Home / Politics & Society / Introducing Humanism: Non-religious Approaches to Life, with Sandi Toksvig / Are we insignificant?
Are we insignificant?
Watch humanist philosopher AC Grayling explain why, even in a vast and purposeless universe, human beings might still matter.
Well there are people who think that the universe is just a great play of forces and there’s no purpose and value written into it from the beginning to the end.
But think of this: In the total history of the universe, a little flare of consciousness produces itself on one planet, in one solar system, in one galaxy - now if that flare of consciousness turns out, overall, to feel itself to be meaningful and worthwhile; and that the joy and pleasure outweighs the sadness and grief in it, then that entire history of the universe is a good thing. It would have been a good thing if the universe existed. But if that bit of consciousness has in it more suffering, more darkness, more tragedy, than the good things in it, then that will colour the entire history of the universe, and make it a bad thing that it existed.
And that is why it’s important, we should all of us, try to make our lives meaningful and good and joyous.
AC Grayling explains why, even in a vast and purposeless universe, human beings might still matter.
This article is from the online course:
Introducing Humanism: Non-religious Approaches to Life, with Sandi Toksvig
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Introducing Humanism: Non-religious Approaches to Life, with Sandi Toksvig
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