Alberto Gamonal
In the Book “What does it all mean?” by Thomas Nagel, he speaks about different ideas and theories that have been very popular throughout the years.These ideas and topics have been causing many philosophers to try and find their own answers to them for many years. In each chapter he presents an idea and then tries to break it down by presenting each and every one of its flaws in order to give us the problem and then tries to find the best possible answer or explanation of what he thinks about it. We don't have to agree with his answer which is why he leaves it up to us to think about the problems and find our own answers from a philosophical standpoint. In some chapters we may agree with the argument in others we may not. It is all subjective to personal opinion. Some of these ideas presented by Nagel refer to the existence of our world, the idea of free will and also the meaning of life.
This book is meant to go deep into these philosophical question in order to find out views that most people rarely think about. This essay is not to disprove or bash other ideas but instead it will let me analyze each idea that Nagel presented alone and then try to come up with my own answer or explanation of what I think about it.
The Real World
Are you really reading this paper or is this just a dream? Maybe its just something you are making up as you are reading. In Chapter 2 Nagel brings up an idea in which he questions whether or not the physical world we live in really exists. Nagel explains that the existence of everything you know is based on previous experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Whether it is your address, birthday, the name of the first president or what school you go to, all of those things is based on those previous experiences and thoughts.
Nagel argues that the inner mind is all we know that exists. He also goes to say that all these experiences could just be a big dream so therefore how do we even know if we exist or not. But how could it be a dream since we cant really wake up from this? Since you can’t wake up from this dream the answer is that we are actually in reality. These are all points and questions that are presented by Nagel.
One of his arguments in this chapter is Skepticism. This is the position that the external world may not even exist and that all you really know is whats inside your mind. How can we know what the truth is if we have never really experienced it? There is no way to know other than the possibility that someone would be able to observe life happen outside of their mind.
This argument would suggest that everything I see is made up since the external world doesn't exist. That would mean that my mind is making up this essay, the color of the walls, the keyboard on my computer and the feeling of my feet on the floor. All these examples would be the external world which according to Nagel may not really exist for all we know. The problem is how do we know the difference between whats real and whats not. I believe that we have enough evidence by the stimuli that we receive everyday such as the chills you get when you're cold, the feeling of heat, the feeling of hunger. Theses are all simple things that people don't experience when they are dreaming.
I have multiple reasons why I don't agree with Nagel’s arguments. The first being that if the external world isn't real then we have never experienced any real feelings or experiences. This could either mean that nothing is real including our inner mind or that the external world is real and so is our mind. In order to have these real experiences and feelings then the external world has to be real too other wise it is just a dream which is another one of Nagel’s arguments. The second problem with his argument is that if we believe that the external world isn't real then we can never argue against it. With the use of science I would be able to prove that we exist as humans but Nagel would argue that science might not be real so the argument would continue in a never ending cycle. The reason why reality does exist outside of the human mind is because if it didn't then we would be in a dream.
When someone dreams they eventually wake up but since will never wake up from this it means we are actually living in reality which is called verificationism. There is a difference in dreaming and living in reality in regard to feelings and senses that can't be felt when dreaming.
The reason why this world and everything in it can’t be a dream is because most people can control their dreams. No matter how hard I try to think about it I wont be able to alter things in the real world like I do in my dreams.
For example in most dreams I can think of the car I like and it will appear in front of me but since I am not dreaming right now I cannot alter reality. The reason why we know that we are experiencing reality is because we can see and feel things. When most people dream they are unable to feel only to see. The moment people die in a dream they wake up. The reason for this is because your body has never experienced the feeling of death.
The last problem with this argument is that we grow up believing that everything around us really exists so when we come across the idea of skepticism we don't really agree with it.
We are so accustomed to believing in reality that it is easier to not think about the possibility that nothing is real. There is no argument that can clearly prove skepticism to be real or fake so all we can do is continue living whether it be in our minds or actual reality in order to find the truth.
One Way or Another
The concept of free will is that we all have a choice in how we act and what we do when it comes to behavior. I believe that free will is true and it is a concept that humans do everyday multiple time a day. You go to a restaurant and they have a wide variety of foods but at the end of the day you pick the one you want. You finish eating and then you have to pay the bill.
You get to decide wether you leave a tip or not and you also get to decide how much money to tip. These are just a few examples of how humans use free will.
