So...just what is your reason and purpose for existence?

[Willamena]

I pretty much view it like this:

http://www.bengaliska.com/eat.jpg

I don't believe we have purposes other than ones we give ourselves.

Are the purposes for each of the characters in the cartoon not given themselves?

 

[s2a]

Are the purposes for each of the characters in the cartoon not given themselves?

Well, this is not intended to banter semantics, but instead to clarify the premise.

Your choice of "Given" (as directly applied to the concept of "purpose") is the fly in the ointment here, as it presupposes a "giver" or "diviner of purpose", so to speak. That assumption is hardly established by any means to be established fact, or testable theory.

Secondly, it it unlikely (from what we know any of finned aquatic beasties), that fish can decide rationalize their purpose, much less retain any capacity of choice or effect upon their simple existence.

"As far as we know" (or can best hope explain by scientific methodologies), our species is the only one that is self-aware enough to appreciate the concept of choosing/defining/manifesting one's own purpose within existence.

From the lent cartoon tho, one could argue that the final product of this evolution chain retains, at it's core, the very same uncontemplative drives to survive by any and all means...like all our predecessors...except the evincing of our own species and it's own innate capacities of reason and understanding re: the most basic concept of "tomorrow".

Even if we were to assume that a fish was cognizant enough to appreciate it's own and singularly specified "purpose", it's observable behaviors do not support any credible claim that any fish can choose to alter/change that purpose to suit any alternate outcomes or possibilities. After all, it's just a fish

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Purposes are personal, not inherit. Just letting ya know.

My purpose: To impress myself.

 

[InsurgoInsurgiInsurrect]

Why are you here Sol? The Sun of earth and great fire in the sky. Why do you exist?

And then the sun is gone. You are questioning why the bags of bacteria on the third rock from the sun once existed and what purpose they served? Why did the milky way exist might be a more interesting question in a few billion years from now.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Why are you here Sol? The Sun of earth and great fire in the sky. Why do you exist?

And then the sun is gone. You are questioning why the bags of bacteria on the third rock from the sun once existed and what purpose they served? Why did the milky way exist might be a more interesting question in a few billion years from now.

Ey, bro, but why we're here isn't the same question as why should we be here.

 

[s2a]

My purpose: To impress myself.

A work in progress, or fait accompli?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

A work in progress, or fait accompli?

Both