Pessimism and Paradox of Meaning

Suppose for a moment that you are not religious, that is you do not believe in god or a higher power. Suppose you view the occurrence of life and consciousness as a gradual process shaped by a series of necessary and eventual processes that are apart of a rational and logical universe. Being a conscious item yourself you recognize that you are apart of this logical universe so you understand that you cannot do what is impossible and can only do what is possible. You further recognize that you are driven by the circumstances of your nature, that is by your genetic make up, your environment, etc.

You know that you will die one day but that simple fact does not burden you so much that you do not pursue goals and enjoy achievements, that you give up on having fun, that you do not proceed through avenues that allow you to explore your curiosities, that you do not love and value other people, things, and certain ideals. It is the fact that all humans, religious or non-religious, do all of the aforementioned behaviors and in so doing are able to find meaning in our lives. Being the logical character you are you know that death is imminent. Though the universe has produced you, it will also take you away. The universe is not stagnant, it is always moving and all matter in it is moving which simply means it is ever changing. Even the rock will turn to dust over time. Most people today are familiar with a specific law in physics concerning energy that states energy can never be lost, it simply changes in form.

The universe is moving this very minute. It is in a state of increasing expansion which means that all matter is spreading out in all directions building up the distance between each particle of matter. If this rate keeps up, and according to the latest scientific evidence there seems to be no reason to suggest it may be slowing down, then eventually gravity will lose its grip and all particles will separate to their most fundamental states leaving them isolated and cold. Very very cold. The great expansion of our universe means that all life will at some time be unable to exist. Life will have become an impossibility.

Perhaps the universe stops expanding and starts a process of receding back in on itself. This idea is known as the great collapse or the great crunch. In this scenario the universe and all matter will be squeezed into an ever continuing closer and closer space. The space will become so compact that energies will melt together into a great burning mass of very solid and very dense matter. Under these circumstances it will also be impossible for life to exist.

These models of the universe are not inspiring to most people and with good reason. As living beings we are naturally inclined to favor being alive over being dead, or not existing. In fact both models of the universe are rather pessimistic conclusions to have to consider. If we will all die eventually then what is the purpose of existence at all or is there even a purpose? Maybe life is just a phenomenon and purpose is a natural human misunderstanding about the true nature of reality. I would argue that life is simply a logical phenomenon of the universe and it is not special. I would further argue that though the outlook for the universe looks pessimistic when considered from this angle we must understand that there was never any rule or law that necessitated that the universe be conducive to an optimistic human understanding of reality. It seems that life is simply a consequence of a pessimistic reality.

One might argue that religion saves us from this awful place. That indeed the way we understand reality is a pessimistic notion and that god will save us from our doom. To arguments with religious premises I maintain that so long as they remain outside logical and rational models of framework that can be scientifically tested there is no reason to consider their conclusions as valid or probable outcomes. Another argument to consider is one that accepts that all life will one day die, that all humans will one day die however, that in the moment or time frames of our conscious lives we can still value, appreciate, love, etc. right now then for that reason there is meaning in life and that in this way there is continued purpose in our endeavors and we should continue to pursue our goals and live our lives.

Further still we may pass on meaning in our lives after our deaths to those after us. In this way an exchange of meaning continues to flow from person to person, from generation to generation, and so on. There is a paradox that still remains under these arguments of purpose and meaning. Though the meaning can be real at a moment and can survive through transference upon one's death through a seemingly endless chain the fact still remains that the chain will one day be broken. The universe will destroy the life it owns and all meaning will be destroyed with the last breath of our final successor.