I occasionally go through existential crises that involve questions that normally seem obvious, but which seem much more perplexing when experiencing these existential crises. I’m curious then what the answers to these questions would be from the perspective of a rationalist well versed in the ideas put forth in the Less Wrong community. Questions such as:
What is the meaning of life?
If meaning is subjective, does that mean there is no objective meaning to life?
Why should I exist? Or why should I not exist?
Why should I obey my genetic programming and emotional/biological drives?
Why should I act at all as a rational agent? Why should I allow goals to direct my behaviour?
Are any goals at all, normative in nature, such that we “should” or “ought” to do them, or are all goals basically trivial preferences?
Why should I respond to pleasure and pain? Why allow what are essentially outside forces to control me?
Why should I be happy? What makes happiness intrinsically desirable?
Even if my goals and purposes were to be self-willed, why does that make them worth achieving?
Do moral imperatives exist?
If I have no intrinsic values, desires or goals, if I choose to reject my programming, what is the point of existing? What is the point of not existing?
Aren’t all values essentially subjective? Why should I value anything?
Any help answering these probably silly questions once and for all would be greatly appreciated.
From just following hyperlinks it seems I’ve read a little less than half of the Meta-ethics Sequence already, but I haven’t read every article (and I admit I’ve skimmed some of the longer ones). I guess this is a good time as any to go back and read the whole thing.
Dear Less Wrong,
I occasionally go through existential crises that involve questions that normally seem obvious, but which seem much more perplexing when experiencing these existential crises. I’m curious then what the answers to these questions would be from the perspective of a rationalist well versed in the ideas put forth in the Less Wrong community. Questions such as:
What is the meaning of life?
If meaning is subjective, does that mean there is no objective meaning to life?
Why should I exist? Or why should I not exist?
Why should I obey my genetic programming and emotional/biological drives?
Why should I act at all as a rational agent? Why should I allow goals to direct my behaviour?
Are any goals at all, normative in nature, such that we “should” or “ought” to do them, or are all goals basically trivial preferences?
Why should I respond to pleasure and pain? Why allow what are essentially outside forces to control me?
Why should I be happy? What makes happiness intrinsically desirable?
Even if my goals and purposes were to be self-willed, why does that make them worth achieving?
Do moral imperatives exist?
If I have no intrinsic values, desires or goals, if I choose to reject my programming, what is the point of existing? What is the point of not existing?
Aren’t all values essentially subjective? Why should I value anything?
Any help answering these probably silly questions once and for all would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Darklight,
For LW-specific answers, consider reading the Meta-ethics Sequence.
From just following hyperlinks it seems I’ve read a little less than half of the Meta-ethics Sequence already, but I haven’t read every article (and I admit I’ve skimmed some of the longer ones). I guess this is a good time as any to go back and read the whole thing.
Yes, there can be no reason outside yourself why you should value, want, desire anything or set any goals or have any preferences.
You still do want, desire, value, etc...certain things though, right?