Re: The Future and Nihilism (was Re: >H RE: Present dangers to

Brian Manning Delaney (b-delaney@uchicago.edu)
Sun, 05 Sep 1999 13:09:48 -0700

"J. R. Molloy" <jr@shasta.com> wrote:
> Brian Manning Delaney wrote,

>> There are definitely some schools of thought
>> that make such claims, but, in my view they fail.
>> How, after all, would one ground the notion that
>> "the purpose is to have fun"? Not that,
>> personally I believe such a view has zero merit.
>> I just think it can't (easily, at least) be
>> justified.

> Avoiding boredom has to rank as our most
> important purpose, because if you bore folks,
> they just won't listen to you.

Well, this is getting boring, but I'll not that I disagree here -- though perhaps wehat you say is true of some people (you perhaps! and often me).

> Wittgenstein offered (IMO) the best proof
> of hedonism:
> "7. Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one
> must be silent."
> Trying to prove that you enjoy life for
> itself takes the fun out of it,
> for both sides of the dialogue.

Assumption: life is supposed to be, or MUST be, fun. Assumption: "fun" means the same thing to, or results from the same thing for, everyone.

Don't agree, myself. Though I have more fun when life is fun, to be sure!!

> <snip>

>> Empirically, yes, this is our only option. But
>> in deciding whether or not aliens might pervade
>> our world, we can entertain other options.

> I'll drink to that.

Me too!

Brian.