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We don't need it in a physical, survival sense, like food or water., but we need it in an intellectual sense. We expect it. Almost all of mankind has expected to find purpose, and most of it has, in some form. And I can't help but notice that all the other things that all of mankind has always wanted--food, water, sex, air--do, in fact, exist. That's not to say we always get what we want, but we're stunningly efficient at wanting things we can potentially get. If purpose is something we almost all have almost always wanted, and can't get at...it's probably the only thing that fits that description.
It's not a mistake unless you define "meaning" in a completely circular way. If you define the "meaning" of life to be whatever meaning you decide your life has, then yeah, shocker: your life can have "meaning." But that's a tautology. For the word to have any--sorry, it's the only word--meaning, it has to refer to purpose outside of our own arbitrary choice. When you say you give your life meaning, you're already conceding the point. You may or may not then try to reappropriate the word to mean less than it did when the other person spoke it, but it won't be referring to the same thing.
No, he's saying they do, and that that makes us different than animals.
Except for the search to improve their quality of life, you mean? Anyway, whether he brings them up or not, there are some pretty huge differences. And whether or not you find those differences to be indicative of some higher metaphysical truth, the attempts to play down the gulf are often hilariously inadequate.
Except for the search to improve their quality of life, you mean? Anyway, whether he brings them up or not, there are some pretty huge differences. And whether or not you find those differences to be indicative of some higher metaphysical truth, the attempts to play down the gulf are often hilariously inadequate.
No, but you do need one to have any objective ground for morality, truth, logic, purpose, etc. You may not feel these things exist at all, but in my experience most skeptics try to have it both ways.
There are many reasons to pray (and the existence of miracles does not, in fact, conflict with free will), but in short: prayer benefits the person praying. I pray because it is humbling, grounding, and is a useful symbol of faith and acceptance. Not because I think I can persuade God to give me something.
a materialistic universe is one in which only physical things exist. All physical things react to the forces set upon them and have no say in doing so, IE: a rock has to fall when you drop it. Our brains are made of physical matter. Therefore, our brains are subject to the same laws of cause and effect, and choice is an illusion.
I say "virtually" because you can, technically speaking, construct a belief system that denies the existence of God but affirms the existence of some vague supernatural force of only moderate power, I suppose. But I haven't met anyone who thinks this.
