The Meaning of Life is this: Crank the flywheel. These rules are simple:
1) Learn as much as you can about the knowledge and discoveries from the past
2) Discover new knowledge, previously unbeknownst to mankind
3) Effectively communicate as much of this information as you can to future generations
When pondering the meaning of life, I always think about it in the context of human beings. I feel a sense of great fortune, having been born into this unique species, most obviously distinguished from all others on our planet.
What distinguishes us? All animals have the ability to pass some level of innate knowledge on from one generation or another. Through some combination of genetics, and observed survival behavior, lesser animals still know to eat, drink, breathe, maintain body temperature, and reproduce. Mankind has transcended this cycle through one means: sophisticated communication.
The initial breakthrough – whether it was hieroglyphics or some other means – broke a barrier that has forever plagued every species until that point and continues to plague every species besides mankind since then. This barrier is that animals spend their entire lives learning the same lessons as their ancestors spent their entire lives learning. Through mankind’s ability to communicate, we are in the unique position of being able to learn second-hand through the discoveries of others.
Einstein could have never theorized on relativity if he had to learn from scratch, what took Newton and other great physicists before him their entire lives to discover.
I believe the true meaning of life (which we all inherently understand, even if unrecognized) is to ensure the perpetuation of our species for as long as possible. At current, there exists no near-term, obvious threat to the extermination of the entire species. This can blur the lines of what is necessary to ensure the continuance of mankind. On a micro-level, this might simply mean surviving, reproducing, and raising one’s child to prepare to do the same.
But let us say we discovered a dinosaur-ending sized asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Wouldn’t we all simultaneously forget political animosities and work together to avert the end of our species? (see generally, Armageddon)
On this foundational gift of communication that we have all inherited, however, we can start to recognize that the ultimate species-ending threat that we do not yet have the ability to overcome is still unknown at this time. It could be some type of biological disease, derivative of climate change, alien invasion, or the singularity.
Without a direct, short-term threat to humanity, we do not know exactly what to prepare for, so it is our duty in the meantime to at least speed up the already-spinning flywheel of knowledge we have stumbled across at birth. It is our job to provide that unknown future generation – the one that most overcome the zombie apocalypse – with as much knowledge as possible, to increase their odds of overcoming that threat.
It is our job to develop new technologies in harvesting energy, accelerating knowledge transfer, and exploring our universe, and continue to study medicine and biology.
I’ve stated 3 points to pursue in fulfilling the obligations we’ve inherited with our lives of leisure and ease (compared to the other species, and our own Neanderthal ancestors). At a minimum, we each must do our best to maintain what we have by achieving the first and last points. The flywheel will spin at the same speed we when we die as it did when we were born, if we just ensure that discoveries of geniuses from past generations live on. Ensuring this, in whatever way we can, is our minimum obligation.
In discovering new knowledge, and adding that to our species’ perpetual capital, we have sped up the flywheel – we can proudly say we’ve done our part in mastering the universe. Like compounding interest in a financial investment, even small gains can amplify into wealth (of knowledge) beyond our wildest dreams over long periods of time, as derivative gains are built upon them.
It does not take genius intellect to participate in this endeavor (though it certainly doesn’t hurt). Courage, curiosity, work ethic, sacrifice, and selflessness can also lead to breakthroughs. The first man to break the 4-minute mile discovered a new ability for mankind through nothing but sweat and grit.
The digital era and internet has further eased our burden in communicating knowledge to future generations. But great investors do not stop once they’ve reached a million dollars and go bury their money in the ground. This incredible new capital should continue to be improved, while we simultaneously exploit learning and discovering more with our increased time available.
Let us work toward these ends and one day die happy, knowing we lived well.
Luke’s Response
I really enjoyed this essay Eric. This topic, on perpetuating future human life, is something I’ve thought a lot about and done quite a bit of research on. If anyone is interested there is a well argued dissertation by Nick Beckstead here that makes the case that we have a moral obligation to address any type of existential threat to the human species – even if the likelihood of the apocalyptic type event occurring is minimal (even .0001% chance) because the outcome would be infinitely devastating – not just to the current race of people but all future generations. My response to this argument, and to Eric’s statement that the meaning of life is to “ensure the perpetuation of our species for as long as possible”, is that ensuring this perpetuation is an act of compassion and can only be enhanced by an aggregate increase in the level of compassion across humanity.
Many arguments have been put forth that in the next century that the human species will face daunting challenges that may threaten our survival. While there are many ideas about how to tackle various existential threats to humanity individually, through reducing nuclear and biological weapons, reducing our carbon footprint, etc. what if we had a way to potentially reduce all manmade existential threats? If a program was put forth that could reduce the odds of all manmade existential threats, even if it was a miniscule reduction, it ought to be pursued because of the exponential future benefit such an effort could produce. For this reason I believe:
1. that an increased level of compassion, altruism, and selflessness across the whole of humanity could potentially reduce all manmade existential threats
2. an increased level of compassion is achievable through education
3. that it is possible to achieve a global consensus on the ideals and goals of compassion
4. that it is feasible to spread educational messages of compassion through existing and improved educational and informational channels
These statements, I think will serve as launching points for future posts and discussions on feasibility, in the meantime I put them forth as seemingly plausible stances. Thousands of years of religious practice and teachings would assert that the knowledge of compassion can be transferred and, with discipline, compassion can be practiced. According to Beckstead’s postulates, I need not prove that compassion will eliminate or significantly reduce a threat, I only need only demonstrate that through acts of compassion the threat has a chance of being reduced. It is easy to imagine the innumerable ways compassion would reduce to inclination to use weapons, to pollute the environment, to consider lives beyond one’s own.
Compassion can and should be addressed at varying stages of intellectual and emotional development of a child. Yet rather than serving as a focal point in the modern curriculum, it is often an afterthought in both school and home life. I’m not saying that compassion is more important than other subjects in relation to helping the future of humanity -who knows what technology might ‘save’ us one day. But we should seek to establish compassion as a pre or co-requisite to other knowledge.
A proposal and agreement can be made across all nations that promotes the primacy of compassion in education. The Charter for Compassion (http://charterforcompassion.org/), a recently launched international commitment to compassionate thinking and action that has been signed by religious and secular leaders across many nations, is a hopeful first step in showing that compassion as a global educational goal is desirable and feasible.
Knowledge itself cannot ensure the future of the human species. Careful consideration of how and why we use this knowledge will certainly take us further in the direction of perpetuation.
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