"As soon as we imagine someone who is responsible for our being thus, and thus, etc, (God, nature), and therefore attribute to him the intention that we should exist and be happy or wretched, we corrupt for ourselves the innocence of becoming."
-Nietzsche, The Will To Power
At the heart of what I believe is that you cannot tell a person that they have a moral obligation to enjoy a painting. The fact that you enjoy the work of art in itself is what makes it beautiful.
I am often asked questions along the lines of "without god isn't life meaningless?"
Yes I suppose by a certain definition without God life is meaningless, that does not mean it cannot be beautiful and full.
The meaning of life is not to be moral. I believe this a common mistake by many people. They believe that morality and "meaning" go hand in hand but they are two very separate things. Morality is codes of ethical and enforceable behavior rooted in the nature of human beings. Surely if you simply restrain yourself from killing people that doesn't mean that you life is now meaningful. Someone who does claim that morality and meaning are one in the same is clearly stating that they believe obedience is the meaning of their life.
However there is no universal meaning to life. There is simply a standard that many of us desire: happiness.
So really when someone asks "but isn't life meaningless without god?" or "isn't life depressing without a loving god?" Well that these people are really saying is that they don't know how to enjoy life unless they are told that they should enjoy it.
Does someone have to tell you to enjoy a painting or a work of art?
The same principle goes for life. Understand it and enjoy it, or don't if you want to, that's fine. You don't have to enjoy life. Most of us simply want to. And there are certain ways to do that, just like there is certain ways to eat healthy.
I truly find it sad when people think life is depressing and useless simply because they don't feel that they have been given permission to enjoy it.
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2 comments:
So really when someone asks "but isn't life meaningless without god?" or "isn't life depressing without a loving god?"
You stated that very well, I liked this blog a lot. There was some original thought.
Ancient Greeks held that the meaning of life is happiness (Platon if I remember correctly). Many add discovering the truth and thus acquiring wisdom. I suppose you would find "The god-part of the brain" interesting food for thought. The writer is some Matthew Alper.
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