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As a contributing member of an international group known as “The Brights.” [the-brights.net] I often find interesting postings. I do believe there is a meaning to LIFE (writ large) and that is to evolve. Human life evolves through knowledge and learning. In their latest, monthly series that is a piece on the ‘meaning of life’ and how to find it. There is also a link to an “Atlantic” monthly article about the same. [theatlantic.com]

JackPedigo 9 Jan 9
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For all that we know, evolution is a mindless mechanical process, it has no purpose, nor is it the purpose of anything else. Anymore than a rock rolling down a hill, has the purpose of getting to the bottom.

The only person who could say if evolution has a purpose, is someone who received a message from a god, or a much higher being, telling them that it was so, and I see no evidence for that.

It is possible that the universe was created for evolution and/or that evolution has a purpose. But that presupposes an intelligence with intent, behind or within the universe or evolution. ( A God even if not a personality . ) And it also presupposes that there was not some other purpose, and that humans are capable of making intelligent decisions about purpose. Which means at least three unsupported presuppositions, there are probably more, making the idea no more justifiable than any other religion.

It may not seem to have a purpose (for some) but it does (for the time being) and that is to go forwards and advance systems from a one state to another. If there were no purpose neither we nor the universe would be here. Evolution tends toward more complexity and often a reduction in size (at least as far as life is concerned).

@JackPedigo Evolution will quite happily settle into stasis and change nothing if the environment remains constant, and there are no internal preasures such as sexual selection. Evolution only moves when pushed by the environment, just as the rock going down the hill only moves because of gravity, or momentum. Indeed in real terms you could say that there is no such thing as evolution, only natural sellection acting on random mutation. Evolution is only a word humans give to the end results of such things, a shorthand abreviated way of summing up, but convenient lazy shorthand should not be confused with real actions.

@Fernapple Evolution has a direction. That direction is 'adaptation' and mostly it's in a more complex state as I said. Seems we differ on some of the minor details but, no big deal.

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Evolution is a natural process for all objects, not just living ones. It, life all things simply exist.

Of course but the question was the meaning of 'life' not rocks. So why can't a natural process be analogous to meaning?

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Knowledge and learning do not advance Human evolution. Also, evolution does not proceed within a single lifetime, making it impossible to say that evolving is the purpose of life. Cut out the evolution part: Gaining knowledge and wisdom, and passing it on to others is closer to providing meaning to life than any other course.

Again the question does not distinguish between human and non-human. I should have been clearer but knowledge is applicable to individuals. Also, there is such a thing as societal or cultural evolution and knowledge definitely advances (or in some cases like now rescinds) culture.

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As you know, I believe the-brights.net is our best concerted chance to overthrow dogmatic religion now that so many are turning away from it. We need a united effort against Catholic/Evan ideas and that can't come from individuals who have little power outside a vote. So long as this idea is a problem for those who want to be right, instead of influential, then it won't happen though.

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