(August 5, 2011 at 8:59 pm)BethK Wrote: I've come to believe that life - or consciousness existing within some delineated set of chemical reactions - is a mere "accident" of nature, which has as a purpose to continue on that type of configuration for that set of chemicals. There is no real purpose to it, much less any "meaning" to it.
I think there is a valid distinction that needs to be made between cosmic values and purpose and subjective values and purpose, for the former I am as certain as anything that they do not exist, the latter is our subjective values, hedonically the experience of pleasure but for me we have to take into account all sources of value, that includes our desires too and possibly yet to be determined cognitive mechanisms.
The subjective experience of value and meaning to me is fully real and seeing as it is the only kind of 'meaning' that we experience it is the only kind of meaning worth caring about. You can always spot a potential problem by the person claiming access to these cosmic values, they often manifest as radical religious or political authoritarians.
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