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Purpose of Life

Let's think about it this way. If you take some babies - boys and girls alike, and put them in the wild, without teaching them anything or even speaking to them. If you do that, when the babies will grow, their primary objective will be sex, food, water, and oxygen. Like all living things.

However, if you keep them with you, teach them, be next to them, they will learn the morals of society which are for love and alike. Sex is your primary objective as an individual organism, but not as a part of society. I guess that's what I was trying to say.

Life Purpose

If you're talking about survival of the species, then perhaps that's the only thing that makes any real difference -- if you're an animal.

I don't think we're talking about the same thing, here. The purpose of life for Humans, for "Mankind," is not just sex and reproduction. It's been shown over and over throughout history that Man has always strived to improve, to progress; we're hardwired to learn and explore.

Maybe if you took a bunch of babies out into the wilderness, the first generation would be all about survival -- food, water, sex, etc. But the next generation would progress beyond that, the next generation beyond that, etc.

IMO
Roz

Purpose of Life Beliefs Religious General

Yeah - that is right (although it may take really really long. Remember, the babies learned nothing.Language, what is right, what is wrong. ) I didn't think of that. So would you say the need for society is part of us? that's interesting...

Life Purpose

The babies weren't taught anything -- but you can bet they learned plenty! I would imagine they'd develop a primitive sign language in addition to a spoken language, and even develop basic rules and social structure. You'd be surprised how enterprising humans can be.

Yes, I do think we're programmed to form "society" -- recently there was even an article in Newsweek or Time (I forget which) that said our DNA is programmed to seek a "higher power"!

And it would still be my guess that the focus of our "babies'" lives would not be sex. For instance, how would they know that survival of their species depended on reproduction? They may have the instinct to mate, but that wouldn't be the purpose of their lives.

In my opinion.
Roz

Life Purpose

I would say it would take no less then 20 generations to develope a spoken language. The concept of language will not be that easy to think of. For us it is, because we're surrounded by people who speak and we speak ourselves. Did you know, though, that if, by the age of four, you haven't spoken or heard a language, you couldn't ever learn one for the rest of your life? That means the initiative would have to be of the babies, which would take awhile.

The babes were just thrown into the wilderness, having no knowledge of the human race or history. To suddenly stop and wonder what your purpose is will take them a while, especially when they have all the hunting to do and feeding their children once they'll grow. Not until they will develop a government which will provide them with the necessities, will they do such thinking.

Such a paradox - we are programmed to form society and suppress instincts - which were programmed in us themselves!

Purpose of Life

20 generations to develop a spoken language? Perhaps. But they will certainly communicate with one another in *some* way rather quickly because it's necessary; and as they discover that more nuance is needed, that will become more developed.

So you think that only if a being's mind is freed from the focus of food and survival will they ponder the greater world? That's possible, I suppose, but I'm not sure I agree completely with that scenario. The mind of Man never stops working, and each time the belly is satisfied, I believe the mind would "contemplate the cosmos."

No. I'm saying the urge to form society is an instinct in itself. Humans dislike being alone, and in fact, many will join with other humans merely because of that fact and not because they particularly like those other humans. The urge to join together is stronger than the urge to be solitary.

Eeek! Heaven forbid they should develop such a Nanny Government! That would take generations of whining. But that's another topic.


In my opinion, of course.
Roz

Purpose Life

There is an LDS scripture that I think sums up the purpose of life nicely.

...men are that they might have joy. (2 Nephi 2:25)

Now, at face value, you might think this is a shallow way to view life. However, if you really give it some thought, you might see how it makes sense.

What is joy? Without food, you will not be totally happy. Without companionship and perhaps sex, you won't be totally happy.

Without shelter, you won't be totally happy.

So, we can be happy without certain things, but our "instinct" if you want to call it that is to work towards a more complete satisfaction. Just about everything we do, is with an eye towards perfecting our joy.

Edited: tenaheff on 9th Nov, 2004 - 8:53pm