(February 27, 2016 at 1:54 pm)thool Wrote: I'm interested in discussing this with you all here...
When you boil it down, humans exist for one reason only: to make more humans, either directly or indirectly. When you consider other animals, they reproduce in order to continue the lineage, possibly eat other animals, and provide food for other animals. Even at the top of the food chain, a dead animal clearly provides food. So they are part of a chain of dependencies. Humans are really no different in this respect, although the way we do this has far different impacts (a separate discussion).
If you do not have children, you still play a role. Your existence usually requires good and services from others, so you are creating demand. Your job may also enable the continuation of our species, such as being a doctor or teacher. Even if you do not have a job, you consume goods and services from people who exist, in part, to serve society.
Being an relatively new atheist, I no longer believe that we exist to glorify or serve something. We exist to make more of us.
I'd love to explore this more. Any thoughts?
If you're an atheist, then I don't see why/how you can say there is any purpose to our existence. If you personally want to live for something, then that's a purpose to you, but other than that, I don't see how you can think there is some sort of grand purpose for the existence of life.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh