Is there a point to life?

[MonstrousMerryHenry]

Thoughts, anyone? What do philosophers say about this?

Well its a bit late but since I'm up and my meaning of life at the moment is centered on a bottle of Gaviscon, I'll give it a go.

For those among us who are perhaps of the Dawkins persuasion there is no point to life other than to survive long enough to pass on our genes. Seems a bit nihilistic but as was rightly pointed out on a thread a while ago, relatively few men who ever lived actually got to do that. Most die before procreating.

So what is left for me after passing on my genes to my DSs?

Well then I have to look to higher goals. Living a good and worthwhile life, seeking to leave the world a better place than when I entered it, leaving a mark on the world that others will remember me by, seeking out truths and knowledge that humankind can use when I have gone.

The great philosophers said similar things in more erudite ways but it all sounds a bit wishy washy to me.

Back to Dawkins and his idea of memes. Here I think I can identify more of what the meaning of life is. The point of life for me is to live on beyond my physical life through the influence I have on my children. By the sowing of not only genes within their bodies which they may pass to their children but also powerful memes. That is ideas, personal norms, beliefs, wisdom, that may in some way influence my children, their children and go beyond and be propogated into wider society.

PHEW! With that I really must get some sleep. Good night all.

Yes.
Give more to the pot than you take out

I'll admit to always wondering if there actually has to be a point.

I'm more of a "here I am, might as well make the best of it" kinda gal.

leaving the world a better place than it was when you arrived - i hope...

or having as much fun as possible!

Very well put, ABetaDad. Absolutely spot on and exactly my way of thinking!

Good post, BetaDad.

I don't believe there's any external point to life. No divine plan.

Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.

A point? A singular point? Cripes, I hope not. Is there a point to literature? A point to love? A point to music?

There are goals and aspirations and pleasures and wisdom and experience. There are myriad people and joys, multitudinous lives and meanings.

We can all try to live a good life, to make conscious and fair choices, to grab life by the balls and shake all the experience out of it we can but to try and reduce it to one or even many points is banal and futile.

'But what's the point' is the wailing prerogative of a short sighted child imho.

ShowOfHands you've just said what I was trying to say... but much more eloquently

Oh no, I was just thinking how much more succinct you were, how you didn't waffle.

For a precis of my ramblings, please see the very clever JAMM...

Very well said. You can lead a good, fulfilling life and decide what your own meaning is.

Sometimes people are so busy trying to find out what the point is or to do what other people tell them that they forget to enjoy what they have.

Life?

Hmm.

It keeps meat fresh.

ShowofHands (great band, aren't they?), I hope when you said "'But what's the point' is the wailing prerogative of a short sighted child imho." that that was a general point, not directed at me.

Agree with showofhands and ABetaDad.

There is no definable point, certainly no bigger picture, and to think there is some point is rather arrogant really, on the part of humans.

I don't think showofhands was directing that at you merryHenry!

It's the ripple effect for me.

I have no genes to pass on and no biological children. Instead I look to influence others in any way I can in the hope that this influence 'ripples' out through the generations.

But there is still no point to creating ripples in there Laurie?

It doesn't actually matter.

I guess it matters to those enjoying the ripples (my foster daughter, my students, my clients, my friends, my family) and then they pass it on.

If I carry out my life and my rippling ability to the best of my efforts then that will be felt down generations.

People still feel the impact of Jesus/PBUH Mohammed/Ganesh/Gandhi

• good, overmydeadbody!

It's interesting, this idea of us wanting to pass something on, whether biological or other. There's a certain element of vanity in that desire, isn't there - that we somehow feel we have something that is so worthwhile that it should continue beyond the confines of our life span.

Oh, LaurieGandhiCake, I think you're just being excessively humble now!

There absolutely is an element of self-interest in that desire.

Doesn't negate the effort though.

I agree. I think there's a huge amount of vanity and self-interest in lots of the things that we do (such as desiring children) and that doesn't negate or devalue those things, it just adds an extra colour to the spectrum.

Oh goodness me, no I wasn't directing that at you MerryHenry, of course not. It's an interesting area of philosophy, how we derive meaning from and attach significance to 'life'. It's the reductive banality of so condensing it to a singular point or bemoaning a lack of meaning to the extent that you miss out on all that life has to offer that I find saddening.

And yes, fab band!

Phew!

I don't think it's actually possible to reduce it to a singular point, and I think one thing that people on this thread have shown is that we create significance ourselves.

no point, we're animals the same as a dog in the street. but might aswell make the best of it while you're here and even better if you can make it better for those that follow