Dan Plante <danp@CS347838-A.gvcl1.bc.wave.home.com> asks:
> Does the existence of the universe matter? Why?
> What if there were no humans (or /any/ self-aware entities) in it.
> Would it still matter? Why?
The existence of the universe matters TO ME. I suspect it matters to you
as well. As to whether or not it would matter if no one was around for it
to matter to... doesn't the question unask itself?
Meaning is the attitude that we *bring* to the event or object. An
interesting question for your consideration: what can we include in the
"we" of the previous sentence? Does a rabbit bring meaning to the objects
around it? Does a computer program bring meaning to the hardware it runs
on? Does a selfish gene bring meaning to the DNA substrate it resides
upon? Does a meme bring meaning to a collection of replicating ideas?
Whether the universe in general "matters" is a question which can only be
answered after one decides what objects should be granted *intentionality*.
As an interesting note, once one has postulated an intentional god
overseeing the universe, then "God's Plan" -- whereby god charges every
event in the universe with a divine meaning -- is a direct consequence.
ERiC