Why not?

I suppose any philosophical answer will start in that rather predictable way of looking at the question itself - is this the same sort of question as "what is the meaning of "red"?" for example? If not, then why not?

The problem seems to be that we are not talking about a clearly defined thing. So perhaps some clarification is needed here, and most will probably end up taking the interpretation something like Plato's question "How should one live?" (assuming there are broadly two ways of looking at things that ask "what is the meaning?" - "where did it come from?" and "what is it's purpose?" I believe the latter more worth looking at in this context - contrary to the multiculturalists and identity politicians who believe we are defined by our background rathe rthan where we want to go...)

If this is the case then, to cut a very long story short, any sensible answer would have to have its roots in some vision of human nature. What are our needs? What are our capabilities? When are we at our best?

It is part of our very nature, Heidegger pointed out, to question our own existence - we are unique in putting these "whys" and "wherefores" out there. So perhaps an inital answer here suggests itself - the meaning of life is partly to seek out answers to questions of our own existence.

The existentialists of course, took a rather dour view, with God dead, everything is permitted. But I think the element of choice here is a fundamentally liberating one, but it needs to be anchored in something other than a free floating "cogito". We are social animals and there are real social forces that help and hinder the development of our capacities.

Jerry Cohen talked about the working of a Jazz band - each person expressing their creativity in freedom, but together with others in such a way that their combined activity elevated the overall result. Whilst this is vague, and needs fleshing out I think there is something to be said for the notion of enlightened self-interest this suggests.

To mangle Cohen's metaphor, at present I'm inclined to say we are all being stymied, X-factor style, into plastic lowest-common-denominator pop bands...

-SM
London, England

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