You: Hello, 23. Philosophy, rational argument, extreme poverty...cog. psych too
You: What do you like to do?
Stranger: I liked to read
Stranger: and you are a philosopher?
You: No, just enjoy reading and discussing
Stranger: the unexamined life is not one worth living right?
Stranger: so you want to talk about finding meaning in life or something? haha
Stranger: as Socrates would ask
Stranger: what is the good life?
Stranger: and how do you live an ethical life?
You: first, you'd need to look into it ;)
Stranger: excuse me? haha
Stranger: and also if i may say
Stranger: and if you are a true philosopher id think youd be ok with this
Stranger: but i disagree with your answer
Stranger: to what a good life is
Stranger: i dont think that ethics (alone) is enough to live the good life
Stranger: to live the good life
Stranger: a person needs to discover what is truly meaningful to them
Stranger: they need to discover what activities are truly worthwile to them
Stranger: the answer is different for every person and only they can discover what that is
Stranger: I think that ethics plays a role in that
Stranger: but ethics, by itself, is not that answer
Stranger: but how can you?
Stranger: you cant determine what makes someone happy
Stranger: you can only decide what makes you happy
Stranger: its how you feel inside
You: I don't think we should focus on making ourselves so happy all the time
Stranger: and i think we should
Stranger: whats the purpose of life
Stranger: if we encouraged every individual
Stranger: not to enjoy it?
Stranger: im not asking people to be selfish
Stranger: we all have a responsibility to world around us as well
Stranger: but first and foremost we must learn to love and be happy with ourselves
You: "I don't know why we are here--but I'm pretty sure it's not to enjoy ourselves."
You: "We are here to help others...the reason the others are here--I have no idea."
Stranger: why are you sharing them with me
Stranger: what are you trying to do with these quotes?
You: forget about it. It was mainly for your entertainment. I'm glad I did not preface them with the authors & descriptions
You: 7.1 To realize one's potential and ideals
7.2 To achieve biological perfection
7.3 To seek wisdom and knowledge
7.4 To do good, to do the right thing
7.5 Meanings relating to religion
7.6 To love, to feel, to enjoy the act of living
7.7 To have power, to be better
7.8 Life has no meaning
You: You believe it's primarily about 7.1 or 7.6
Stranger: what? what is this?
You: I believe it's primarily about a 7.4
You: Now, I will admit that I did have your position initially. Years ago
Stranger: well some people are determined to be right about everything
Stranger: but its what is correct that is imporant
Stranger: not who is correct
You: I neither agree nor disagree.
You: Let's get back to the ontological argument
You: I need some time to ponder some points though...
You: We disagree about the primary reason to what it means to live a good life, or generally, the meaning of human life.
You: Unless you've been reading something on this matter that you're not mentioning, I'm trying to figure out where we should go next (about it).
Stranger: mans search for meaning
Stranger: what did you think?
Stranger: well... morality seems like something thats important to you
You: He has an interesting story.
Stranger: maybe in some sense... it helps to give you meaning
Stranger: i dont know that for sure
Stranger: I beleive that only you can answer that question
You: I suppose I don't believe our lives have an innate (a priori) purpose. Although, I do not believe that nihilism or absurdism is the good way to go about it.
You: And so, as an instrumentalist (sees morality merely as a social phenomenon)
You: And since we are living among other people
You: A logical conclusion (with a rational basis) is to live an ethical life.
Stranger: Well... how do you know that other people exist?
You: And sure, making yourself happy is mostly just a biased/impartial reasoning to our existance
You: Thinking that human life is meant to seek their own happiness however they like is an attached meaning. Wishful thinking, per se
Stranger: answer the question
Stranger: how do you know that other people exist?
You: Have you read Descartes?
Stranger: does it have anything to do with answering my question?
Stranger: ok. then go on please
You: He would say no, broadly. And then we could get in the brain in the vat thought experiment--but I think that's a tangent.
You: Perhaps even a red herring.
Stranger: so he doesnt think we can definitley say that other people exist
Stranger: well what would be wrong with that?
You:https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/23757/how-can-we-prove-something-exists
You: Anyway, I already mentioned I don't see your point either way.
Stranger: we can necesarily prove
Stranger: that anything other than ourselves exist
Stranger: or doesnt exist
You: Ya, I'm calling a red herring on this one. Our argument is more related to egoism/altruism than an idea from the 1600s.
Stranger: a red herring? no i dont think so
Stranger: because i dont see this point as a distraction
You: Again, what's your point?
You: That would imply that ethics should be ignored all together.
You: Again, I'm not agreeing or disagreeing
Stranger: what matters most is how we truly feel inside
Stranger: because every person that does or doesnt exist
Stranger: lives in a sense
Stranger: in their own universe
Stranger: and i cant put into words
Stranger: what it means to bring meaning to that individual universe
You: I'll accept that you cannot put into words. Although, we can't argue then. It'd be a standstill.
You: Like the question, "Does God exist?"
Stranger: hahaha thats a big question
You: If you can't put your fundamental base into words it cannot be refuted
Stranger: so let me just say this
Stranger: for what i believe will help your sake (of course, maybe it wont, or you think it wont)
Stranger: when you wake up in the morning
Stranger: how do you feel about yourself and your life
Stranger: and who you are in this universe?
You: Agh, so you want to go back to the cogito ergo sum debate
Stranger: well i do think its the most important kind of debate
You: There may not be "proof" that other's exist...but...
Stranger: but if you could answer the question please
Stranger: how you feel about who you are in this universe
You: I just said I disagree. That means the question is irrelevant until proven correct.
Stranger: a question cant be correct or incorrect
You: Actually, I'm probably a determinist
Stranger: sure maybe you think its irrelevant
Stranger: that doesnt make it wrong to ask
You: So the question is nonsense (if I completely side for determinism)
Stranger: well... regardless what you think of the question
Stranger: I bet your capable of answering it
You: How do I feel about myself and my life?
You: Would depend on the context. How do I feel about what about myself and my life?
Stranger: well i just mean very generally
Stranger: like how do you feel about yourself
Stranger: and who you are
Stranger: and the things you do
You: I just said. I don't believe a person has a "self". I'm taking the deterministic perspective. (Although, I haven't decided on whether to truly accept the position.)
Stranger: well what do you beleive a person does have?
You: To answer the question
You: Every moment I am born, decay and die.
You: A person has actions in the context of objectives. A person has feelings in regards to hormones and phases the body goes though. A person has beliefs based on experiences, their history and a multitude of other factors.
Stranger: how do you feel about you
Stranger: exclude the self part
Stranger: who you are, the things you do
You: Depends on what they are. If I'm good at it, then generally content. If I don't know, then it varies widely.
Stranger: i mean how you are in culmination
Stranger: are you happy with who you are?
Stranger: that i think is the problem
Stranger: you are the only thing that you know for certain exist
You: and disagree on that point
Stranger: yes and i wanted to understand have have further confirmation why
You: (even though I like to stay on the fence for philosophy I haven't thoroughly researched)
Stranger: and you gave that to me
Stranger: and with that information
Stranger: i have concluded
Stranger: that reason you are the way you are
Stranger: is because you have not found meaning in your existence
You: I have found meaning
You: I am, and will cont. to lessen as much extreme poverty as I can
You: Just because I disagree with you, fundamentally and existentially
