Will Human Life Become Pointless?

First of all, I'm not sure if there is already a poll like this, I apologize if there is, as I couldn't find any similar. Mods if this is the case, please feel free to delete the thread or merge or move it somewhere.

Ok this a long one, but philosophical nonetheless, so just bear (polar bear?) with me on this one.

I think if society continues on the path its headed right now, our lives will become pointless. Will it happen in this generation? No, but it seems likely in the distant future.

The inspiration for this poll is based on the Disney movie "Wall-E" which made a very good point about human existence in the future. For those who didn't see the movie, it shows that in the future, Earth becomes an utter wasteland, and thus non-inhabitable. The cities and structures are still there, but otherwise the planet is just one huge landfill. The humans direct "clean-up" robots (Wall-E's) to go down and basically clean everything up on Earth.

Meanwhile, humans are out in space, living in huge space stations that cater to everything a human desires. Instead of walking they humans are all wheeled around like they're handicapped. Their bone structure, after many generations, is all but gone and they are all obese. There seems to be no point to the humans' lives in the movie other than to be served and constantly enjoy things.

My question is this. Will this happen to us? Will we become so engrossed with fast-food, self-automation, AI, all this stuff that there is simply no point in living?

These days, people (including me) seem to be spending more time inside on the chair in front of the computer or TV. That's a lot more time spent lazing than our previous generations. It just seems to me that this kind of thing is like an omen of what will eventually happen to the human race.

I mean, already I just imagine that people will want machines that think for them, they won't need to go to school, they won't need to exert energy to eat anything, they'll just be attached to machines and robots and things that automatically do things FOR us.

Will this happen to us?

Cilogy said:

I mean, already I just imagine that people will want machines that think for them, they won't need to go to school, they won't need to exert energy to eat anything, they'll just be attached to machines and robots and things that automatically do things FOR us.

Will this happen to us?

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Personally, I just can't sit still very long being a lumpydump.

For example, I am riding an excercise bike as I type this post.

I know... weird :rofl

Its ok as long as DP members wont get robotized :lol:

Will human life become pointless?

When was it ever anything but? (Think about it.)

I was writing an english paper about if religion is helpful to people while they are alive. To define what is helpful for people when they are alive, I used help from Ayn Rand and Hegel to figure out what happiness and freedom is what people should strive for.


Therefore... as long as people are smart, in that we always try to get more happiness AND freedom, then I don't think life will never have meaning.

Cilogy said:

There seems to be no point to the humans' lives in the movie other than to be served and constantly enjoy things.

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How is that different from now?

Part of our evolution will inevitably involve staring into the face of our ascendants. This will either be the next phase of our biology (if we decode our own DNA and begin to self-engineer), or even something technological. If we can invent artificial intelligence that has thought complexity even 1% greater than ours, then we will be forced to examine our own redundancy as a species.

As for the luxuries you speak of... those aren't even enjoyed by the vast majority of the world. Most people live at a subsistence level. The luxuries and technology you speak of are excesses of the developed nations (mostly the Northern ones) and they are non-sustainable. Eventually these societies will break down because the sources of their elevation will not sustain their development. Furthermore, the improvements have to be across the board in the long term otherwise countries will inevitably fight. The fast food thing tends to be an American thing, sorry to say. I have never seen a country as obese as the United States, and I've been everywhere.

No... I think the biggest thing facing humans is that once we take care of our material needs, have conquered every inch of our own planet, and have even grown tired of turning on each other, we will have to come to a different understanding about our existence. Right now we are still driven by primitive and petty impulses for the most part, and so are the powers we have elected that keep us thinking that way.

Humans had a stable animal society, then a transition to a stable tribal society, another transition to a stable peasant society and is currently in a transitional industrial society. Every change has been caused by: food. Each step requires higher technological knowledge and innovation, and the speed at which the innovation happens is faster and faster...

With each step, philosophy and ways of life tend to shift more towards what is practical and more away from what is ethical and moral. Because of all this innovation, average education has increased, and in the future I believe that the number of educated people will outnumber the bourgeoise class of society, rendering many aspects of the currenct class system moot. (This is one reason why in places like the United States, there are still many systemic barriers to higher education, since the people in power don't want challenges to their status.) This will in turn cause us to think about other things in a new light.

Based on current growth, the alternative, of course, is that it all comes crashing down and we revert to an earlier stage in development. In either outcome, we will have to take a hard look at ourselves. Some will take a look and feel it's all pointless, while others will make great discoveries.

