Sunday, 17 January 2016

Neil deGrasse Tyson and the meaning of Life

From here:

In response to a 6 year old asking the meaning of life, Neil deGrasse Tyson responded:

If I live a day and I don't know a little more that day than the day before, I think I wasted that day.


Which means that the meaning of life is constituted solely by the accumulation of knowledge. Not any other satisfactions that one might obtain. In our lives we form friendships and relationships with others, achieve various goals, experience many pleasures. Knowledge is not the only thing, and definitely not for a 6 year old.


Moreover, I'm guessing he's talking about scientific knowledge. Such knowledge is always provisional. Furthermore there are questions pertaining to whether our scientific knowledge depicts a literal state of affairs. And in addition science only describes reality rather than telling us what it really is in its essence.

That's how I would have responded if I were the 6 year old.


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