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Meaning of life"What is the meaning of life?" is probably the most-asked philosophical question by humanity at large. Common answers include: happiness or flourishing; pleasure; power; knowledge, understanding, or wisdom; and being blessed, or achieving union with God or the divine; or simply that there isn't meaning to life. Philosophers, religious authorities, artists, scientists, and countless ordinary people have thought a great deal about the question.
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The 'meaning' referred to is purpose, justification, not meaning in the sense that words have meaning. This is why responses such as 'life can't have a meaning, it's not a word' or 'look it up in a dictionary' are fallacious. The definition of life is an interesting issue in its own right, however, especially as relating to artificial and extraterrestrial life.
We can also separate this question into two different questions: one about the objective purpose of life, and the other about subjective purpose of life. The subjective purpose of life varies of course from person, and need not be considered any further.
Many deny that an objective purpose of anything is possible. Purposes, they argue, are purely subjective. Others claim that life has an objective purpose, though they differ as to what this purpose is, or where it comes from.
Over the millennia, philosophers have had much to say about this question--though philosophers do not fixate on it as much as popular conceptions might lead one to believe. Theories of value--of which there are very many indeed--are not necessarily, but can sometimes be construed as theories of the meaning of life. Great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, and many others had clear views about what sort of life was best (and hence most meaningful). The existentialists addressed themselves to the question head-on. More recently, Robert Nozick discussed the question at great length in his Philosophical Explanations.
This needs to be expanded greatly.
Religion itself, it is often suggested, is a response to humanity's search for meaning or purpose. The notion here is that we do or ought to seek a higher purpose that will give our lives meaning.
Science is sometimes criticized for not providing an answer to "the meaning for life", but it doesn't attempt to do so. Science addresses questions of "what" and "how", but doesn't attempt to answer "why".
A Mathematical view can be found in the Incompleteness Theorem, which basically says that there are some Mathematical facts that are true yet unprovable, unless you adopt a view of the universe that is so simple that it doesn't include arithmetic.
A Computer Science view can be found in the Halting Problem, which says that it impossible to know if an arbitrary program will eventually finish running, unless you cripple the allowable programs in some fashion. (For example, you can require that each program be allowed only a finite amount of memory. In this case, it must eventually repeat a state, so it will eventually halt or go into a recognizable loop.)
Some people say that the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle also follows this theme, that you can't possibly know everything about a particle.
The number 42 as an answer to the question of the meaning of life is a reference to a joke in Douglas Adams's book The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. An advanced race of pandimensional beings builds a gigantic computer called "Deep Thought" to find the Answer to "Life! The Universe! Everything!". Seven million years later, the computer gave the answer of "42". After the answer was given, the pandimensional beings realized that they did not know the question and an even larger computer (earth) was built to find it, however the earth is destroyed just before the final readout.
tongue may bring his honor into danger.html">danger when he is duke.html">duke. When he is duke?
thy life is in my hands. thou.html">Thou art lost unless I warn thee of thy danger.
less than his existence and his dukedom, and gain at least this hatful of
thou art going on a foolish errand. Suppose this scene of riot is
trick my avarice would then have played me! Come, devil, help me to make
Doria to the dagger. If Fiesco succeed then Genoa may prosper. Away!
before, and Genoa is quiet. That's still worse! Ay, but to see these
to behold the illustrious Dorias in this evening's massacre the victims
perhaps resolve, but 'tis too deep a riddle for my Moorish brains. I'll
crown-prince of Genoa to his sister!
GIANETTINO. Sister, you are continually surrounded by butterflies and I
trifles!
GIANETTINO. I must know.html">know--positively.
JULIA. Well, then, he was here yesterday.
GIANETTINO. And behaved without reserve?
JULIA. As usual.
GIANETTINO. As much a coxcomb as ever.
JULIA (offended). Brother!
GIANETTINO (more vehemently). I say--as much a coxcomb----
JULIA (rises, with indignation). Sir! What do you take me for?
GIANETTINO (keeps his seat--sarcastically). For a mere piece of
between ourselves--there is no one by to hear us.
JULIA (enraged). Between ourselves--you are an impertinent jackanapes,
Fiesco is still as much a coxcomb as ever. That's all I wanted to know.
(To GIANETTINO.) Certain affairs which cannot be delayed----(GIANETTINO
allegro.)
GIANETTINO (to LOMELLINO). Is everything prepared for to-morrow?
.
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