Most people I know are pretty leery about buying into Will to Power as reflecting Nietzsche’s thought. Even those who do use it use it carefully. On the other hand the Heideggarian reading of Eternal Recurrance and Will to Power (the concept, not the book) are interesting here. I’m not sure I buy them as reflecting Nietzsche’s thought but they sure make me think.

I do agree though about folks waiting for the next life to make everything nice. I think the whole theme of Joseph’s teaching is that heaven is what we make. There’s a very Nietzschean element in Joseph Smith. I used to joke that Nietzsche is what you get if you made Joseph an atheist. Not entirely true of course but there’s a strong element of truth to it.

I kind of like the ethical view of the eternal recurrance as both an affirmation of life as well as recognizing a fulfilling life as the selection of high powers. Going beyond that is kind of far fetched in my view.

To me, human life has a purpose, but human life also has a “meaning”. They are connected but different things. Phrased differently, I would ask, “What does it mean to be alive as a human?” Perhaps, “What is unique about human life? What does ‘human life’ mean as opposed to a simple definition of ‘life’?” I think once we define what human life “means”, we are able to see a “meaning” for life – which leads to a “purpose” in life.

To me, “human life” means “life as a spirit child of God in mortality” – which gives a “meaning” of a stage of potential progression toward godliness – which gives a “purpose” of becoming like God. What I am saying is that “meaning” usually is discussed in terms of “purpose” – but that our Mormon purpose is influenced by the very way we define human life (the meaning we assign of that life). Others who define life differently (assign it a meaning without a direct, evolutionary link to God) naturally reach different purposes for life. “Becoming like God” never enters the picture for them, since it isn’t connected to the meaning they assign to their lives.

So, in a nutshell, I also reach the conclusion that the meaning of life is change – with the purpose of a specific type of change.

I think the meaning of life, rather than being any sort of intellectual left-brained thing, is just this physical feeling, the joy of drawing breath, of looking, of being alive.

How I ache for those who don’t feel it.