What is the place of man in the universe?

Question

Is man the highest fruit of the universe or is he just an insignificant speck in infinite space—or something in between? Does the spirit of man descend into matter from higher spiritual realms, or has it evolved from matter? Is the universe conscious or unconscious of man? If it is aware, is it warm and friendly to him, or cold and indifferent, or even hostile?

Answer 1

Human is the cold one, the indifferent and hostile being to the universe.

Answer 2

God created man. Heaven and living forever is the ultimate goal. Some of the Universe could consist of Angels making peoples thoughts reality to please God.

Answer 3

It's all one thing and non-thing. We are unique nodes of the entire smear and have the capacity to change our individual and collective destiny by waking up.

Answer 4

Who does not know what the world is, does not know where they are And they do not know for what purpose the world exists, does not know who they are nor what the world is. But they who has failed in any one of these things could not even say for what purpose they exists. What then do they think of them who avoids or seeks the praise of those who applaud, of men who know not either where they are or who they are?" Marcus Aurelius

Answer 5

everything gets better and man is not separate form the universe except by his own definitions thus it is his place to improve. size is immaterial ( luckily as we are so tiny )

Only quality counts.

the universe is part of quality the vast quantity of space within it means nothing in comparison the evolution it embodies. We must evolve and i''m not talking biological evolution only i'm talking total social purity and pure intellectual dynamic quality. Everything is one and the One is quality - this remains true because the bits that aren't of quality don't last.

Our place is to be of high enough quality to endure, our place is to be good enough!

Answer 6

how come when someone asks this about men everyone says something philosophical but when people ask this about women everyone just says "to get pregnant"???

Answer 7

Better men and women than I have answered this. But I will comment at the end.

"He who does not know what the world is, does not know where he is. And he who does not know for what purpose the world exists, does not know who he is, nor what the world is. But he who has failed in any one of these things could not even say for what purpose he exists himself. What then dost thou think of him who avoids or seeks the praise of those who applaud, of men who know not either where they are or who they are?" Marcus Aurelius

Ayn Rand answered Aurelius perfectly with this next quote, because it was precisely the way the Stoics thought.

"I know not if this earth on which I stand is the core of the universe or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. I know not and I care not. For I know what happiness is possible to me on earth. And my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose." from Anthem

The highest purpose of Man is to seek his rational happiness, and I add the word "rational" because I agree with Aristotle who said the standard by which to judge any creature's actions and purposes is to use the standard which best preserves and promotes his life, and that of the species. That was his concept of "qua," and for Man it is stated as "Man qua Man." Man's definition is the "rational animal." It is in his Latin name: Homo sapiens sapiens. Sapient means "knowledge" or "wisdom." The double use of the sapiens means man has sapience of his own sapience; or to put it another way, he is a sapient sapient. No other creature has that virtue, though many are intelligent.

The "place of man in the universe" is, to steal a phrase, "Be all that he can be."

Answer 8

No man is not the highest being in the universe. And our spiritual nature is higher than our physical one. The universe isn't self aware it more of a machine than a being.

Answer 9

The center