Re: Humanity's lost optimism
After having spent quite some time reflecting on the previous post, and playing through both The Talos Principle and its sequel (which touches similar themes), there may be two potential solutions.
We could go down the route of free will being an illusion, in which case everything is easy to view as simply a passenger experiencing reality as it passes us by. Why get upset or worried by the future when this is exactly how it was meant to happen, there was simply no other outcome that the universe could ever accommodate. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the ride before eternal darkness.
The other solution (as argued by the aforementioned Talos Principle) is that we have a moral duty to fight back, even when it all seems totally futile, even when a single person has no chance against the entire system.
The reason we have this moral duty goes somewhat like this:
- Premise 1: There is a possibility that we are the only conscious beings in the entirety of the universe (I think that is highly unlikely, but it is a possibility). Or at the least, we are unique in our own consciousness even if there are others out there.
- Premise 2: There is a beauty in parts of the universe being conscious, being able to experience itself.
- Conclusion 1: Therefore, it is valuable for consciousness to continue to exist.
- Premise 3: We are the only creatures capable of affecting the continued existence of our consciousness.
Conclusion 2: Therefore, since it is valuable for consciousness to continue to exist, and we are the only creatures capable of affecting its continued existence, we have a moral duty to ensure that it continues. All of us, every conscious being.
We must therefore fight until the end, regardless of how hopeless it might seem, because the alternative is a universe without consciousness (or at least our unique consciousness).
As for how sound either of those arguments is, is certainly up for debate, and neither really help with the day to day woes. Maybe somewhere in that though is enough to get us through our remaining years!
(as an aside, I totally disagree with The Talos Principle’s derision of people choosing to disconnect from the world and live an off-grid simple life. While endless pursuit of progress can be a noble goal in terms of consciousness experiencing new things and having a greater understanding of existence itself… those that choose to be happy experiencing simple, safer, things ought to be able to co-exist without being looked down upon)