2) That depends entirely on the definition of meaning, just as AndHisHorse points out. It’s not clear to me what is the most accepted definition of meaning, not even among scientists, let alone laymen.
One could even define meaning as loosely as “a map/representation of something that is depdendant or entangled with reality”. Most people seem to use meaning and purpose interchangably. In this case I like purpose better, because then we can ask “what is the purpose of this hammer” and there is a reasonable answer to it that we all know. And if you furtner ask “why does it have purpose” you can say because humans made it to fulfill a certain function, which is therefore its purpose.
But be careful; “what is the purpose of a wing” (or alternatively insert any other biologically evolved feature here) may be a deeply confused question. In the case of the hammer “purpose” is a future-directed function/utility because an agent shaped it. In the case of a wing, there is no future-directed function, but rather a past-directed reason for its existance. Therefore, “In order to fly” is not the correct answer to the question “why do wings exist”, the correct answer has to be past-directed (something like “becasue it enabled many generations before to do X, Y, and Z and thus became selected for by the environment”). So the purpose of hammers and wings aren’t necessarily well-defined questions at all.
Humans, being biologically evolved beings, don’t have purpose in the sense of a hammer, but only in the sense of a wing—the difference however may be, that we can exert more agency than a wing or a bird and can actually create things with purpose and can thus possibly give ourselves or our lives purpose.
My answer then would be that we don’t have future-directed purpose apart from whatever purpose(s) we choose to give ourselves. Sure we may be in a simulation, but there is little evidence that this simulation is in any way about us, we may just be a complete by-product of whatever purpose the simulation may have.
Yes I think you and AndHisHorse are right on your criticism of [2].
I also really loved the past-directed future-directed distinction you are making! It kind of corners me towards making a teleological argument as a response, which I have to support against the evolutionary evidence of a past-directed purpose! There is another answer I can attempt that is based on the pragmatic view of truth but phew… I don’t think I am ready for that at the moment :)
2) That depends entirely on the definition of meaning, just as AndHisHorse points out. It’s not clear to me what is the most accepted definition of meaning, not even among scientists, let alone laymen.
One could even define meaning as loosely as “a map/representation of something that is depdendant or entangled with reality”. Most people seem to use meaning and purpose interchangably. In this case I like purpose better, because then we can ask “what is the purpose of this hammer” and there is a reasonable answer to it that we all know. And if you furtner ask “why does it have purpose” you can say because humans made it to fulfill a certain function, which is therefore its purpose.
But be careful; “what is the purpose of a wing” (or alternatively insert any other biologically evolved feature here) may be a deeply confused question. In the case of the hammer “purpose” is a future-directed function/utility because an agent shaped it. In the case of a wing, there is no future-directed function, but rather a past-directed reason for its existance. Therefore, “In order to fly” is not the correct answer to the question “why do wings exist”, the correct answer has to be past-directed (something like “becasue it enabled many generations before to do X, Y, and Z and thus became selected for by the environment”). So the purpose of hammers and wings aren’t necessarily well-defined questions at all.
Humans, being biologically evolved beings, don’t have purpose in the sense of a hammer, but only in the sense of a wing—the difference however may be, that we can exert more agency than a wing or a bird and can actually create things with purpose and can thus possibly give ourselves or our lives purpose.
My answer then would be that we don’t have future-directed purpose apart from whatever purpose(s) we choose to give ourselves. Sure we may be in a simulation, but there is little evidence that this simulation is in any way about us, we may just be a complete by-product of whatever purpose the simulation may have.
Yes I think you and AndHisHorse are right on your criticism of [2].
I also really loved the past-directed future-directed distinction you are making! It kind of corners me towards making a teleological argument as a response, which I have to support against the evolutionary evidence of a past-directed purpose! There is another answer I can attempt that is based on the pragmatic view of truth but phew… I don’t think I am ready for that at the moment :)
Thanks!