Scientifically speaking, What is the Purpose of Life?

[SkyWriting]

Nietche recognized that there is no purpose in life from an atheistic worldview.

You can't remove science from theology because God created science. He created the laws of nature. The study of the material world is by necessity the study of the handiwork of God.

I'm asking for the non-asthetic world view.
From the point of view of a rock sitting in the sun,
what causes me to transform into living matter?

Why would such a thing happen?

 

[SkyWriting]

Science doesn't give a hoot about the purpose of life. It is outside its scope. It is a philosophical/religious question. All science cares about whether life is biogenetic or abiogenetic and how it diversified after its inception. While the "New Atheists" have foolishly mishandled and maltreated science as badly as YECism has by making it into a religion, science in reality isn't what is claimed by either group.

What is the ADVANTAGE of life over non-life?
What is the VALUE of life over non-life?
(What is the purpose of life? Why does it exist?)

 

[SkyWriting]

That's where religion and philosophy come into play.

Science is a philosophy. Ask any PhD.

 

[PaladinValer]

What is the ADVANTAGE of life over non-life?
What is the VALUE of life over non-life?
(What is the purpose of life? Why does it exist?)

None of that is cared about by science.

I have no interest, as someone who values science for what it actually is, in making science into a pet religion. The New Atheists do that, and YECs do that; they are both utterly and completely wrong.

 

[SkyWriting]

Science looks for causes and explanatory models, not goals.

So what caused life?
What explains why it happened?
What caused it to happen?
What is the casualty model for life?

 

[PaladinValer]

Science is a philosophy. Ask any PhD.

Fallacy of Appealing to Authority and Fallacy of Appealing to the Masses. Which PhDs? Names and pedigree.

 

[SkyWriting]

None of that is cared about by science.
All science cares about whether life is biogenetic or abiogenetic and how it diversified after its inception.
I have no interest, as someone who values science for what it actually is....

Not what you claim....that's for sure.


What is “Good Science”?
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/buzz/dinoscience.html

 

[SkyWriting]

Fallacy of Appealing to Authority and Fallacy of Appealing to the Masses. Which PhDs? Names and pedigree.

Ask ANY PhD what they have studied. Its a Doctorate in Philosopy. PH D

 

[ebia]

And ANY PhD what they have studied. Its a Doctorate in Philosopy. PH D

And anyone with a BSc isn't married, right?

 

[pshun2404]

Besides the most excellent answer from brother Skala in post 17....I'll play the devils advocate

What is the purpose of two eyes?

Depth perception

What is the purpose of two ears?

Peripheral auditory awareness

What is the purpose of your taste buds?

To distinguish salts and sugars and to be able to know when something is too hot or too cold

What is the purpose of having two legs?

So you will not fall down when you walk, four works also, but one is a no-brainer.

What is the purpose of seeing?

So you will be aware of approaching predators and so you can differentiate where the fire or perhaps a cliff begins and ends…survival mechanism

What is the purpose of hearing?

Combine 2 and 5

What is the purpose of your tibia?

To keep you from crumpling to your knee joints...support between two movable joints

What is the purpose of reproduction?

Fun! Only kidding….perpetuation of species

brother Paul

 

[pshun2404]

Nicely stated. Now why or how or in what why are any of those things beneficial to non-living matter
which (supposedly) is where all stuff comes from?

Yes the "stuff" part is made of the same matter as non-living things

 

[Open Heart]

Nicely stated. Now why or how or in what why are any of those things beneficial to non-living matter
which (supposedly) is where all stuff comes from?

We give additional meaning to non-living matter. That is not to say that non-living matter is not innately meaningful as well. This is a non-scientific answer, however.

 

[SkyWriting]

Besides the most excellent answer from brother Skala in post 17....I'll play the devils advocate

What is the purpose of two eyes?

Depth perception

What is the purpose of two ears?

Peripheral auditory awareness

What is the purpose of your taste buds?

To distinguish salts and sugars and to be able to know when something is too hot or too cold

What is the purpose of having two legs?

So you will not fall down when you walk, four works also, but one is a no-brainer.

What is the purpose of seeing?

So you will be aware of approaching predators and so you can differentiate where the fire or perhaps a cliff begins and ends…survival mechanism

What is the purpose of hearing?

Combine 2 and 5

What is the purpose of your tibia?

To keep you from crumpling to your knee joints...support between two movable joints

What is the purpose of reproduction?

Fun! Only kidding….perpetuation of species

brother Paul

Good answers. Now...along those lines......what is the purpose of life?

 

[SkyWriting]

We give additional meaning to non-living matter. That is not to say that non-living matter is not innately meaningful as well. This is a non-scientific answer, however.

So how do we explain why life exists?
Anything that pertains to physical or chemical or other properties is fine.

 

[Open Heart]

So how do we explain why life exists?
Anything that pertains to physical or chemical or other properties is fine.

Scientifically speaking, life exists because everything in the universe is devoted to the eventual development and evolution of life, sentient life.

 

[lesliedellow]

What is the scientific reason life exists, or what scientific laws have "pushed" life into existence, on this one planet?

"Science owes its great success to the modesty of its ambitions," to quote one physicist. There would be nothing modest about its ambitions if it tried to answer questions about purpose. Those sorts of questions belong in the sphere of religion.

 

[SkyWriting]

Scientifically speaking, life exists because everything in the universe is devoted to the eventual development and evolution of life, sentient life.

Sounds elegant. So...do you have any scientific principles to support your theory?

 

[SkyWriting]

"Science owes its great success to the modesty of its ambitions," to quote one physicist. There would be nothing modest about its ambitions if it tried to answer questions about purpose. Those sorts of questions belong in the sphere of religion.

OK What are the benefits of life over non-life? What are the chemical advantages?
What scientific principal would cause life to form? Why is life an advantage over non-life?
How does life benefit the earth? What is the underlying reason for life to chemically, thermally, or electrically exist?

 

[lesliedellow]

OK What are the benefits of life over non-life? What are the chemical advantages?
What scientific principal would cause life to form? Why is life an advantage over non-life?
How does life benefit the earth? What is the underlying reason for life to chemically, thermally, or electrically exist?

You have two possibilities. Either the origin of like was just a fluke, and there are more than enough planets in the universe for that fluke to occur on at least one of them, or else it was intended by God, and not a fluke. Can you prove it either way? No.

 

[Open Heart]

Sounds elegant. So...do you have any scientific principles to support your theory?

The strong anthropic principle (SAP) as explained by John D. Barrow and Frank Tipler.