Friday, April 18, 2008

Atheism Without Nihilism

In some of the many books packed in the bookcases in my living room, and in some of the books I've checked out at the library, I've been reading about how some atheists have become convinced that life is meaningless because there's nothing to look forward to after death. They think this makes this life meaningless. But one of the things I learned back when I was a closet disciple of Ayn Rand is that, though the universe and existence as such have no intrinsic meaning (one way of interpreting her statement that "existence exists" is that the universe just is; it is its own meaning), life itself has meaning, especially human life. All living organisms have purpose; this is the primary difference between living and nonliving things. Living things are goal-pursuing things; for example, green plants constantly seek light. But human beings don't just pursue goals; we create meaning. One can even go so far to say that the highest purpose of human life is to give meaning to the universe; thus we have science, art, religion, etc. So even if the soul perishes with the body at death, life and reality are not meaningless.

Why am I writing this? I've heard and read that some of the most intelligent and sensitive people have been driven to suicide by their belief that if there is no God and no immortality of the soul, then life is meaningless and you might as well kill yourself. I'm saying that this "existentialist" — really nihilistic — position is nonsense. The belief in a "higher power" implies that no value is possible in life and reality because value, meaning, and purpose emanate from On High. Well, science, and objective realist philosophy, have dispensed with the supernatural Platonic realm and have been all the better for it. Metaphysical idealism, the belief that truth belongs to the supernatural realm alone, has the unfortunate side effect of sucking all value out of this world. Objective realism places truth and value right here on earth and in this life, where they properly belong. Truth is what is, and value is in the goals we pursue.

So throw away those pills, or take that gun away from your head, and start living your life in the here and now. If God is dead — and there are many philosophers and scientists throughout history who have dispensed with the need for a Higher Power entirely — then let's return our attention to living the life we're in now. Nihilism is an error that consists of deleting God from transcendentalism and then wailing that God's death has killed all meaning and value. Don't look for meaning and value in a supernatural realm that has disappeared, if it has ever even existed at all. It's all here. Truth is in reality, and value is in your life. You might find that there was never really any need for Higher Powers at all.

3 comments:

  1. Friend,

    Life really is meaningless to one who is born of death, lives an infinitesimally short time in the physical realm, and whose only hope at the end of life, is to return to death, from which they came. It's a sad existence indeed. If this philosophy was intelligent, even scientific, it would not arrogantly declare humanity the moral center of the universe, based solely upon the minute reach of humanity's observation and knowledge. We know little about the infinitely small place of our existence. Even if one is spiritually dead, it is an arrogant demonstration of ignorance for one to declare themselves an atheist to the exclusion of the infinite unknown.
    If we must take an arrogant position, I am here to tell you, my son, there is hope beyond the grave. Therefore, all things do have meaning. Consciousness is not a physical thing. We are spiritual beings in physical bodies. Don't confuse consciousness with memory. Only physical beings need memory. Your consciousness is still active, and experiencing its existence during sleep, even when you are not storing to your memory.

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  2. Here's someone who does not get it. The name of this entry is "Atheism Without Nihilism". The assumption the good Christian commenter above makes is precisely the one I was arguing against: that atheism is nihilism.

    As for my alleged arrogance: The philosophical position I'm taking is based on objective realism. I'm being realistic, and that takes a degree of humility. (Though I know of some people who are arrogant about their atheism, mainly those who claim Ayn Rand as their guru. That I learned from Rand, who was in fact notorious for her arrogance, does not mean I continue to share that arrogance.) It cuts both ways: many people are quite arrogant about their relationship with God. Such people filled the ranks of the Crusaders, the Assassins, and the Inquisition.

    So don't try to convince me that I'm the kind of nihilist I say I'm not simply because I don't believe in God and, by extension, Heaven and Hell. (With the implication that I'm going to Hell if I don't repent of my lack of religion.) No matter how heartfelt the pleas of the pious religionists, I still stand by my position. Ich kannst nichts anders.

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  3. I forgot to mention: I do not confuse consciousness with memory. The two are completely different, if interdependent, functions.

    And I don't deny the infinite unknown. I should add that even if there is a law of karma (which certain non-Christian religions believe) and that souls reincarnate, my position wouldn't change, since when I grew up in the New Age movement, I was taught that people learn important lessons and create or overcome karma only when they are incarnate, here on earth among other incarnate beings including humans.

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