One idea of human purpose, and the purpose of life more generally: reducing entropy
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2023 7:19 pm
Here's a quote from page 168 of Seeing Nature by Paul Krafel, one of the most important works that drive the philosophy of my tiny new religion, SolSeed.
"The Second Law [of Thermodynamics] does to my life path what a steepening slope does to my walking. The Second Law heightens my awareness of the possible consequences that reside in every thought, word, and action. When I toss off a put-down of someone, I notice their spirit retract and notice how many minutes of extra effort it takes to restore the relationship to the level before the put-down. Put-downs feel like slips downslope; I try to step more gracefully. Though it is easy to set rocks tumbling down, it's also possible to dance lightly upward.
"Each day is filled with a million moves upon the slopes of the Second Law. Any move upon these slopes can remind me of the upward and downward directions. This sense of direction is important. Without a sense of direction, for example, the power of a bomb appears greater than the power of a grass blade. But with a sense of direction, I see that the power of a grass blade is greater in the same way that the number 'one' is greater than the number 'negative one million.'
"As I try to align more of my actions to the upward direction, my actions become less random. My life accumulates shape and power.... The Second Law, once a burdensome source of despair, has unexpectedly become an ally of disciplined hope."
What do people think? Is this ethical framework a good source of purpose?
"The Second Law [of Thermodynamics] does to my life path what a steepening slope does to my walking. The Second Law heightens my awareness of the possible consequences that reside in every thought, word, and action. When I toss off a put-down of someone, I notice their spirit retract and notice how many minutes of extra effort it takes to restore the relationship to the level before the put-down. Put-downs feel like slips downslope; I try to step more gracefully. Though it is easy to set rocks tumbling down, it's also possible to dance lightly upward.
"Each day is filled with a million moves upon the slopes of the Second Law. Any move upon these slopes can remind me of the upward and downward directions. This sense of direction is important. Without a sense of direction, for example, the power of a bomb appears greater than the power of a grass blade. But with a sense of direction, I see that the power of a grass blade is greater in the same way that the number 'one' is greater than the number 'negative one million.'
"As I try to align more of my actions to the upward direction, my actions become less random. My life accumulates shape and power.... The Second Law, once a burdensome source of despair, has unexpectedly become an ally of disciplined hope."
What do people think? Is this ethical framework a good source of purpose?