"[Fenn] was in space, and he would not trade; but ever more he remembered the seas of Earth, wind in a sail, waves thunderous, and the thrum of a tiller beneath his hand. When you get right down to the bones of the matter, he thought, the only meaning the universe has comes from whatever is alive." (p. 227)
He means consciously alive.
Where else could meaning reside? Some words mean objects to which they refer. Others derive their meaning from their use. Only consciousness and intelligence give meaning to sounds and signs. Only experiences that are enjoyed, appreciated, valued have any meaning. For a man enjoying "wind in a sail," see Fran And The Technic History.
I agree with Fenn (and Fran) but have to ask how it could be otherwise. When consciousness began, meaningfulness began, as also did the division of time not only into (as yet unnoticed) days and years but also into past, "present" and future. Any moment is "present" to any organism that is conscious in that moment but not otherwise.
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
All "meaning" begins and ends with God, Who is the Source of everything that is good. And I re call how Dante wrote in the DIVINE COMEDY that God created other beings that they might also declare "I am" to Hm.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I believe in a source of all things but not that it is anthropomorphic.
Of course, on the theistic hypothesis, meaning does come from consciousness, starting with divine consciousness.
Paul.
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