Philosophy meaning of life 1

Justification

Happens when your evidence rules out all relevant alternatives.

What does Nagel think of the following argument for meaninglessness, and why? 'Life is meaningless because we're tiny specks in a massive universe.'

Our size in the universe is not what makes our lives meaningless. Nagel proposes that even if we were the largest thing in the universe it wouldn't automatically give us meaning, because we'd still have to answer why we're alive in the universe.

'Every harm changes the harmed person's mental state.' Does Pitcher agree? Why, or why not?

Pitcher disagrees. Pitcher believes that one can be harmed without knowledge of ever being harmed. Being harmed is having something be done that is against one's interests, so a person can be harmed without being alerted of the harm, thus not affecting their mental state.

fideism

View that religious belief depends on faith alone.

Normative claim

What ought to be What should be the case

What's bad about death, according to Williams?

*Death can deprive one of the goods of life. *The act of wanting something makes death something to avoid.

Baggini Chapter 5

*Evolution does not justify that our purpose is to advance the species. 2 problems arise 1. Taking moral guidance of a theory that does not deal with morals. 2. applying that theory to a species when it applies to genes or individuals. *Raw humanism is an extreme position *We should care for human beings , not for the abstraction of humankind. *The advancement of the human race is not an intrinsic good, as to provide meaning for all lives that have been lived to achieve it. *Recognition and acceptance of meaning can only be made by the individual. *The meaning of life cannot be to serve the advancement of the species.

Williams

*If we were to be immortal it would be a boring existence. *Immortality would have to meet these conditions: 1) It is clearly has to be me who lives forever 2) The future life has to hold out some promise of satisfying categorical desires. *Claims no such scenario meets both of these conditions: 1) *Markopoulos scenario of immortality. EM living 342 before killing herself. 2) Reincarnation violates condition 1. 3) Heaven accounts for conditions 1 while violating 2, however while achieving 2 heaven violates 1 *Long life with pleasures is better than short life with pleasures.(Anti-Epicurus)

Edwards claims that Schopenhauer's view is both inconsistent and arbitrary. Pick one of these criticisms and explain it.

*Real sympathy and generosity are not quite as rare as Schopenhauer made them out to be. *Schopenhauer had arguments that did not depend on the theory that happiness and pleasure were negative.

Schopenhauer

*The World ought not to exist *Claims that anyone would decline the gift of life if given an option beforehand. *Happiness is unattainable for the majority of mankind *People either fail to achieve the ends they are striving for or else them achieve them only to find them grossly disappointing. *Why reproduce, knowing the suffering life brings. *"My fellow sufferer"

Pitcher

*The dead can be harmed and wronged. *The dead can be righted and benefitted. *One doesn't need to know about being harmed to be harmed. * Breaking a promise made pre-mortem and breaking it post-mortem is considered a wrong. *Harmed > Wronged > Victim of hostility *One can only harm the pre-mortem self not the post mortem self. *The act of having interests puts one in harm's way

Epicurus

*To fear death is to fear the loss of the goods of life. *One cannot mourn the loss of something they cannot experience; cannot miss out on stuff when dead.

Trisel argues that the everyone-dies-in-30-days scenario would deprive our lives of meaning only if...

ALL OF OUR GOALS are directed at future generations. Otherwise, goals that aren't reliant on future generations still hold meaning to the individual.

Camus

Absurdity If God existed then life would have meaning. (Agrees with Quinn) Life is whatever one does that prevents one from killing oneself. Myth of Sisyphus, one must imagine him happy because he loves life and hates death. Saying no to the big picture question, then it also applies to the little picture. Big picture: is there some purpose to ALL human existence? Little picture: WHat's the meaning to an individual life? You v. The World Discovery for purpose in a world with no answers to give one meaning. Live life to the fullest in the face of the absurd. Instead, we can apply only a standard of quantity: the more one experiences the better. three consequences of trying to live with the absurd: revolt, freedom, and passion.

According to Camus, under what conditions does absurdity not arise? Why?

Absurdity doesn't arise when one doesn't question their meaning in the universe; Animals and plants while living things do not have the ability to be conscious of their role in the universe.

What's good about death, according to Williams?

Death can provide a relief to great suffering or boredom.

Why is Sisyphus happy, according to Camus?

According to Camus life is a series of meaningless tasks, similar to Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill and watching it fall down again. Sisyphus was given this punishment because he loves life and fears death. Since life, according to Camus is a series of meaningless tasks, and Sisyphus loves life, we can assume that Sisyphus is happy. Camus also suggests that Sisyphus becomes aware of his fate, and in that moment he becomes above his tragic fate.

Quinn

Axiological meaning: life has to have positive intrinsic value and is for the whole good of the individual. Teleological Meaning: achievable purpose, purpose has positive value, and contains actions that are directed toward achieving these purposes and are performed with zest. It is better to be an imitator of christ than an admirer of christ. religion provides both Axiological meaning and teleological meaning.

Nagel

Backward Step *Unlike animals that act on impulse, humans are conditioned to take the backward step and think about the consequences. *Large Absurdity when you take a step back and realize that your everyday standards for what;s worthwhile are without justification. We can step back from goals and our practices after evaluating them. Skepticism is a part of human nature. Why does something in a millions years matter now? Live in irony in the face of the absurd. Skepticism of knowledge. You v You There's no environment where the world would eliminate internal absurdity.

*Categorical desires

Desires that drives one to keep one living.

