Optimistic Naturalism: Scientific Advancement and the

Meaning of Life

Dan Weijers (né Turton)VUW

The Meaning of Life

• Confusing, but important question

The Meaning of Life

• Confusing, but important question

• Even analytic philosophers want to live a meaningful life

• But how to do it?

Guidance on How to Live

This Talk

• Optimistic Naturalism: – A theory to satisfy people with certain beliefs:

• Naturalism & The Infinity Connection

– An umbrella theory

• Refutes a criticism of naturalist theories• Resolves Tolstoy’s Dilemma• Result for these people:

– Their best bet for achieving a truly meaningful life is to help advance science & technology

The Main Positions

• Supernaturalism: – more than a purely physical universe is

required for life to be meaningful • Naturalism:

– a meaningful life is possible in a purely physical universe

• Nihilism: – life cannot be meaningful

Criticism of Naturalism

• Theories don’t allow for much meaning– E.g. Taylor: Making plans and seeing

them through– E.g. Frankfurt: Loving something or

someone– E.g. Schlick: Doing lots of things for their

own sake

• Compare to going to heaven

Tolstoy’s Criticism

• Naturalist theories cannot provide a meaningful life because they do not allow for a connection with the infinite

Tolstoy’s Dilemma

• Concurrent belief in:1) Naturalism2) The Infinity Connection3) Naturalist theories do not allow for a

meaningful connection with the infinite

• Tolstoy turned to Supernaturalism– But he shouldn’t have

Optimistic Naturalism

• Naturalism: – meaningful lives are possible in a purely

physical universe

• The Infinity Connection: – a meaningful connection with the infinite is

required for a truly meaningful life

• Scientific Optimism: – continual scientific and technological

advancement will allow us to make a meaningful connection with the infinite

Naturalism

• A meaningful life is possible in a purely physical universe

• Most recent work in this area assumes Naturalism (Metz 2007, p203)

• Assumed to be plausible

The Infinity Connection

• A meaningful connection with the infinite is required for a truly meaningful life

• Needs further explanation• Assumed to be plausible

The Infinity Connection Cont.

• Connections to infinity are diverse• Some make a life more meaningful• A few make a life truly meaningful• Connections could be meaningful for

one or more reasons

The Continuum of Meaning

Not at all meaningful

Extremely meaningful

∞

0.999…=1

The Infinity Connection: A meaningful connection with the infinite is required for a truly meaningful life

Scientific Optimism

• Continual scientific and technological advancement will allow us to make a meaningful connection with the infinite

• Needs to be argued for• Plausibility of Optimistic Naturalism

hinges on it

Skepticism about Scientific Optimism

• Most of the conceivable ways to meaningfully connect to the infinite require that the universe can support life infinitely– Being immortable– Affecting others for infinity

• Can it?

Two

Unap

pea

ling

Option

s

There are Other Theories

• Kurzweil’s Singularity• Eternal Inflation• Steady State Universe• Prevent aging/damage + time

travel?!

Kurzweil’s Singularity

• Law of accelerating returns

• We’ll create AI,• Upload into robots• Become very

smart• Become

immortable

Humans AI AI+ AI++

• Assumptions– Law of accelerating returns (science &

technology)– We can create AI– AI can create AI+– AI+ can create AI++– Etc.

Kaku: Escaping to New Universes

• Inflation• Eternal Inflation• Bubble Universes in the lab?• Harness the power!!• Getting in there?

Progress• You don’t need to believe in these

particular theories• Scientific advancement needn’t even

be exponential• Our capacity to solve problems is

constantly increasing• We can’t begin to imagine what the

future might bring

Progress

Is Scientific Optimism Plausible?

• Is this plausible?:– scientific and technological progress will

make it possible for us to meaningfully connect to the infinite somehow

• Myriad ways it might happen +

• Ever increasing intelligence =

• Scientific Optimism is plausible

Refuting Tolstoy’s Criticism

• Tolstoy: Naturalist theories cannot provide a meaningful life because they do not allow for a connection with the infinite

Not at all meaningful

Extremely meaningful

∞

0.999…=1

How to Resolve Tolstoy’s Dilemma

• Concurrent belief in:1)Naturalism2)The Infinity Connection3)Naturalist theories do not allow for a

meaningful connection with the infinite

• Swap 3 for Scientific Optimism– Become an Optimistic Naturalist

How to Should an Optimistic Naturalist

Live?• Try to advance

science and technology

• Use your strengths and circumstances

• Focus on possible near-future catastrophes

• Have fun too

Faith in Science???

• To believe Optimistic Naturalism requires faith– Does that make it incoherent?

• No, ON requires faith in certain facts about physical matters obtaining– Different to faith in Supernaturalism

• Dogmatic belief in any theory requires faith in some unknown

Summary

• Tolstoy’s criticism refuted• Tolstoy’s Dilemma resolved• New Position:

Optimistic Naturalism– Naturalism– The Infinity Connection– Scientific Optimism