From: Brian Manning Delaney (b-delaney@uchicago.edu)
Date: Sun Sep 05 1999 - 14:09:48 MDT
"J. R. Molloy" <jr@shasta.com> wrote:
> Brian Manning Delaney wrote,
>> There are definitely some schools of thought
>> that make such claims, but, in my view they fail.
>> How, after all, would one ground the notion that
>> "the purpose is to have fun"? Not that,
>> personally I believe such a view has zero merit.
>> I just think it can't (easily, at least) be
>> justified.
> Avoiding boredom has to rank as our most
> important purpose, because if you bore folks,
> they just won't listen to you.
Well, this is getting boring, but I'll not that I disagree here -- though
perhaps wehat you say is true of some people (you perhaps! and often me).
> Wittgenstein offered (IMO) the best proof
> of hedonism:
> "7. Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one
> must be silent."
> Trying to prove that you enjoy life for
> itself takes the fun out of it,
> for both sides of the dialogue.
Assumption: life is supposed to be, or MUST be, fun.
Assumption: "fun" means the same thing to, or results from the same thing for,
everyone.
Don't agree, myself. Though I have more fun when life is fun, to be sure!!
> <snip>
>> Empirically, yes, this is our only option. But
>> in deciding whether or not aliens might pervade
>> our world, we can entertain other options.
> I'll drink to that.
Me too!
Brian.
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