Forums / Philosophy / Metaphysics and Epistemology / Existence and meaning......
 
> 1 <

Author Message

simian1

Administrators

Rare Earth by Peter D. Ward, The Lucifer Priciple by Howard Bloom, The Human Zoo by Desmond Morris, Madness and Civilization by Michel Foucault, A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, The Blind Watchmaker by R
Online status

52 posts
http://www.thomasallanalbany.com
Location: United States Carlsbad,Ca
Occupation: Technician
Age: 37

#97   10-02-2008 03:42 GMT      
It wouldn't be worth living in many ways, not the least of which you would have no idea you were alive, but none the less, you would exist, and your existence is only a void when compared with an existence which has meaning, a prerequisite you are not allowed as it would take meaning to create it.

I think ultimately, the question is this:

Does existence come out of meaning, or, meaning out of existence. I think most philosophers today would say existence first....
The pen is mightier than the sword, and the database is mightier than the pen!

Peracles

Skygazer


Online status

3 posts

Location: United States Escondido, CA
Occupation: Writer
Age: 27

#98   10-03-2008 19:20 GMT      
Does existence come out of meaning, or, meaning out of existence?

simian1

Administrators

Rare Earth by Peter D. Ward, The Lucifer Priciple by Howard Bloom, The Human Zoo by Desmond Morris, Madness and Civilization by Michel Foucault, A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, The Blind Watchmaker by R
Online status

52 posts
http://www.thomasallanalbany.com
Location: United States Carlsbad,Ca
Occupation: Technician
Age: 37

#99   10-03-2008 22:29 GMT      
Well, to what you said earlier about a life without meaning is not worth living I will say:

Socrates- The unexamined life is not worth living.

Now, I happen to be studying Aristotle now, and to paraphrase his idea, in the process of perception, we have to have objects to perceive. If you take away the perception, the objects still exist, but if you take away the objects, perception cannot exist. He also says, if you take away the objects, your body also goes, because it is with those objects too.

I think existence first, but, don't get me started on talking about what it really means to exist in the first place...........doooooooonnnnn'tttttt............
The pen is mightier than the sword, and the database is mightier than the pen!
> 1 <