Theres this apple on the table. Theres little people that live on the table and naturally, they worship the apple. One day, one of the little guys decides hes going to prove once and for all where the apple came from so he uses all his brain power (plus some of his followers) and eventully comes to the conclusion that the apple was, a long time ago in the air, suspended by some sort of mass of atoms. More investigation and he worked out that this mass` held the apple by means of its shape - namely separate, protruding lengths of atoms sticking out from the main mass, hooking under the apple, thus suspending it in the air. Other little people disssagread with this view - they believed that actually a giant hand had held the apple…
Yes, but suggesting that there is a “why” to be found in any situation automatically inplies that there is purpose behind that situation, which is not necesarily the case. You’re begging the question, and immediately indicated that you’re searching for some conscious, rational direction in a given event. The apple may just exist: how it came to be can probably be explained (by a giant hand dropping it there), but why the hand dropped the apple there imediately implies some conscious direction in that action.
Take any question that starts with “why” and restucture the question so that it begins with how, what or when and you’ll usually get an answer for more consitent with that of nature, without needing to refer to ambiguous notions like purpose or meaning. The notion that there must be a purpose behind any event is due to our inescapably human way of thinking, and, once again, I’ll refer you to David Hume to explain why this is so.
Purpose or meaning can only be derived from an event or object when you fully understand what this event or object is, and, perhaps, how it came to be, not the other way around.
Hey JP,
I generally agree with your post. To my mind, purpose has to do with goals and missions. I allow that purpose may only be ascribed to senient beings possessing some degree of free-will. I don’t see purpose in the Universe at-large.
Nothing has meaning unless it is given meaning.
Michael
JP - I did say that I was in doubt as to wether the how why phrase had much to do with the text about the apple, but I threw it in anyway cause I thought it interesting…
little people worship apples? 