Nagel explains that this idea of “can “ or “could have” only applies to people and sometimes animals. It doesn't apply to other things such as the sun because the sun will always rise no matter what. Another example is how the earth will never stop spinning. There are differences in what can be chosen by free will and also by what is determined.
In this chapter Nagel explains that we make certain decisions and choices and that these “…circumstances that exist before we act determine our actions and make [our choices] inevitable”(page 51). What Nagel means by that is that you are not necessarily making your own choice but that your previous choices and actions are making the choice for you, this view is called determinism. The reason why I disagree with this view is because when people have to make a choice for themselves they can use previous experiences and choices to make the choice but no matter what they will always have the ability to choose whatever they want which is what I understand the definition of free will to be.
Sometimes while making a choice you might subconsciously be thinking about the consequences or previous experiences in choosing but at the end of the day you are fully capable of choosing what you want in life.
Another flaw with this view is the fact that it allows people to do things without being held accountable for them. This view would imply that someone could rob a bank but there would be no consequences due to the fact that it wasn't a personal choice, the person was gonna do it because of his previous choices and beliefs. If the whole world viewed determinism as the common law then there would be chaos, everyone would commit crimes and say it wasn't their fault.
This only leaves the idea that every choice we make is completely our own at the exact moment where we have to decide. Everyone I know has had to make self will choices everyday, whether it be choosing different foods, colors, or shoes. To me free will is necessary rather then determinism because it gives a sense of being free and responsible for what you do rather then assuming that everything you do is part of your previous circumstances. Although some people might be different from me and believe in determinism.
I believe that determinism can be used when you are not trying to face the truth, I have experienced this before. For example you are on a diet and you have to choose between a donut and an apple. Despite the fact that you're on a diet, you choose the donut. Now instead of accepting the fact that you actually made the choice for yourself you believe that no matter what, based on your previous experiences and actions you were going to choose the donut.
I would rather accept the fact that I chose the donut and next time I was in the same predicament I would base my choice off of whatever I wanted at that same exact moment where I had to pick again.
You Only Live Once
Everyday thousands of people are born and thousands of people die. You are born, once you are old enough you go to school. Graduate from school and move on to college. Once you graduate you find a job. Then you get married, have kids, and keep working until you retire and then die. Throughout those years you can ask multiple people what they think the meaning of life is and they will all give you a different answer based on what they like the most.
Some might say it is being with friends and family, becoming rich, or having everything you want to own. In this chapter Nagel explains that maybe the meaning of life may not really matter and maybe even our existence doesn't matter except for our friends and family. I believe that we all have a reason to be on this earth and it is to be the best we can and reach our full potential.
Nagel also explains that maybe the meaning of life is for religious purposes. For example we might be on this earth and alive in order to prepare for an eternity with god. The problem with this belief is that if you are here because of something bigger then yourself such as God, then you have to ask yourself, why is God here? If you are alive because of something bigger, then the question will always be why. Whats the purpose of God? You will never find the answer.
Personally I am not a very religious person so I believe that the meaning of life is to set out goals ad achieve them, spend time with who you love, and have a balance with everything in life. I rather have an “oh well” than a “what if”. Another one of Nagel’s arguments is that people who think the meaning of life is to do things for future generations and better the community is setting themselves up for failure since in a certain amount of years the world will end all of that will not matter. Their might be an exception to some people that might want to do things for future generations just to feel good about themselves and this wont apply to them.
At the end of the chapter Nagel comes back to the question of whats the point of being alive. In all honesty there is no exact answer which is why people must put that aside. Nagel makes a clear point that this can be satisfying or it can be depressing to some people. The reason as to why this might make some people depressed is because we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves in order to be someone important, looked upon, and gain a sense of importance.
I have had many situations with family members and friends who become stressed due to the fact that they haven't fulfilled their goals or their parents expectations.
In order to answer what the meaning of life is to you, I believe that you must look at the things that genuinely make you happy. This might be going out to ride bike every weekend, going out with friends, playing sports, or even singing. When it comes down to the meaning of life there is no wrong or right answer. I myself have set out certain goals such as graduating from high school, getting my drivers license and even learning new languages. Along the way I check off every goal accomplished and that is how I will determine if I have completed my meaning of life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, together as human beings we all share the same the same abilities in regard to being able to have experiences, make choices, and fulfill our goals.
Whether we live in our minds or in reality, actually make our own decisions or not, or find the meaning of life, everyone reading this is living right now and can keep doing what they believe is right. We may look forever and never find the answer to these things but maybe we aren't meant to anyway.