Introduction
Is there an inherent meaning to the cosmos, the world, and human existence within it? Does our universe provide an answer to the quintessential question of “why” or “what for”? And if such a grand cause does exist, can it be discerned through scientific and rational thought? By ‘meaning’ and ‘why’, I refer to the purpose of existence and life, questioning if there truly is one, or if we should cease our quest for meaning in the universe altogether.
Determinism and Chance in the Cosmos
Determinism
The exploration of the cosmos and the material world can lead to many theories. However, the prevailing scientific viewpoint maintains that the universe is material in nature and governed by physical laws, implying a deterministic nature. In other words, our current reality is a direct result of the past. Events can be traced back, through causality, all the way to the Big Bang. Everything unfolds precisely as it is meant to. This perspective extends to events or human decisions that might occur a millennium from now. One of the only barriers preventing us from fully recognizing this deterministic reality is our limited human cognition, which struggles to comprehend the chaotic intricacy of our surroundings.
Randomness
If, within this interpretation of reality, there was room for randomness alongside determinism, then events wouldn’t be fully predetermined. However, as long as we exclusively discuss determinism or randomness, we inevitably dismiss the possibility of inherent meaning or purpose to anything.
Multiverse Theory
According to the multiverse hypothesis, nearly everything conceivable happens in another universe, with ours being merely one among potentially infinite others. The existence of a multiverse isn’t a proven scientific fact but rather a hypothesis that provides explanatory power for certain quandaries. If we were to entertain this idea and assume the multiverse’s existence, it still doesn’t grant our lives or anything within our universe a discernible purpose or real meaning. Within the bounds of scientific interpretation, the driving forces behind both our universe and the multiverse remain determinism or perhaps randomness.
Evolution and the search for meaning
Evolution doesn’t offer insights into the origin of life from non-living matter. However, it does chart the progression of life from the simplest unicellular organisms all the way to humans. At its core, evolution suggests that living organisms or cells, capable of reproduction, undergo a self-regulating adaptation process to their environment due to random genetic mutations and natural selection. Over time, this inevitably leads to evolutionary advancements, the emergence of new species, and the progression from primitive life forms to the entirety of the plant and animal kingdoms, culminating in the emergence of humans.
In biology, what’s termed a “random mutation” is, from a cosmic or physical perspective, not so much random as it is deterministic. Its complexity makes it appear random to an external observer, hence the term “random mutation” is understandable. The primary drivers of evolution are not intelligently designed but simply exist. They don’t inherently carry any deeper meaning or answer the ‘whys’ of existence but rather preclude the possibility of such meaning. Ironically, at the culmination of this evolutionary process, we find humans – beings endowed with the capacity to seek meaning in life and to question its purpose.
Yet, in this quest for significance, humans find themselves in a unique predicament: searching for purpose in a universe devoid of inherent meaning. Plants and animals don’t possess the advanced cognition necessary to ponder questions like the purpose of their existence. Paradoxically, under a scientific interpretation, the “blissful ignorance” of plants and animals might be closer to the truth than humans’ vast yet potentially misguided understanding based on grand illusions.
Scientific Conclusion
Many people, based on the aforementioned, deduce that while humans inherently seek purpose in life, a rational, scientific examination of reality shows it to be merely deterministic (or perhaps partly random). Thus, notions such as free will, the mind, morality of good versus evil, and even the underlying meaning of existence itself, are mere illusions. They are deceptive plays of human cognition which, from the very Big Bang, through physical laws and then biological evolution, were predestined, even negating the very possibility of free will.
The Meaning of Human Life and Existence
However, despite this rational scientific interpretation, a prevalent human experience compels us to search for meaning throughout our limited lifespan. It’s as if we inherently assume, or even know, that there has to be some purpose, aim, or rationale for our existence. In our daily lives, we can’t genuinely fathom a life devoid of purpose. If we genuinely grasped that everything we did was predetermined, realizing that we don’t make choices or influence outcomes, it could render our lives aimless, valueless, and leave us feeling burnt out, depressed, or even push some to end their lives. Humans innately yearn for life and events to have meaning, even if one is merely in the exploratory phase of finding that purpose.
Absurd Contradiction
Albert Camus highlighted the absurdity that arises from the perceived meaningless cosmos and material world versus humanity’s intrinsic drive for purpose. This juxtaposition places humans in an untenable position of seeking meaning where none seemingly exists.
According to Camus, humans have three potential strategies to cope with this absurd predicament, none of which they brought upon themselves:
A. Accept that the cosmos lacks purpose, and thus human life has no real meaning either. Consequently, freeing oneself from this illusion, i.e., suicide, becomes a possible rational alternative.
B. Acknowledge the cosmos’s inherent lack of meaning, recognize the absurdity of the situation, but reject the option of suicide, believing life, despite its contradictions, is preferable to death.
C. Turn to the transcendent – such as faith in God – seeking meaning and purpose beyond what’s graspable by scientific reasoning, thereby resolving the “all is but illusion” paradox.
Camus himself rejects both suicide and faith, deeming faith to be the “death of philosophy” built on rational thinking. Therefore, he gravitates towards the second option, wholeheartedly embracing the inherent absurdity and contradiction, though he deeply feels otherwise. He accepts those intrinsic drives pushing humans to seek happiness and tries to live them for their own sake without any false illusions concerning life’s inherent meaning.