[PREV - LIFE] [TOP]
November 3, 2002
It's tempting to try to base
a universal ethics on the need
for human survival. Ayn Rand went in
that direction.
This seems promising And maybe
because most human All that stuff Heinlein,
beings are interested about A=A, non- too? I don't
in survival, and contradiction, remember the
individual survival and so on, argument in
usually depends on seems to be "Starship
group survival. just be about Troopers"
recognizing that well.
Practically, you need that you need
to argue from this certain things There was
kind of common to live. that stuff
interest to form about using
coalitions in order That is, symbolic
to do anything. Freedom, logic to
specifically prove moral
the freedom of issues...
But it just doesn't The Great,
hold up as a because their
philosophical efforts make
center... your life
possible.)
It's not that Hiding from
difficult to this truth is
construct derided as
scenarios where suicidal.
survival seems HAPPY_BREED
pointless.
IRONTHORN
Survival is a
prerequisite for
most things we
might desire,
but it isn't the
fundamental
motivation.
In extreme cases we're
willing to risk our "Give me liberty or
survival for things that give me death."
are more important.
We don't just live
to live, we need
something else to You can say the same
live for. thing about "liberty":
Liberty for what?
Living for the sake Freedom means you're
of others just pushes not going to let
the problem around. someone else decide
the purpose of your
If the "others" are just existence... it's
leading a miserable life, not an end in itself.
why would helping them
survive be a worthy goal, "Live to be free"
something to justify your Doesn't work either.
own misery?
So.
What's the *real* answer?
The purpose of human existence is...
Art
and/or
Games
GAMES
Those being the two classes
of human activity that
have nothing to do with
human survival.
Possible alternate
answer: Style.
But it could be argued:
Art is not useless,
art is the not-obviously-useful.
Game playing is often justified
as having value as education or
exercise.
Style is always part of the Signal,
and it is not clear that it is
always the useless part.
Does usefulness contaminate,
make something less useful
as a motive center?
Is it possible to evaluate
art/games/style?
Is it possible
for art to be bad art,
for a game to be a stupid game,
for style to be
too obvious, too formulaic?
Live not to create art,
but to create good art.
A life dedicated to pointless art
would seem no less pointless.
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