Universal Doubt and The Meaning of Life
In my last post in this series, I examined two opposing views on the question of existence, and claimed to support Hume's position of universal doubt. The main problem with universal doubt, however, is that it leads to universal confusion, despair, and depression.
If Life Has No Meaning, What's The Point Of Living?
The answer, in a word, is none. There is no point. There is no final reason, no grand purpose. From this frame of reference, there is no truth and there is no meaning.
And I have no claims to dispute that assertion. I have yet to see anyone prove that life has meaning.
HOWEVER...
This does not mean that I believe my life is meaningless. Far from it. What it means is that I cannot prove my beliefs. The meaning I find in my life is only supported by my own experience, emotion, and intuition. It is the belief in something without having any sort of evidence or proof. In short, the solution is faith.
When I use the term faith, I'm not necessarily talking about religious faith. You don't have to believe in God to have faith. Your own faith can be in anything that you choose. And it is exactly that choice that gives your life meaning.
“Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love, true love, never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.”
In my last post in this series, I examined two opposing views on the question of existence, and claimed to support Hume's position of universal doubt. The main problem with universal doubt, however, is that it leads to universal confusion, despair, and depression.
If Life Has No Meaning, What's The Point Of Living?
The answer, in a word, is none. There is no point. There is no final reason, no grand purpose. From this frame of reference, there is no truth and there is no meaning.
And I have no claims to dispute that assertion. I have yet to see anyone prove that life has meaning.
HOWEVER...
This does not mean that I believe my life is meaningless. Far from it. What it means is that I cannot prove my beliefs. The meaning I find in my life is only supported by my own experience, emotion, and intuition. It is the belief in something without having any sort of evidence or proof. In short, the solution is faith.
When I use the term faith, I'm not necessarily talking about religious faith. You don't have to believe in God to have faith. Your own faith can be in anything that you choose. And it is exactly that choice that gives your life meaning.
“Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love, true love, never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.”
-Hub from the film Second Hand Lions
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