Science can't answer these questions

C

Cypress

Well-known member
These questions are universally shared by all human beings.

1. Is existence meaningful, absurd, or both?
2. How should I live my life? Does it matter?
3. Do I need other people? Why? How?
4. What does death mean, if anything?



Francis Ambrosio, Georgetown University
 
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Rather than insisting on finding the answer, it might be best to be open to the power of the question, and to the wisdom traditions that explore them.
 
Cypress said:
These questions are universally shared by all human beings.

1. Is existence meaningful, absurd, or both?
2. How should I live my life? Does it matter?
3. Do I need other people? Why? How?
4. What does death mean, if anything?



Francis Ambrosio, Georgetown University
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I actually think science can somewhat answer questions 2 and 3 now and will be better capable of answering both in the future as our understanding of the human brain improves.

A simple example related to #3.... research has shown that isolation can most definitely be detrimental to mental health. If, in the future, our knowledge of the brain increases, we will likely be able to pinpoint precisely why that is the case.
 
Cypress said:
These questions are universally shared by all human beings.

1. Is existence meaningful, absurd, or both?
2. How should I live my life? Does it matter?
3. Do I need other people? Why? How?
4. What does death mean, if anything?



Francis Ambrosio, Georgetown University
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Agree. Science just describes physical events. It has nothing to say about 98% of what people care about day to day.
 
ZenMode said:
I actually think science can somewhat answer questions 2 and 3 now and will be better capable of answering both in the future as our understanding of the human brain improves.

A simple example related to #3.... research has shown that isolation can most definitely be detrimental to mental health. If, in the future, our knowledge of the brain increases, we will likely be able to pinpoint precisely why that is the case.
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No society has ever thought people flourish in isolation.
 
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BidenPresident said:
Agree. Science just describes physical events. It has nothing to say about 98% of what people care about day to day.
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Yes, I think science is fascinating and inspiring.

But as interesting as neutron stars, quarks, and fossil trilobites are, they aren't the kind of thing most people think about or need to live life on a daily basis.

The vast majority of people don't know calculus, quantum mechanics, or inorganic chemistry. We just need trained
elite experts to apply the science for technological purposes.
 
ZenMode said:
I actually think science can somewhat answer questions 2 and 3 now and will be better capable of answering both in the future as our understanding of the human brain improves.

A simple example related to #3.... research has shown that isolation can most definitely be detrimental to mental health. If, in the future, our knowledge of the brain increases, we will likely be able to pinpoint precisely why that is the case.
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John Arden, PhD has done research on this.
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/planting-seeds-of-healthy-brain-we-interview-dr-john-b-arden-031914

The Brain Benefits of Social Connection
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...02303/the-brain-benefits-of-social-connection
 
ZenMode said:
I actually think science can somewhat answer questions 2 and 3 now and will be better capable of answering both in the future as our understanding of the human brain improves.

A simple example related to #3.... research has shown that isolation can most definitely be detrimental to mental health. If, in the future, our knowledge of the brain increases, we will likely be able to pinpoint precisely why that is the case.
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I think your right that science can provide mechanistic explanations and useful medical information.


But I've read a lot of chemistry, physics, and biology textbooks and articles, and I've never run across one that gives useful insights and guidance into the questions posted in the OP.
 
Cypress said:
Yes, I think science is fascinating and inspiring.

But as interesting as neutron stars, quarks, and fossil trilobites are, they aren't the kind of thing most people think about or need to live life on a daily basis.

The vast majority of people don't know calculus, quantum mechanics, or inorganic chemistry. We just need trained
elite experts to apply the science for technological purposes.
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"Even when all possible scientific questions have been answered, the problems of life remain completely untouched."
Wittenstein, Tractatus, 6.52

https://dl1.cuni.cz/pluginfile.php/...genstein - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.pdf
 
BidenPresident said:
No society has ever thought people flourish in isolation.
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Right and there is a neurological or maybe genetic explanation for why isolation isn't good for our mental health. With sufficient understanding of brain functionality, we could explain why. Same is true for things like corporal punishment. If we had sufficient understanding of the brain to truly understand the impact the hitting kids with wooden boards, we'd likely have scientific justification for completely outlawing it.
 
ZenMode said:
Right and there is a neurological or maybe genetic explanation for why isolation isn't good for our mental health. With sufficient understanding of brain functionality, we could explain why.
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Why would we need science to tell us something we already knew? Seems regressive.
 
BidenPresident said:
Why would we need science to tell us something we already knew? Seems regressive.
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We can know something is true, but not know why it's true. What is it that happens in our brains that makes isolation dangerous to mental health (question #3)? With sufficient knowledge of the brain, we can likely address many questions about how to live our lives and what is moral/immoral... which is related to question #2.
 
BidenPresident said:
The ancient greek word, idios, means "private person." An idiot.
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The important part of the question from the OP is why and how we should live with other people. Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Moore, Thomas Hobbes, John Stuart Mills, Confucius have used oceans of ink writing about those questions.
 
ZenMode said:
We can know something is true, but not know why it's true. What is it that happens in our brains that makes isolation dangerous to mental health? With sufficient knowledge of the brain, we can likely address many questions about how to live our lives and what is moral/immoral... which is related to question #2.
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Seems unimportant. No society ever believed isolation was good. In fact, we in the US consider it the supreme form of punishment, bordering on torture.
 
BidenPresident said:
Seems unimportant. No society ever believed isolation was good. In fact, we in the US consider it the supreme form of punishment, bordering on torture.
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Again, understanding "that" isn't the same as understanding "why". I can't imagine not seeing the benefit of a more thorough understanding of the human brain. Wouldn't it be nice to base ideas like morality on something objective and not the perceived desires of imaginary beings?
 
Cypress said:
The important part of the question from the OP is why and how we should live with other people. Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Moore, Thomas Hobbes, John Stuart Mills, Confucius have used oceans of ink writing about those questions.
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About the only reason I can think of, beyond the sometimes negative mental impact of isolation, is an evolutionary benefit of living with others. The more "others" there are, the more likely it is that you keep your offspring alive.
 
Cypress said:
These questions are universally shared by all human beings.

1. Is existence meaningful, absurd, or both?
2. How should I live my life? Does it matter?
3. Do I need other people? Why? How?
4. What does death mean, if anything?



Francis Ambrosio, Georgetown University
Click to expand...

Science can answer those questions
 
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