While affirming the fallacy-of-composition concerns, I think we can take this charitably to mean “The universe is not totally saturated with only indifference throughout, for behold, this part of the universe called Scott Derrickson does indeed care about things.”
Scott Derrickson is indifferent. How do I know this? I know because Scott Derrickson’s skin cells are part of Scott Derrickson, and Scott Derrickson’s skin cells are indifferent.
We are all faced throughout our lives with agonizing decisions. Moral choices. Some are on a grand scale. Most of these choices are on lesser points. But! We define ourselves by the choices we have made. We are in fact the sum total of our choices. Events unfold so unpredictably, so unfairly, human happiness does not seem to have been included, in the design of creation. It is only we, with our capacity to love, that give meaning to the indifferent universe. And yet, most human beings seem to have the ability to keep trying, and even to find joy from simple things like their family, their work, and from the hope that future generations might understand more.
-- Closing lines of Crimes and Misdemeanors, script by Woody Allen.
I agree with the sentiment expressed in this quote, and I don’t see it as opposed to the one expressed i mine, but judging from the pattern of up votes and downvotes, people do not agree.
I guess the quote I posted is ambiguous. You could read it as a kind of bad theistic argument (“since there is meaning in my life, there must be Ultimate Meaning in the universe”). Or you could read it as an anti-nihilistic quote (“even if there is no Ultimate Meaning, the fact that there is meaning in my life is enough to make it false that the universe is meaningless”). I was assuming the second reading, but I guess either the people who voted either assumed the first one. Or perhaps they saw the second one and just judged it a poor way of stating this idea.
The fallacy of composition arises when one infers that something is true of the whole from the fact that it is true of some part of the whole (or even of every proper part).
--Scott Derrickson
While affirming the fallacy-of-composition concerns, I think we can take this charitably to mean “The universe is not totally saturated with only indifference throughout, for behold, this part of the universe called Scott Derrickson does indeed care about things.”
That’s the way I interpreted it, too. There’s a speech in HP:MOR where Harry makes pretty much the same point.
“There is light in the world, and it is us!”
Love that moment.
That’s exactly the sentiment I was aiming for with the quote.
Scott Derrickson is indifferent. How do I know this? I know because Scott Derrickson’s skin cells are part of Scott Derrickson, and Scott Derrickson’s skin cells are indifferent.
If you interpret “X is indifferent” as “no part of X cares”, the original quote is valid and yours isn’t.
-- Steve Smith, American Dad!, season 1, episode 7 “Deacon Stan, Jesus Man”, on the applicability of this axiom.
-- Closing lines of Crimes and Misdemeanors, script by Woody Allen.
I agree with the sentiment expressed in this quote, and I don’t see it as opposed to the one expressed i mine, but judging from the pattern of up votes and downvotes, people do not agree.
I guess the quote I posted is ambiguous. You could read it as a kind of bad theistic argument (“since there is meaning in my life, there must be Ultimate Meaning in the universe”). Or you could read it as an anti-nihilistic quote (“even if there is no Ultimate Meaning, the fact that there is meaning in my life is enough to make it false that the universe is meaningless”). I was assuming the second reading, but I guess either the people who voted either assumed the first one. Or perhaps they saw the second one and just judged it a poor way of stating this idea.
Scott Derrickson may be a part of the universe, but he is not the universe.