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Thread: The meaning of life for atheists

  1. #1

    Default The meaning of life for atheists

    Religious people often seem to think that the lives of atheists are meaningless as they are devoid of gods. But of course this is not true.

    Here is Richard Carrier's decription of how atheists' lives can be meaningful: Our Meaning in Life

    And below is some Youtube atheist explaining her views:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    What do the local atheists at this forum think give their lives meaning?

  2. #2
    ComnenusTheOne's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Nothing. Who said life has a meaning?

  3. #3

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    The purpose of life is to propagate itself.

    In my opinion, though, life is a futile thing. Anything anybody may accomplish in their lifetime, no matter how great, will eventually be forgotten and rendered meaningless. Most of us are forgotten after only a few generations. My perspective on this is simply to live the moment and go with the flow. There is no profound reason for me to exist, but neither is there a reason for me not to exist. And the way I'm wired, existing is preferable to not existing.

    That's my take anyways.

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    Trax's Avatar It's a conspiracy!
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    There is no meaning, but that doesn't stop many people, even atheists, from having delusions to the contrary in order to avoid going insane.

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    Nutsack's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Quote Originally Posted by ComnenusTheOne View Post
    Nothing. Who said life has a meaning?
    This.

    I don't honestly believe life has a greater meaning than what we make of it ourselves.


  6. #6

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Love is what gives my life meaning. I try to do it deeply and often as I can. The little spark you see when you make someones life better, that's my major sustaining factor. Of course that's not always available - in lieu of that there's always the mortal pleasures of flesh and goods to hold me over.

    As is pointed out by the other posts though - this is not some universal truth. This will not resound with everyone at the same level it does with me. This is only my personal meaning that I give to myself.
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    Himster's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Meaning itself doesn't really have meaning of itself. Meaning is something conferred by sentience.
    It's nice to think that meaning is discovered rather than invented. The distinction between something that is invented and something that is discovered is superficial. Whether the meaning we give our lives is invented or discovered is irrelevant.

    In short meaning has meaning only because we say it has meaning.
    The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, but wiser people are full of doubts.
    -Betrand Russell

  8. #8

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    There's no objective meaning, so I choose hedonism as my meaning.

  9. #9
    LSJ's Avatar Protector Domesticus
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    I don't believe life would have an objective meaning even if there was a god. God making a declaration doesn't make something objective - it's just his opinion.

    Instead of relying on someone else's idea of what you should be doing, you should give yourself goals. I find goals that you give yourself have much more meaning.

  10. #10

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Everyones life has an own meaning.

  11. #11
    Facupay's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    The meaning of life is to find a meaning for it.

    Oh look I'm soo deep.

    But really, that's what I believe anyone who thinks that life is meaningless should do. Besides, you are sure you are going to die at some point in the future, but you can't be sure if you'll have the chance to experience life again, so you should try to do something worthwhile with it.
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  12. #12
    Himster's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    If you have a hard time finding a meaning for your life then you should join a cult and/or religion. Most people do this anyway.
    The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, but wiser people are full of doubts.
    -Betrand Russell

  13. #13

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Try to enjoy it. It seems to work.

    "Try to be good, if you can't be good, be lucky"

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    AqD's Avatar 。◕‿◕。
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Nothing. My life is indeed meaningless.


    But I fail to see how religion would make it better, since God would be the source of all misery.

  15. #15

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    The mistake in the question of the thread is that there are atheistic religions that provide similar 'meaning of life' guidance as some theistic religions, albeit without the say-so of a deity.
    One thing is for certain: the more profoundly baffled you have been in your life, the more open your mind becomes to new ideas.
    -Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable. Let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.

  16. #16
    Himster's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Quote Originally Posted by Gaidin View Post
    The mistake in the question of the thread is that there are atheistic religions that provide similar 'meaning of life' guidance as some theistic religions, albeit without the say-so of a deity.
    This is quite true.
    The more accurate title would be: "The meaning of life for non-religious people".
    But this is an academic objection. The colloquial use of the word "atheist" is well known enough to carry understandable meaning.
    The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, but wiser people are full of doubts.
    -Betrand Russell

  17. #17
    Blau&Gruen's Avatar Civitate
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    The question of meaning leads into questions related to theories of language.

    One could e.g. transform the question into: What is the language of ... for ... ? If you place for "of ..." with "of life", you start to get a tough nevertheless interesting problem. The second replacement "for ..." is then secondary. I would assume.
    Last edited by Blau&Gruen; February 04, 2013 at 08:17 AM.
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  18. #18

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Quote Originally Posted by Himster View Post
    This is quite true.
    The more accurate title would be: "The meaning of life for non-religious people".
    But this is an academic objection. The colloquial use of the word "atheist" is well known enough to carry understandable meaning.
    Well if we really want to go with the colloquial use of the word, there is no meaning persay. The added bonus is that means that us colloquial atheists get to make our own meaning in life. If we enjoy life, we enjoy life. If we don't, we don't. It means more or less to us because this is what we've got, no more, no less.
    One thing is for certain: the more profoundly baffled you have been in your life, the more open your mind becomes to new ideas.
    -Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable. Let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.

  19. #19
    Diocle's Avatar Comes Limitis
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    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Why life should have a damn meaning?

    Why are all the theists searching for a childish and idiotic meaning for everything, also when they go to toilet....??????


    Usquae tandem theists abutere patientia nostra?

  20. #20

    Default Re: The meaning of life for atheists

    Quote Originally Posted by ComnenusTheOne View Post
    Nothing. Who said life has a meaning?
    Then why wake up in the morning? Why not just kill yourself?

    Why life should have a damn meaning?
    So what is your purpose in life? Nothing? Ah you must be from Greece!
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