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Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Is life fair?

Do you think life is fair?

Options:
Yes
No; unfair
No; life is neither, because fairness doesn't exist

Explain.

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Subquestions:

What is life (in this context)?

Options:
The humans themselves and their interactions with nature. (Are the events that comprise X's life fair?)
A manifestation of an ideal, created by a supernatural being, but flawed by nature. The ideal is (a) except perfect. (Is life supposed to be fair?)
Other (Explain)

Explain.

Yes I know I phrased this like an intense homework question but it's not; I think it's a cool thing to think about.

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Bobithan

Member

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 4,476

Re: Is life fair?

There is no true decider for what is fair and what is unfair, proven by how this is a debatable topic; therefore it is neither fair nor unfair for any definition of "life".

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aka towwl

Koya

Fabulous Member

From: The island with those Brits

Joined: 2015-02-18

Posts: 6,310

Re: Is life fair?

No, we never have equal opportunities and it's just down to luck; it's not fair but you can balance out within a lifetime.

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Thank you eleizibeth ^

I stack my signatures rather than delete them so I don't lose them

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

There is no true decider for what is fair and what is unfair, proven by how this is a debatable topic; therefore it is neither fair nor unfair for any definition of "life".

You put words to the idea that I've felt but haven't been able to articulate. Thank you.

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

No, we never have equal opportunities and it's just down to luck; it's not fair but you can balance out within a lifetime.

So you think the potential for fairness has nothing to do with its definition?

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Anak

Guest

Re: Is life fair?

Life isn't fair nor unfair, but rather how humanity has shaped life is either of those.

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

Life isn't fair nor unfair, but rather how humanity has shaped life is either of those.

What is your definition of life here? Also I'm little foggy on your grammar, could you rephrase the last 4 words?

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Anak

Guest

Re: Is life fair?

Life isn't fair nor unfair, but rather how humanity has shaped life is either of those.

What is your definition of life here?

Birth to death, nature, Earth, etc. Things lie that can't really be objectively defined in such a way.

Pingohits

Banned

From: aids lizard

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 7,591

Re: Is life fair?

fairness is an idea developed by humankind

splitting a cookie in two is considered fair, but what really is fair?

it is impossible to IMAGINE fairness, because it is merely a concept

in the cookie problem, what if the other half was to a person with a serious gluten allergy? (considering the fact the cookie is gluten and must be eaten)

would that be FAIR?

would it be fair to devour a snack where you would soon meet your untimely demise?

what we have to understand is that the idea of fairness is something we think we understand, but in reality we do not. Kind of like the brain.

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Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

Things lie that can't really be objectively defined in such a way.

That didn't stop Plato from definitng "justice", or Aristotle from defining "happiness". Life is just as concrete as either of those, yet they still have definitions.

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

fairness is an idea developed by humankind

splitting a cookie in two is considered fair, but what really is fair?

it is impossible to IMAGINE fairness, because it is merely a concept

in the cookie problem, what if the other half was to a person with a serious gluten allergy? (considering the fact the cookie is gluten and must be eaten)

would that be FAIR?

would it be fair to devour a snack where you would soon meet your untimely demise?

what we have to understand is that the idea of fairness is something we think we understand, but in reality we do not. Kind of like the brain.

Although your example is a little flawed, your conclusion is that of Plato's. In his Theory of Forms, every thing has a physical part and an "ideal" part, which is perfect. for example, there is a drawing of a circle and a perfect circle. It is impossible to grasp the ideal form.

But when considering if life is fair, do we need to use the ideal form of fairness, or is it arbitrary?

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Zoey2070

Moderation Team

From: Shakuras

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 5,509

Re: Is life fair?

according to people life isn't fair

but how can mirrors be real if our eyes aren't real? ie, can fairness exist, in an objective way?
so i'm still gonna say no

life is the worst RNG please nerf

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?          

Anak

Guest

Re: Is life fair?

Things lie that can't really be objectively defined in such a way.

That didn't stop Plato from definitng "justice", or Aristotle from defining "happiness". Life is just as concrete as either of those, yet they still have definitions.

Things like justice are human concepts though. Life can't be measured on how just or fair it is, because it's, well, life. You can tell how happy someone is, or how just a law is, but you can't say how fair life is, because it's a subjective view which life can't take.

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

but you can't say how fair life is, because it's a subjective view which life can't take.

but how can mirrors be real if our eyes aren't real? ie, can fairness exist, in an objective way?
so i'm still gonna say no

What's wrong with this objective definition:
Fairness is doing what you are supposed to do according to absolute morals, i.e., that which is forever true.

Life therefore is fair because it obeys the laws of nature, which are always true (materialist perspective) or life is neither because life is comprised of humans which are the opposite of "absolutely moral".

