phil3010
In the interview this week, Dr. Sharpe addresses the nature of meaning, which is one of the primary driving forces behind human existence.
To prepare for this Discussion:
· Listen to the Radio Laureate Interview with Dr. Kevin Sharpe: "The Quest for Meaning."
· Consider the things that create meaning for you in your life.
· Reflect on whether meaning in your life is influenced by spiritual thinking, scientific explanations, both, or neither.
With these thoughts in mind:
a 2- to 3-paragraph response deciding whether or nor you believe meaning to be the most essential human element. Analyze which elements of the scientific and/or spirit realm create meaning for your life (or if neither field creates meaning for you, explain why not). Explain how meaning does, or does not, serve as a bridge the realms of science and spirit for you.
https://class.content.laureate.net/2dad7c18ccca8bf4ee7955f214d18991.pdf
PHIL 3010 –PHIL3010_W05 Dr. Kevin Sharpe "The Quest for Meaning" Page 1 RECORDING BEGINS [00:00:00] - MUSIC [00:00:02] - A VOICEOVER : This week's topic is "The Quest for Meaning." Dr. Sharpe shares the impetus behind his current project, which is a two-part book on the nature of meaning. In this discussion, he explores the nature of religion in relation to the nature of science. [00:00:25] - B DR. LESLIE VAN GELDER : This week we look at Dr. Sharpe's current projects, which deal with a two-part series on the nature of meaning and what meaning means to humans. Can you talk a little bit about what you see as that need for meaning as being most essentially human, and how does the quest for meaning bridge the realms of science and spirit for you? [00:00:50] - C DR. KEVIN SHARPE : This is a, I don't know whether the listeners to this, know that I have terminal cancer, and I may have only a couple of months left to live, or I may have years and years and years. No one knows as yet. There's certainly no sign of the end at this point. But that's a, a type of situation where most people like to think of their lives and, and, and seek the meaning in their lives and so forth. [00:01:18] - At this point in my life, I'm certainly focused on meaning. I'm focused on creating as much as I can and a better sense of wellbeing for both my wife, my family and myself. And in my own thinking trying to round out, trying to close off, if you like, at least partially close, finish off (CHUCKLES) some of the work I've been doing and has been my whole life's work. Both the archaeological stuff and the philosophical stuff. [00:02:02] - And trying to get those in order, but it's a bit different when your brain's not functioning too well, but you know, one can try. [00:02:12] - D DR. LESLIE VAN GELDER : You spent over 30 years in this subject, exploring it from all angles. The work of David Baum, Baum as a physicist and a mathematician, and a very strong inspiration for you early on in trying to marry science and spirit and he was a model to you. And to many others. As you've moved on in your own life, is pat of your story, in the end, where do you see your last work, if you can think about, if you, if you could finish your last work, and PHIL 3010 –PHIL3010_W05 Dr. Kevin Sharpe "The Quest for Meaning" Page 2 hopefully you will, and hopefully there's always another last work (Mm-hmm.) what's the central questions that's driving you right now? [00:02:56] - E DR. KEVIN SHARPE : I think it's really basically the nature of religion, and the nature of religion in relation to the nature of science. I’m right back to the initial questions. And the realization that all of this, all of these are - are examples of systems of meaning that we create for our, for our living, for our life, for being human beings. [00:03:27] - And the problem is that they conflict because they aren't all coherent with each other. And my attempt at the moment is to first of all create a base theory, if you like, on the nature one meaning for us human beings and how it relates to happiness and so forth and so on. And, and then to look more if I get a chance, to - and to develop it - to try and create a proposal which will be both fulfilling as a, a spiritual system of meaning and as a physical system being in that it's, in other words one system of meaning which can have either emphasis. [00:04:18] - But to create that system would be my overall goal. Actually it's a bit of a harebrain because I've already done it, but it's a - something that you can't just write and, you know, changes the world. So something that is very much a social thing that gets looked at.