Scheffler

Doomsday scenario *projects are vulnerable if: a) Their ultimate success is seen as something that may not be achieved until well in the future. b) The value of the project derives from the benefits it provides to a large amount of people in the future. *PROBLEM! Many projects fall under these conditions. *'Seems unlikely that people would pursue their projects given this scenario'. *Claim: Without future generations, or the confidence of future generations, many things in our lives would cease to possess meaning to us. *The survival of humankind, may matter more than our own survival.

Baggini: Chp 1-3

God's Plan is inconsistent with human dignity. How are we to be created simply to serve the one who created us, no questions asked? Ex. Parents having another child to harvest their kidney for the first child. Second child was created to fulfill a goal set by the parents.

Trisel

Meaning doesn't derive on the existence of future generations. Some projects have personal intrinsic value

Nozick

How would God's Plan, if true, give us meaning? Having an important part in God's plan matters, not just any role will do. Important role + important purpose + role should be exalted and positive = true meaning. "A plan whose purpose is to provide meaning for another's life cannot succeed in doing the trick; the plan must gave some independent purpose and meaning in itself" God created us so he himself could have meaning. Is God's choice arbitrary or justified? 1st Horn: God's choice is arbitrary means he has no reason to choose it. What goes wrong: Why follow the plan? 2nd reason: Justified has a reason What goes wrong: the goal has to have intrinsic value; justify God's reason for selecting it. How do we, as humans. know the plan? How do we achieve it then?

State and explain what you take to be the single best objection to moral relativism

If all morality is relative then there's no moral progress to be made in societies. One then cannot condemn others for actions that are against another's morals. In moral relativism, there's no "what should one do", it's only do what you want, leaving moral questions unanswered and moral progress unlikely.

What is the best criticism Susan Wolf levels against Scheffler's claim that meaning depends on the existence of future generations?

If an activity isn't meaningless now, knowing that the human race will be over in the distant future, then what makes 30 days any different.

Some philosophers think psychological continuity is necessary for personal identity. Explain their view. How does it pose a problem for reincarnation as a kind of immortality?

If person A were to have another brain, B, implanted into their body, and Brain A is thrown out, Body A would not have the same memories, experiences, or thoughts as person A, because body A now has brain B in Body A. Therefore, Person A is no longer person A. Reincarnation is an issue because a person's soul is transferred to another being, with no recollection of any memories or experiences. Reincarnation is having a new body and a new brain, meaning the original person isn't really living as this new being.

Backwards causation

Instead of cause -> effect It's effect -> cause(of harm) Something affecting you before the event happens Ex. Knowing your son is going to die prematurely is a harm against your person.

Robert Nozick poses a dilemma for the view that the meaning of life turns on God's plan. Explain the dilemma, and what goes wrong on each of its horns.

Is God's choice arbitrary or justified? 1st Horn: God's choice of a plan is arbitrary means he has no reason to choose it. What goes wrong: Why follow the plan? 2nd reason: Justified has a reason What goes wrong: the goal has to have intrinsic value; justify God's reason for selecting it.

A priori

Justified independently of experience 2 + 2 = 4

Trisel thinks that people who think life's meaning depends on leaving traces are confused. What are they supposed to be confusing, and why?

Leaving a trace is typically for the benefit of humanity, if that is the case then after humanity goes extinct there would be no need for our works, because they's already serve a purpose. *REVAMP!!!*

Samuel Scheffler argues that the meaning of human life depends on the existence of (at least some) future generations. Briefly motivate Scheffler's claim and then present what you take to be the single best objection to it.

Most projects and activities are for the benefit or recognition of others. Without that acknowledgment, many projects would be abandoned in the doomsday scenario. However, in the abandonment of current activities or pursuits, how can Scheffler assume that humans won't just move to other activities or pursuits to a greater degree under this scenario.

Tolstoy

No point in doing anything if nothing lasts forever. *Turned to christianity for there was no rationality in religion; only faith.

What is the difference between numerical and qualitative identity? Explain using an example

Numerical identity = Literally being the same thing as Ex. Walter Ott = Walter Ott x = x Qualitative identity = Share the same properties Ex. Walter Ott and Annie Galvin are both professors.

Analytic statements

Statements are true in virtue of meanings; Necessary truths No possible world where this is false.

Epistemology

Study of Knowledge

What does Nagel think the absurd has in common with skepticism?

The absurd is coming to the conclusion that one does know their meaning in the universe. We're essentially being skeptical of our knowledge of the universe. Nagel claims that we can't be 100% sure of what reality is. Similar to how we aren't 100% sure is we have a purpose in life.

Absurd

The confrontation between the irrational world and for clarity and understanding.

Descriptive claim

The fact of the matter

What makes human life absurd, according to Nagel? Explain. How is his view different from Camus's?

The human life is absurd because as humans there isn't an environment where we wouldn't be conscious of our search for true meaning. This differs from Camus, who claims that there is a possible world where we could be given meaning, allowing us to escape the absurd.

'The human species exists.' What exactly does that mean, according to Baggini? In what sense does a species exist?

The human species consists of human beings, however if the majority of the human species were to disappear, there would still be a human species.

One serious objection to Pitcher's claim that the dead can be harmed is the 'no backwards causation' problem. Explain the problem and Pitcher's solution.

The no backward causation would mean that post-mortem individuals could be harmed.

Genetic Fallacy

The notion that one can discover the purpose or meaning of something by discovering its origins.

One problem with claiming that the dead can be harmed is that the dead are no longer around to suffer these harms. What is the core of Pitcher's response to this objection?

The pre-mortem entity would be harmed. the character that was alive would be harmed.

Raw humanism

The view that life "leans on nothing"- Cooper

Posteriori

justified via experience

Altruism

the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Utilitarianism

the doctrine that an action is right insofar as it promotes happiness, and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct.