> Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
>
> > Tom Caylor writes:
>
> > > > > Brent Meeker
> > > > > "It does not matter now that in a million years nothing we do now
> > will matter."
> > > > > --- Thomas Nagel
>
> > > > We might like to believe Nagel, but it isn't true.
>
> > > > Tom
>
> > > That is, it isn't true that in a million years nothing we do now will
> > > matter.
>
> > Why do you say "we might like to believe Nagel"? Why would anyone want
> > it to be the case that nothing we do now will matter in a million years?
In order to think in terms beyond a few generations, we need a basis
for meaning that is more universal than explaining and controlling
things in our immediate sphere of "care abouts", like our animal
instincts. (Such a local basis does not support doing things like
sacrificing your life for others even a couple thousand years in the
future.) But if we reject the ultimate basis, then it feels good to
say that it doesn't matter.
Tom
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Received on Sun Feb 11 2007 - 23:58:09 PST