaningfulness is activity
with a point, a result, a
significant culmination
• So, which of these best
represents all life as we know
it?
– This includes plants and
animals
Is Life (in General) Meaningful? 1
• Glow worms, cicadas and the meaningless
cycle of life
• The only point of any living thing’s life is just
life itself
Is Life (in General) Meaningful? 2
• Humans also follow and perpetuate
the meaningless cycle of life
• We imagine that we have goals and
plans, but are they really for anything
other than surviving and
reproducing?
• Even when our achievements create
lasting results, like building a temple,
how long will it persist and will it
prevent our children from merely
surviving and reproducing?
The Meaning of Life is Life Itself?
• This answer is not very satisfying
• Many people have religious
beliefs that centre around a
departure from this meaningless
cycle
– Going to heaven
– Becoming enlightened, etc.
• But which religion is right?
• Are there any good reasons to
believe in one over another?
What Does ‘What is the Meaning of
Life’ Mean? 1
• What does life mean? (Not interesting)
– To us, it means not being dead or lifeless
– To a God, it might mean amusement or
experiment
– To a plant, it probably doesn’t mean anything
• What is the purpose for life?
– Various religious purposes
– To continue the cycle of life
– There is no purpose for life
– But, if there is a purpose for life, then life is
meaningless!!
A Purpose for Life Makes it
Meaningless
• P1) If life has an ultimate purpose, then it must be
either possible or impossible to fulfill that purpose
• P2) If it’s impossible, then life is cruel and
meaningless
• P3) If it is possible, then
– not fulfilling it would make your life meaningless
– and fulfilling it would also make your life meaningless
(because then there would be no more point to it!)
• C) Therefore, if life has an ultimate purpose, then
life is meaningless
What Does ‘What is the Meaning of
Life’ Mean? 2
• So, perhaps the best way to understand this
question is taking it to mean:
• ‘How can we make our lives meaningful?’
How Can We Make Our Lives
Meaningful? 1
• The answer should be objective
– We should all be able to follow whatever the
answer is and be able to make our lives
meaningful
• Follow religious guidance (and make sure
you pick the right one)
• Taylor: Simply understand that the meaning
of life is to live in the manner in which it is
our nature to live
– The glow worm does what is in it’s nature
How Can We Make Our Lives
Meaningful? 2
• Taylor: For humans, then, the meaning of
life is living as we will to live
• This might make you dissatisfied with our
lot, but remember – if there were a purpose
for life, then life might be cruel and
meaningless!
• Taylor: So, the meaning of life comes from
within us – living in accordance with our will
is how we can achieve meaning in our lives
What Does this Mean for Us?
• Taylor: So, the meaning of life comes from within
us – living in accordance with our will is how we
can achieve meaning in our lives
• We are beings-towards-a-future
• Our plans are the only significant thing we have –
only the pursuit of them brings meaning to our
lives
• These plans are absurdly insignificant from the
outside, but not so from the inside – thank
goodness!
• Without the subjective importance of our own
plans, our lives might truly be meaningless
The Moral of the
Story
• Whatever your dreams
and goals are – you
should live them as only
you can…
• like this guy
So, now you know the meaning of life,
you can pursue your other goals
Taylor on TMOL: Recap
• Taylor is basically saying that:
– the meaning of life is the same for all life
– the meaning of life is to live in accordance with
your nature
– for humans, that is to use our will – to make
plans and follow them through
– this means that for humans, to make our lives
meaningful, we should make plans and take
them seriously (as though they are very
significant)
– So the meaning each of our lives have for us, is
very significant for us (thank goodness!)
Objections?
• But, what do you guys think of Taylor’s
objective, naturalistic, internalist account of
the meaning of life?
Dealing With Doubt
• But, what do you do if you have a bout of feeling
that life is meaningless?
• Watch a child play and see how the tiniest idea or
object can mean so much to them
• And remember, the fact that your experiences feel
real to you is enough to give life meaning
• And that the same is true of others as well
• So, make some plans, do something fun, or just
do something that will make someone else feel
good!
Take-Home Lessons
• If you really want to roll a rock up a hill,
then just do it
• With the power to wear a Spiderman
costume, comes the responsibility not to do
it in public
• The meaning of life is the same for all life
• Taylor: The meaning of life is the meaning
that each of us continuously experiences in
our lives through the act of living
How to Find Out More
• Enroll in more philosophy
courses and try to
reconcile your findings
about ethics, free will,
time, biology, what it
means to really know
something, consciousness
etc.
• And/or just think and talk
about it
• Visit me in my office hour:
MY715 Thur 2:10-3:00pm
• And…