I don't really see this as being true at all. Humans are tool-making animals, and so we are constantly inventing new products that make our lives easier. It is, however, incorrect to state that this also implies that because we are making our lives less labour-intensive through our use of inventions that this means that overall we are less active in general.

What it really means is that we are spending less time on unnecessary, menial work that we do not enjoy and therefore have more time to do what we enjoy doing. Of course, this is a massive generalization; many people have little to no free time. There are also some other contradictions to this assertion, such as the fact that in the process of production machines are implemented in conjunction with the increase of the working day. However, I am simply referring to a very, very broad historical trend.

So does this mean that we are going to overall be less active? It very well could be, as we are no longer required to labour as long or as intensive as we used to be. However, I don't think that humans will ever become inactive to the point that it is portrayed in films or literature as the OP stated.

Humans are by their very nature productive. In terms of our way of living, we are constantly revolutionizing this through the further improvement of existing tools and through the invention of new tools. In terms of our free time, we enjoy being active; personally, I can only sit in front of the TV for so long, and am very active. I don't think that in all we are simply satisfied with existing. We like experiencing life, and that necessitates being active. The idea that the OP presented in my opinion is an incredibly pessimistic and ahistorical conception of human consciousness and development.

Sorry if this was long and convoluted; I kind of just ranted as I thought.

The only "point" is to propgate the species for as long as possible.

And if that doesnt happen - so what?

celticlord said:

Will human life become pointless?

When was it ever anything but? (Think about it.)

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*rolling up celticlords sleeves*

What are all those cuts? :shock:

kaya'08 said:

*rolling up celticlords sleeves*

What are all those cuts? :shock:

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You didn't think about it. Tsk tsk tsk.

If the last human dies without humanity having created a new intelligent self-aware species to create it, or, failing that, not having created an non-biological intelligence that desires to understand the universe and has the means to investigate where we've left off, or at least perform it's own investigations.

Cilogy said:

. . .
These days, people (including me) seem to be spending more time inside on the chair in front of the computer or TV. That's a lot more time spent lazing than our previous generations. It just seems to me that this kind of thing is like an omen of what will eventually happen to the human race.
. . .

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First, let me thank you on behalf of myself and Others for assuring us that our Neutralization and Pacification Program proceeds apace.

Human life is never pointless, but the point is often lost on its subject. It is a matter of perception and learning what is important and what is not so much.

I will offer a hint, in the safe and secure knowledge that it will not be understood by most of Our future vassals. "The small kindnesses that you perform at personal sacrifice for people who can do nothing for you, are more profound, and so have a greater point, than all of the political movements and philosophies ever devised, implemented or imposed."

celticlord said:

You didn't think about it. Tsk tsk tsk.

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I think its best not to. Im going to remain ignorant on this one.

And it depends what you mean by, "our point on this planet". Personally, i would counter your argument and say yes, we do have a purpose on this planet. To manipulate events and change things around us. We set our own points, or "goals", to our existence, and if we have none then our lives are technically pointless as you said. To say we have no point to exist is to most likely therefore say that a higher being has not given us a point or does not exist therefore our existence is pointless, which again is incorrect. If you look at the scientific side of nature, everything that happens, from mitosis, to the death of stars, or the birth of stars - happens for a reason. Nature doesnt do things accidentally or get things wrong. The fact we are here is a point for our existence in itself, what we make of it while we are here is a different story.

The only "purpose" of humans, like all life, is perpetuation. I quote purpose because its only as purposeful as water purposely flows or as gravity purposely pulls. Everything is tied together in the fact that at the root of it all we don't know why things are as they are as opposed to some other way.

To Cilogy:

How is the image of mankind in Wall-E any more pointless than our state of affairs now, or any other time for that matter? To say something may become pointless is to say that it has a point... So, tell me, what's the point?


Pointy Duke

I don't think the struggle for life and dominance will ever become pointless. Anytime we conquer something, something else comes along to challenge us, whether it be physical or metaphysical. Every-time we unlock one mystery 3 more appear inside the original.

The whole point of life in general is to survive, and because we are self aware and have the ability to reason we can even go one better. We can strive to discover what it is that makes us human, and not just another animal. And all this I have mentioned is just the beginning.

I would not call that pointless.

"Will human life become pointless?" This is one of two thoughts I have when I lie in bed at night and look up at the stars. The other thought is, "Hey, where'd my roof go!?"