Human Exceptionalism: We Understand Significance – National Review

Materialists believe that, in the end, we are only so many carbon molecules, signifying nothing. Hence, mostdeny human exceptionalism, arguing essentiallty that we are just another species in the forest when they arent castigating us as the enemy of the earth.

Comes now materialist Nick Hughes a self-declared disenchanted free-thinking atheist to declare while it is true from the Universesperspective that humanity is utterlyinsignificant never mind that a materialistic Universehas no perspective that doesnt mean we should despair. From, Do We Matter in the Cosmos? published in Aeon.

For the disenchanted, it is hard to deny that our causal powers are insignificant from the point of view of the entire Universe. But should we be troubled by this? Should it lead us to nihilism and despair? I dont think so. To see why, we need to go back to the issue of value and draw another distinction.

Some of the things that we care about happiness and human flourishing, for example areintrinsicallyvaluable to us.

I think Hughes misses a big point. Even if we are merely thinking carbon, our existence itself is inherently valuable.Indeed, only we have the capacity in the known universe to understand much less contemplate the concept and importance of significance. That is one of the things that makes life worth living.

To put it another way, we are the only true moral beings (again, in the known universe). That which also implicates our unique rationality is one of the distinctly human attributes that make our existenceitselfexceptional.

But Hughes cant see that. He just gives readers an empatheticpat on the back, telling us not to despair because, well, well always have art:

Whether or not they are objectively valuable, the ends that matter to us, the things that we care about most our relationships, our projects and goals, our shared experiences, social justice, the pursuit of knowledge, the creation and appreciation of art, music and literature, and the future and fate of ours and other species do not depend to any considerable extent on our having control over a vast but largely irrelevant Universe.

We might be distinctly lacking in power from the cosmic perspective, and so, in a sense, insignificant. But having such power and such significance wouldnt make much of a difference anyway.

To lament its lack and respond with despair and nihilism is merely a form of narcissism. Most of what matters to us is right here on Earth.

No. Its not about power. Its not about cosmic perspectives. Only we understand there is such a thing as the cosmos.

Its also notwhat we can do, the art we can create creativity is another uniquely human attribute but about who we are inherently. We think, therefore we are. We contemplate meaning, therefore the universe itself comes to have meaning because a species exists that can find it.

Hughes bemoans the authoritarianism that sometimes befouls our thriving. But authoritarianism can only exist whenhuman exceptionalism our unique and equal individual value, coupled with our duties to each other (among others) is denied. Thats when those with power feel free to exploit and oppressthose they falsely denigrate as being without it.

In his proud disenchantment, Hughes tells us not to despair because there are aspects of life to enjoy until we are snuffedinto non-thinking carbon.

Thats a dangerously nihilistic viewno matter how much Hughes strives to whistle past the graveyard.

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Human Exceptionalism: We Understand Significance - National Review