This cruel universe I love so dearly

[Purple Rabbit]

Our universe is a cruel one by any human standard. Think of it. Death is inevitable. It can be over any time. If you're 'lucky' you may have some forewarning but your death may come suddenly and be in futile disharmony with your life. You can break your neck just by tripping over something on the pavement. And if it does not happen to you, it may happen to your dear ones, anytime. And think of kid cancer, how cruel is that by any human standard. Do I have to name the cruel diseases the medical books are stuffed with. And when it's not that there are tsunami's, floods, (super)volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons, tornado's. And that's just the local stuff. The fossil records shows that every now and then most of life on earth is ruthlessly swept of the planet by some cosmic encounter. Earth is a like fleeting dust particle in an immense cold and dangerous environment. Filled with deadly cosmic radiation. Need I say any more? Our universe is a cruel one by any human standard.

And then again, it is beautiful too. Life is beautiful, nature is.
How can something so beautiful at the same time be so utterly filled with cruelty.

I'd welcome your argumented opinion.

[Darwinian]

The Universe is neither cruel nor kind, it is merely indifferent. It is simply our interpretations of certain events that cause us to react with emotions such as joy and despair.

All we can do is to accept that we are part of the Universe. The atoms that make up my body are just as important and complex as the most impressive star system, super nova or galaxy and in me (and you) the Cosmos can begin know itself.

How can something so beautiful at the same be so utterly filled with cruelty.

Perhaps we need balance, a frame of reference to appreciate the beauty.

[Kyuuketsuki]

Yep! The universe is cruel (or indifferent) and there is no over-arching logic in terms of design (as Dawkins says a universe designed by God would be bound to look different than one that isn't) but I think it's the fragility of existence that makes life so precious and beautiful.

Kyu

[Purple Rabbit]

The Universe is neither cruel nor kind, it is merely indifferent. It is simply our interpretations of certain events that cause us to react with emotions such as joy and despair.

But we cannot help ourselves being human. Indifference is cruel. Can you easily shrug your shoulders at the death of o close friend or relative? Aren't you mad about the useless spill of lives in the violence of nature. It isn't as simply as that for me.

Of course the unverse is not a thinking agent. We cannot blame anyone. Our universe is not cruel in that literal sense, but the rules of nature do not seem to reconcile with human moral. And that's really cruel. It is against human nature. Are we some freak of nature then?

---

...but I think it's the fragility of existence that makes life so precious and beautiful.

I can see some truth in there. I certainly would have problems with the idea to have to live forever ending sooner or later repititious boredom for me and my surroundings. Hell, I have bored some here already, ha ha.

[Darwinian]

The Universe is neither cruel nor kind, it is merely indifferent. It is simply our interpretations of certain events that cause us to react with emotions such as joy and despair.

But we cannot help ourselves being human. Indifference is cruel. Can you easily shrug your shoulders at the death of o close friend or relative? Aren't you mad about the useless spill of lives in the violence of nature. It isn't as simply as that for me.

Of course the universe is not a thinking agent. We cannot blame anyone. Our universe is not cruel in that literal sense, but the rules of nature do not seem to reconcile with human moral. And that's really cruel. It is against human nature. Are we some freak of nature then?

Yes, it's very difficult being human sometimes. In a way theists have it easy because they can find a purpose for everything and when things go wrong they can scream at their god. But we have no-one to scream at because there isn't anyone there to listen, no god, no superior being, no hierarchy just ourselves and the rest of reality.

The laws of nature are simply the way they are, the way they had to be in order for us to be the way we are. By our tribal, close knit family standards they can be strange and cruel but we're stuck with it because if they were different then so would we be.

Are we a freak of nature? No, whatever the Universe naturally produces is by it's very definition part of nature.

To quote the alien in Predator 2, "Shit Happens"...

[LEDO]

Nature is a mother...

[Pippy]

Hey,
I call it 'cold- random'. The machine of life. It is indifferent, because it has to be. If it cared, then who for? That would create a conflict. I also agree that it feels cruel to our human standards. But it is not.

Life is ruthlessly wiped off, yes, but it makes room for more life. Things die without warning, and then you eat them and continue living. It is a system.

Just remember that death is the ultimate adventure, and not to fear it.

as Dawkins says a universe designed by God would be bound to look different than one that isn't

I could not agree more. Although, I think we are still disagreeing...

Nature is a mother...

Is that a theism? Is she the 'mother of all?" Should she be worshiped and exalted? Oh oh, it's a GOD!

Thanks,
-Pip

[Edwardo Piet]

@ the OP

How can the universe be so cruel and yet so awesome at times too? Well....how can't it?

I know of no other universe(s) do you?? The anthropic principle applies here right?

The universe came about without a purpose. There is no real 'good' or 'bad' in it, other than to us. Why is it this way? No reason, it's just came about that way.

And: If it was another way would we be asking why it was that way? I wonder..

EvF

[Kyuuketsuki]

Just remember that death is the ultimate adventure, and not to fear it.

Why would I want to not fear (implied willingly accept or embrace I suppose) no longer existing? Come on, explain that one to me!

Kyu

[Purple Rabbit]

"shit happens", "cold-random", indifference....all true, I think. The beauty only makes it worse. At the same time when you assess the universe on the human scale, you would have to conclude there is a lot of cruelty in it's emerged design. With 'emerged design' I do not necessarily mean that there is intentional design, but in hindsight we can construct a design plan from it by reverse engineering reality.

Could it have been otherwise? Yes, I think it could have. Things could have been arranged otherwise (without kid cancer for instance) and still function. When we have cured diseases we've have made this a better place, for us. The conclusion also is that it would be cruel to intend such emerged design and that those who claim intended design have the obligation to explain why this cruelty is intended in the first place. Certainly in that case the design would be an indication of evil intentions of whatever intentional designer designed it.

IOW the fact that on the human scale its emerged design is barbarically indifferent about its human inhabitants, makes it most improbable that it should have a morally just intentional designer. The apparent 'cruelty' of this universe to human standards is either an indication of undirected 'design' (of which we all know it's name) or of evil intentions of an intentional designer.