Cosmic Insignificance

Housekeeping

1. Midterms returned. Key at Canvas in announcement.
2. Will have an asynchronous class to make up for the snow day.
3. Will discuss paper assignment next time.

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Tolstoy Recap

CRISIS: DEATH AND MEANINGLESSNESS

The argument for meaninglessness

1. If death brings everything to an end, then life is meaningless.
2. Death does bring everything to an end.  THEREFORE
3. Life is meaningless.

The argument for despair

1. Life is meaningless. 
2. If life is meaningless, I have nothing to live for and may as well be dead. THEREFORE
3. I have nothing to live for and may as well be dead.  [despair] 

ACQUIRES NEW RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

    Everlasting union with God

RESOLUTION, MEANING FOUND

The argument for meaninglessness

1. If death brings everything to an end, then life is meaningless.
2. Death does bring everything to an end.  THEREFORE
3. Life is meaningless.

The argument for despair

1. Life is meaningless. 
2. If life is meaningless, I have nothing to live for and may as well be dead. THEREFORE
3. I have nothing to live for and may as well be dead.  [despair] 

    Changes his way of life to focus on union with God 

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David Benatar, The Human Predicament -- excerpt

CRISIS: NO COSMIC MEANING

• Nothing matters sub specie aeternitatis (sub speeshee iternitatis) 
• Means: from the perspective of eternity
• less literally: from the point of view of the universe
• or: in the grand scheme of things
• We can induce this thought by thinking about the vastness of the universe

William Shatner after going into space

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IS THERE A SOLUTION?

Theistic solutions (Benatar: they don't work)

Must do all three:

1. show universe has a creator ...
2. explain creator's purpose in creating us
3. explain in a way that gives us cosmic meaning

Theories of creator's purpose that don't make sense or don't give us cosmic meaning

1. 

   War of the Worlds

   We were created as a food supply for aliens (doesn't give us cosmic meaning)
2. We were created to love and serve God (God is a narcissist!)
3. We were created to help each other (doesn't create cosmic meaning, circular)
4. We were created to prepare for the afterlife (like creating a child so the child will enjoy retirement)

Can we even show the universe has a creator? (discusses problem of evil)

1. Terrible suffering in many countries
2. Predation throughout nature

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Non-theistic solutions (Benatar: they don't work)

1. Every species exists for the purpose of reproducing more members of the species (Stephen Law)
• Benatar: no, nature works blindly
2. Whatever value there is to our lives, it's the only value there is, so our lives have "immense cosmic significance" (p. 47) (Guy Kahane)
• Benatar: just because it's the only value doesn't mean it's a lot!

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NO, THERE IS NO SOLUTION!

• There is no cosmic meaning
• And this should bother us!

BUT THERE'S TERRESTRIAL MEANING

• Greater impact, more meaning 
• This isn't cosmic meaning and the lack of cosmic meaning should still bother us.

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TERRESTRIAL MEANING 

(we missed this because of the snow day)

PETER SINGER

WATCH ALL (or from 6:47)