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Anak

Guest

Re: Is life fair?

but you can't say how fair life is, because it's a subjective view which life can't take.

but how can mirrors be real if our eyes aren't real? ie, can fairness exist, in an objective way?
so i'm still gonna say no

What's wrong with this objective definition:
Fairness is doing what you are supposed to do according to absolute morals.

(Those morals are the impossible to know (see prev. post) so that would imply life isn't fair because humans aren't fair.)

I've established that life =/= human civilisation and society
Assuming we're talking about life, you can't apply morals to it
Assuming we're talking about humanity, you can apply morals to it

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

I've established that life =/= human civilisation and society
Assuming we're talking about life, you can't apply morals to it
Assuming we're talking about humanity, you can apply morals to it

For sake of argument, assume the most immediate definition, that is, life as you experience it (humanity, events, nature) and not the abstract version.

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

XxAtillaxX

Member

Joined: 2015-11-28

Posts: 4,202

Re: Is life fair?

Life itself is predetermined to a degree with the exception of quantum fluctuations on an atomic scale.
So, rather than 'answering' this philosophically it'd be more worthwhile to pose the question of free will in physical reality.

You can fairly accurately predict human nature, we are effectively complex machines that are easily misguided.
I'd highly suggest reading about the Cogito Model and criticism of it. (https://url.atil.la/unosh)

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*u stinky*

Onjit

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Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 9,709

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Re: Is life fair?

EVERYTHING IS SUBJECTIVE
EVERYTHING REQUIRES CONTEXT
EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS

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:.|:;

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

Life itself is predetermined to a degree with the exception of quantum fluctuations on an atomic scale.
So, rather than 'answering' this philosophically it'd be more worthwhile to pose the question of free will in physical reality.

You can fairly accurately predict human nature, we are effectively complex machines that are easily misguided.
I'd highly suggest reading about the Cogito Model and criticism of it. (https://url.atil.la/unosh)

Don't worry, I've tended toward materialistic perspectives of life for most of mine, but I'm humoring the idea that we have free will for my mental sanity as well as for interesting and practical conversation.

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Tako

Member

From: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Joined: 2015-08-10

Posts: 6,663

Website

Re: Is life fair?

EVERYTHING IS SUBJECTIVE
EVERYTHING REQUIRES CONTEXT
EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS

1) umad?
2) When something is subjective, it is not your duty to say "IMPOSSIBLE", but to find an objective meaning behind it. As I said earlier, if we thought that way, then very few advancements would have been made in the field of philosophy (ethics, logic, metaphysics, etc)
3) Signature paradoxically relevant (again)

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Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Onjit

Member

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 9,709

Website

Re: Is life fair?

I made that post

I R O N I C A L L Y

because these sorts of questions all devolve into a philisophy 101 circlejerk

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:.|:;

Zumza

Member

From: root

Joined: 2015-02-17

Posts: 4,656

Re: Is life fair?

An abstract question demands an abstract answer.

You make life by your rules.
Depending on that it can be fair or unfair.

I think this statement is correct from any part of view.

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Everybody edits, but some edit more than others

Pyromaniac

Official Caroler

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 4,868

Re: Is life fair?

Life itself is predetermined to a degree with the exception of quantum fluctuations on an atomic scale.
So, rather than 'answering' this philosophically it'd be more worthwhile to pose the question of free will in physical reality.

You can fairly accurately predict human nature, we are effectively complex machines that are easily misguided.
I'd highly suggest reading about the Cogito Model and criticism of it. (https://url.atil.la/unosh)

oooooooooooooooomg I rolled my eyes so hard when I read this that I fell out of my chair.

That being said, I'm with Onjit. These threads eventually end up with people parroting the same basic ideas over and over, using words that nobody would ever actually use in everyday conversation.

That being said x2- No. I dont think it is. You guys are talking about whether or not life SHOULD be fair in some perfect world governed by high minded theories and ideas. Just look around at the REAL world right now. Life clearly isn't fair, and as far as I can tell theres not really any rhyme or reason as to why terrible things happen to certain people, while others are amassing billions.

Zumza

Member

From: root

Joined: 2015-02-17

Posts: 4,656

Re: Is life fair?

Equality was always demanded by common people. But vain is also in human kind behaviour.
Complaining without a solution is worthless.

Monarchy isn't good; Communism isn't good; Democracy isn't good;
What should we invent now?

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Everybody edits, but some edit more than others

Pyromaniac

Official Caroler

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 4,868

Re: Is life fair?

Complaining without a solution is worthless.

Let's be honest. What kind of solution is going to be reached here? If you're really that concerned, go do something substantial like volunteering at a soup kitchen or working with organizations such as habitat for humanity and try to make life a little more fair in ways that actually help.