There is no meaning to life

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Are you proposing that this perspective should be the basis for morality or, if you prefer, objective distinction between good and evil? Within the same paradigm, how would an issue like overpopulation modify said discrepancy between evolutionary good and evolutionary evil (or lack of good, in the case of the man not giving birth)? I have difficulty imagining a healthy society that adapts such norms as the standard for moral behaviour.



That's assuming a supernatural belief gives one comfort, and a materialistic one faces brutal reality, which doesn't necessarily have to be the case. A person with religious beliefs could spend time and effort grieving having fallen short, and one persuaded that there is naught beyond what can be perceived via the five senses can lead a carefree lifestyle as a result of this disposition under the belief that nothing will matter once life is over.

I'm not proposing the evolutionary perspective as a basis for morality. It would indeed not be healthy for society. Interestingly though it might be argued that the formation of human society and concepts of morality themselves is a form of evolution... by mankind cooperating and offering mutual support to each other along with social rules and laws, the higher the chance of the individuals within society surviving and passing on their DNA. So the evolutionary driving forces can work at both the individual level and at a group level.



Yes, I fully agree with everything you said there. Religious beliefs could go either way. I've heard of Catholics being miserable and guilt ridden due to their beliefs. I've also heard people express great distress because they believe they have sinned in some trivial way and are destined to fire pits of hell on their demise.

I do not understand how human culture is a form of evolution, though it definitely is related to the progression of social life as we observe it. Just as how human culture supports procreation, it could as well turn its back against it for what seem to be non-evolutionary causes - culture, political 'programming'. If we talk about 'evolution of morality', 'evolution of ethics or religion' or whatever else, I can only understand a metaphoric use of the term 'evolution' referring to its scientific, literal sibling.



To some the road to spiritual improvement is reality and all other distractions of the material world mere illusion. On subject of your statement, do you see any actions or states at all as 'major' sins?

Can't really answer that. To me the word 'sin' doesn't necessarily mean immoral. The word 'sin' has religious connotations i.e. an action that is contrary to the rules of a specific religion. Morality on the other hand I view as independent of religion, though there is some overlap between what I would consider immoral behaviour and what a Christian might consider a 'sin' e.g. murder.

Animals form social groups because it is beneficial for their survival and increases the chances of the individuals within the group successfully bearing and rearing offspring. Be it shoals of fish, flocks of birds or tribes of humans. For animals (including humans) to form such associations must have been a result of evolutionary pressures. Those individuals that formed groups performed better than those that remained isolated. However, it requires some form of cohesion for animals to cooperate and function together as a unit. Human society has become incredibly complex and has adopted countless social rules regarding this cohesion; for example it is not socially acceptable to murder one's neighbours because they have something you want to possess. I think humans have an innate sense of morality; that is hard wired in (most) of us regarding our behaviour towards other humans - plus we probably learn a great deal in our infancy too - I push you and steal your toy and you push me back and I fall over an hurt myself. Concepts of right and wrong emerge as a consequence. I think the whole area of morality is very complex and deeply interrelated with evolutionary pressures.

You can believe that nothing will matter once life is over but can you override your instinct to survive for as long as possible? I doubt anyone could live 100% care free just from the knowledge that life won't matter when it's gone.

Not so. There is the meaning you give to YOUR life.

ruveyn

Yep I agree with ruveyn.

Once you are dead life has no meaning, but while you are alive your life has meaning. Whoever you are there are things that have meaning to you and purpose to.

I've thought about this before and that is what I ended up with.

why do you suppose that you have discovered something about the world when you think, "there is no predefined purpose?" the value of this statement is dependent on a perhaps misguided demand or criterion for justification; an absence of meaning is not inherently meaningful. it does not become meaningful until it is construed it as a lack of meaning. life can also be perfectly free of [non-contextual/absolute] meaning/purpose without that being a problem or even an interesting statement about 'life'.

so what is it that makes it an interesting statement to you? why does meaning matter? consider the context in which the concept of meaning has meaning (or try to isolate it from any context whatsoever and see what you are left with). how does this concept originate? what is its purpose?

with respect to right and wrong, human intentions are what matter. i think you cannot deny that human intentions matter without deflating the very statement that human intentions do not matter (that being an expression of human intention). i.e. if human intentions do not matter, then why bother to post your opinion on the matter (hint: because they matter to you).

I also many times get the impression that there is no meaning to life.

One of the hardest lessons I learned in life is that there is no good or bad or right or wrong there's only experience.

This world can be a cruel place to some people sometimes and this is the harshest lesson of life.

One day all of humanity is going to become extinct and it will be the end of the world as we currently know it.

nope, no meaning to things. and you can't just go and give your life meaning beyond itself either. no good or evil, there are however better and worse.

To add, there is no proof insisting life is over when you die. That is an assumption derived from the concept of the end of your biological body means the end of your existence completely. No one actually knows what happens when you die, we can only guess, guesses aren't factual conclusions.

You are missing the point...
People clarify concepts often through discussion...

Perhaps the OP is struggling through issues which virtually every one of us will confront at some point in our lives...<shrug>


Edit:
Oh dear...
I didn't realise this is a necro-thread...