Poppecorn Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Do you agree with the following statements, and if you do, to what extent and why? If you don't, then why do you oppose that idea? Your past defines you Your upbringing and childhood defines you There is no definitive meaning to life, and thus we should not search for a 'true' meaning The meaning of life is to live a life with meaning We should acknowledge more antiquated theories in science as possibly holding some merit, so long as they have not been outright disproven or corrected (i.e. Newton's idea of gravity and force would not qualify for this) If life has no definitive meaning, then we should oppose all institutions which attempt to impose an arbitrary meaning on life on others People care far too much about small topics Nothing new is being made nowadays Nothing new has ever been made Mental disorders are not illnesses, but dangerous life opportunities Intelligence is a method of discrimination A utopian society is non-existent Philosophers should be granted far more merit than they are currently given People are ignorant, brutish and will always be that way. Human beings are detached and artifical and will always be that way Insight into the future requires knowledge of the past Debating on arbitrary topics provides little relevance to the 'real world' - i.e. Philosophy is overrated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I thought the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything was "42"? (: The whole concept of nothing new being made has been a large topic of discussion in the art world recently. But that's a whole debate in itself lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatlauralass Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I've answered your questions below, but honestly I don't see what a lot of it has to do with the 'meaning of life', per say. It can be different to everyone. Ahaha, or 42, as Shelley said. :PYour past defines youNo. I'm constantly changing and evolving as a person, and even if part of who I am remains the same, I have to say there are a lot of past events and situations that if I had the opportunity to go back, I would act completely differently and I do have regrets. So no, even if I'm the same person, I'm growing and becoming different to who I was. Yeah some might say I've grown because of some of those past events, but I strive to change myself for the future. So I don't look at it that way. Your upbringing and childhood defines you Yes. I think it's ignorant to suggest otherwise. Who you become is a great deal to do with what your parents have taught you and given you the freedom to do, up until you're an adult and can make those decisions for yourself.There is no definitive meaning to life, and thus we should not search for a 'true' meaningEveryone is different, and their motivations, inspirations and goals are all different. Everyone has their own meaning for living; there is no one 'true' meaning of life for everyone, but for each individual to discover for themselves? Certainly. Mine is to live and let live, be kind to others, and appreciate the beauty in all that is around us. Life is short and precious, so I feel like it should be treated as such, for every case.The meaning of life is to live a life with meaningSimilar to the above question; I think that meaning is subjective and what's meaningful to one person might not be to another.We should acknowledge more antiquated theories in science as possibly holding some merit, so long as they have not been outright disproven or corrected I don't see what this has to do with the meaning of life.If life has no definitive meaning, then we should oppose all institutions which attempt to impose an arbitrary meaning on life on others It's up to each individual to decide what to believe. You can't force someone to decide what to life their life for. People care far too much about small topics No. What's small to one person might be a big deal to another. No one has a right to tell someone not to make such a big deal about a topic they might be severely passionate about. Nothing new is being made nowadays False. Humanity is evolving every day. Even if in some small areas such as art where we are seeing a collective inquiry on the subject which has been ongoing for many years, some of the concepts behind it are definitely new. Even if Visual artists are struggling to advance, we are seeing more contemporary approaches that are pushing the limit of Fine Art entirely. Nothing new has ever been made False. Mental disorders are not illnesses, but dangerous life opportunities Absolutely false. They are not opportunities, they are illnesses. It can severely effect upon a person's living. Intelligence is a method of discrimination False; no more than anything in the world is a method of discrimination, in the hands of someone who discriminates. A utopian society is non-existent True. Sadly whilst we all are our own person, our own ideals also differ. If we lived in a utopian society, in my mind there would be no war, no discrimination. But some people still live with the ideals that some people are below them, which is a cause for a lot of the world's pain. Philosophers should be granted far more merit than they are currently given I think for those working nowadays, this is true. People are ignorant, brutish and will always be that way. Human beings are detached and artifical and will always be that way To put each individual in the same boat is discriminating and ignorant. Human beings are very diverse, and whilst one individual might be, that's not to say we all are. Insight into the future requires knowledge of the past True. 'Learn from your mistakes' is a motto we should all use, and generally do. Debating on arbitrary topics provides little relevance to the 'real world' - i.e. Philosophy is overrated False. Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems. Without it we would never learn from our mistakes, nor how to conquer them. It certainly has a part in the 'real world'. Saying philosophy is overrated is like saying that logic, ethics and aesthetics are all overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppecorn Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 (edited) Wow! I didn't expect anyone to actually answer all the questions, but I was bored, and hey, you've done a really thorough job! I think perhaps the title is a bit misleading so I'll change that :laughingsmiley: Regarding the mental illness one, I have to say that I suppose I don't take topics like that seriously enough. Whenever I think of stuff like that, I always think of the so called-minor ones (ADHD, Asperger's, Cyclothymia etc.) but I guess that everyone's version of reality does differ much. As for the meaning of death, do you agree with this statement (Sorry, I had to, because this has really interested me for a while) - You know someone's space after they're gone. You know them more than you ever did before. In death there is new life. Hmm, is it possible to actually change the title? That's a very important topic as well. Edited August 2, 2014 by Poppecorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloralestrange Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Define 'define'. What does it mean if something defines you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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