[EDIT. Ok, maybe a foreword. Man is by definition curious. He needs to know stuff. Specifically, he needs to know his ultimate purpose. Thus, in the same way, he seeks truth.]
So,
Because we're insecure.
Why are we insecure?
Because of our ephemeral existence. That's why we look for the eternal amongst the finite.
But why do we even strive to survive? Because of evolution? But why evolve? To survive.
If we trace this question in all of its forms back to an original question, that question might be:
From whence did Life come from, that it feels compelled to sustain itself?
If you wanna look at Life as merely a more complicated method of transferring energy, then we are the ultimate evolution of the universe.
What do I mean by this? I'm suggesting that perhaps we're just a natural extension of chemical reactions brought upon by the random displacement of particles and atoms on Earth, plus a catalyst (such as lightning) thrown into the mix at the right moment to bring forth....Life.
Okay.
Imagine a primordial soup of volatile chemicals mixing and roiling together in an almighty swoosh of complex molecules. Perhaps somehow, somewhere, an accidental reaction occurs, and the resulting molecule(the first bacterium) by chance is able to convert the surrounding molecules of chemicals into energy. Not only that, it also has to retain some kind of method to replicate itself, so that more of its kind will appear and it won't just die out.
But therein lies the question:
Why does it need to replicate?
Oh sorry, what was that? The information for replication happened by chance? Oh, so does that mean that the reason for replication serves no purpose at all? That everything happened by chance? Oh, okay.
So, if you believe that randomisation in the universe can come up with this sort of complexity, then ultimately there is no purpose for us to continue living. We're just one big accident, after all.
But wait a minute. If that is the case, why do we crave look for a purpose? Why do we think? Why do need to wonder about these things? Where does this need come from?
On a related note: Why do we have morals and ethics, if all we need to do is to survive?
Do they serve our own selfish needs? Hardly; it goes against the "survival of the fittest" diatribe which plagues so much of our world, especially the corporate one. We're effectively rebelling against the laws of nature.
In order to answer this question, we need to first understand and define the meaning of morals and ethics. Once we've done that, then only we can apply this reasoning to the origins to the need to have a purpose, and THEN we can actually discover exactly WHAT this purpose IS.
I hope you were able to follow me on that last part, 'cos I had a problem working that entire process out. Yes, my brain capacity is limited kthx. =_=
And I think I've reached the end of my tether in this post.
So next up: What exactly is in a moral?
Gabs out.
