I like the Thomas Acquinas theories. However I have been working on my own which are based on appreciation. In that the way we feel about things and experience things provides a level of appreciation to existence that suggest a deeper reason for existence than simply existing. In addition to that our appreciation of beauty and emotions that arise from that and the appreciation of pain and the emotions that arise from that suggest a further enlightenment to life and general existence than merely for the sake of existing. There are many ways I would go about this argument but I hope you will begin to see what I am saying. The key is to feel those emotions and appreciation of the effect and the depth of those emotions yourself. As you get older or get pushed in a way that generates those feelings and see yours and other peoples reactions to those emotions and justify the causes of those emotions you may be able to see what I am saying. When you are pushed to the limit you will feel love and pains you did not know about before or could not appreciate another persons explanation of those feelings until you felt them yourself. That is when you see the full ability of the human being and the depth to your own existence.
I believe the ONLY value to one's life is to perhaps pass on a beneficial mutation to offspring. What does Thomas what's-his-name say about that?
He would say what is it that created the need or the desire or the energy to create an environment when you need to pass on a beneficial mutation to offspring. It is called the the reason for efficient cause or the third way.
No you have missed the point. Why do we even live in a environment where there is any purpose at all. You say there is purpose to pass on the beneficial mutations to a later generation. Why is there any purpose at all. The argument is there is some idea, thought, concept, energy, or whatever to provide an need to do anything so what created the need in the Darwinian case to have random chance? The whole concept of purpose and in fact appreciation at all something that has to be instigated or appreciated. What is it that enables people to appreciate things and why do people have a certain standard appreciation. If you make a racket on the piano everyone know it is a racket. If you play certain cords it is univerally seen as harmonic. It can even create emotions that are unversal. What created this harmony, what enables people to appreciate it and what creates a universal emotion to these sounds.
I never said anything about "purpose".. I said "value".. and even the "potential for value" is random chance. First, you have to have a mutation. (Few of us do.. we live out our lives of no consequence, then die.) Then, it needs to be beneficial. Then, it needs to be passed on and sustained to be spread to other generations and gain wide-spread adoption... a tall task... yet, a few make it. There is absolutely no "purpose" at all to human life.
What is it that enables appreciation of value. There has to be something in you that appreciates the concept of value what created that what made you capable of appreciating these things and what kick started the need for something to have value and to develop to something. That suggests a form of engineering a form of progression and refinement that indicates there is a purpose a need and a designer. Life isn't just about living it is a whole host of experiences and emotions. Why do people feel them what is the value in that and why would they happen if the only point of life is to create beneficial mutations that help later generations. In fact the emotion of love may deter the beneficial mutations. You could fall in love with someone who is a poor genetic partner. What creates the randomness of love and the emotions it creates. Like I said it is when you get pushed to the brink you feel emotions you could not appreciate before. Perhaps you have not been pushed to the brink or experienced love for another to the point where you have not choice when the relationship makes not sense. You could do in the future. It is when you are exposed to the events that trigger strong emotions that you will feel true appreciation for existence and then you will see that life is more than passing on beneficial genes.
Value need not be "recognize"... it's something which IS... recognized or not. Value is not up to me to "appreciate"... "Engineering", "purpose", "designer"... all false.