>The purpose of all living things is to survive and reproduce
>Philosophy is a tool that should serve us
>Any metaphysics and epistemology other than "I am a being within an objective external world which I can observe and empirically learn about" are useless and do not help me to survive or reproduce
>Therefore this is the only acceptable metaphysics and epistemology
Is this right?
No
explain
Let's assume your first premise is right (it isn't, but whatever). What do you mean by "a being?" What do you mean by "objective external world?" Welcome to Philosophy 101
>>The purpose of all living things is to survive and reproduce
Wrong.
>Philosophy is a tool that should serve us
What do you mean by "serve us"?
>The purpose of all living things is to survive and reproduce
Wrong. That which happens is not should be what happens.
Just because the organisms that survived survived doesn't mean that was their purpose.
>Philosophy is a tool that should serve us
but who is the "us"?
survive and reproduce are only our biological imperatives
I feel we are capable to looking beyond that
I like Socrates' idea of the purposes of our lives are to be happy
we want to live happy and fulfilling lives
reproducing is very often a part of that, starting a family, giving the next generation a better chance than you had etc
I have a friend that legit believes that we are all animals trying to survive and we help others survive in any way we can. How do I respond to this philosophy?
Does that spear she's holding represent my penis?
Tell him that he is committing a naturalistic fallacy.
I'm ignorant on what a Naturalistic Fallacy is, can you explain?
what are you some kind of chinaman? just fucking google it
Your heart is in the right place. Read Evola and Guenon next.
First premise- the biological imperative- isn't true. Humans do things that risk their lives (thus lowering their chances of survival)- consider war, and suicide. We also see malice- people willing to harm themselves in order to harm others (again, reducing chances of survival). Birth control for men and women is used regularly- suggesting our purpose isn't reproduction. So your premise is wrong on both accounts.
Your second premise is an assertion. Its truth is circular or you're defining "serve" in such a vague way that anything could potentially "serve" us. I'll come back to this later.
Your third premise rests on the first premise- which is false- thus your third premise doesn't hold.
Your conclusion doesn't follow even if your premises are true. Remember "serve" could mean anything- so other metaphysics and epistemologies could potentially "serve" us. Example- maybe sollipsism gets us laid a lot? Maybe nihilism allows us to survive longer?
You literally couldn't be more wrong.
>The purpose of all living things is to survive and reproduce
According to whom?
And why do they argue is this?
Why should we believe them?
>Philosophy is a tool that should serve us
According to whom?
And why do they argue is this?
Why should we believe them?
>Any metaphysics and epistemology other than "I am a being within an objective external world which I can observe and empirically learn about" are useless and do not help me to survive or reproduce
According to whom?
And why do they argue is this?
Why should we believe them?
>Therefore this is the only acceptable metaphysics and epistemology
According to whom?
And why do they argue is this?
Why should we believe them?
Don't attempt philosophy if you have never ever read philosophy.
No, living things have no purpose beyond being alive.
Survival and reproduction are just part of that.
Being alive isn't just the ability survive and reproduce, simple chemical reactions have that ability. Being alive is the ability to interpret signs from the outside environment and react accordingly. To be alive is to be conscious.
>empirically learn about
You can empirically learn about much of the mechanics of the world, but not everything in the world is empirically verifiable, including several very fundamental things, like your own consciousness.
>"purpose"
>"should"
no
>The purpose of all living things is to survive and reproduce
This is not a purpose, this is modus operandi. Life is, because this is what life does.
You can assign purpose, and more or less objectively propose the most logical and efficient path to achieve purpose, but in the end, purpose is an artificial creation of the analytical mind, not a fundamental pre-existing condition.
But as axioms go, it's as good as any other.
The rest runs from meaningless to tripe though...
>Philosophy is a tool that should serve us
Meaningless... Even mental masterbation is a service.
>Any metaphysics and epistemology other than "I am a being within an objective external world which I can observe and empirically learn about" are useless and do not help me to survive or reproduce
Not true. Completely nonempirical and unobjective concepts aid in reproduction all the time, particularly when seducing college students.
>Therefore this is the only acceptable metaphysics and epistemology
One man's acceptable is another man's unspeakable aberration. You can claim it's the most optimal path to the first goal (even if you'd still be wrong), but "acceptable" isn't an argument.
*grows in your way*
"..."
>Completely nonempirical and unobjective concepts aid in reproduction all the time, particularly when seducing college students.
this gave me a giggle
Doesn't presupposing a biological imperative already assume there is a metaphysical state of affairs
by which a biological imperative has metaphysical primacy?
Also, that's the pragmatist ideal of philosophy,
more traditional (i.e. continentals, analytics & some processeans) see philosophy as a inquiry towards truth, rather then a tool for better living, as it were.
*senses photons*
"Moves leaves to maximize photosynthetic efficiency"
*receives signal from root-mycelial communication network*
"It's your friend, other tree gif nutrients plox"
*sends nutrients*
*insect larvae eat it's leaves*
*produces toxin*
*releases pheromone*
"yo other trees those dick ass bugs are back"
*other trees produce toxins*