STABB666,
As minor children, obviously none of us had much free will, period. Thus whether in grade school or in life itself, this childhood condition of limited choice is universal. Thus as this fact permeates both the "life" and the metaphoric "school" scenarios of this discussion and applies equally to both, we can cancel both out of this equation as moot. Let's speak instead of ourselves as adults for whom free agency is fully in play in all that we do.
As adults, we make the choices for our own life... including whether we wish to remain in school or drop out, whether we feel education is worthwhile or not. Yet whether we continue our education or not is still ... our choice. Likewise, whether we determine that life does have purpose or not and choose to live accordingly is still entirely... our choice.
Thus, to hold the view that life has purpose no more limits our free agency than it would to view education as having purpose and acting accordingly. In either case, we are still just as free to make choices in our lives regardless our views. And, in fact, the argument could be quite easily made that by viewing education (and life) as having purpose and then taking advantage of same through our actions, we in fact open up for ourselves far more choices later on in life than were we to consider either... or both... as having no purpose at all. After all, an adult with a college education is understandably far better equipped and more likely to have a lot more choices in life both professionally as well as economically than would a high school dropout, all things being equal. Thus, viewing life as having purpose would logically be expected to also help one achieve far more in life than would the view of life as pointless and, thus, of no importance no matter how lived... or not.
Now... moving on... you are correct indeed that it is Life itself that is teaches us through its myriad, often-seemingly random pathways. This is, in fact, one of if not the key purpose of Life, itself; it is indeed the ultimate "school." And as a school, it has a purpose: to educate and prepare us for that which is to come... hereafter.
Hmmm... I said hereafter? Surely that will have you balk at such a seeming leap in logic. However, let's examine just a bit further to see why this is not so much a leap as an inductive logical step, instead.
In the animal kingdom, we observe an almost universal "Law of the Jungle" in effect that dictates that animals operate solely on what is best described as extreme self interest. If an animal is hungry, it kills to eat... without remorse or regret. If it wants something and can get away with taking it ... it feels no compunction not to take it, no matter the harm it might do to others in so doing. Animals have little if any emotion that is not inherently self-serving and entirely devoid of compassion for others around it, save for its offspring or known benefactors. This Darwinian "Law of the Jungle" is simple, unvarnished selfishness and is universally and instinctually followed by all species ...
... save for one.
We are the sole and, thus, the amazingly unique exception to this one solitary foundational rule of Evolution. For whenever in history a person or a society has attempted to engender such a law as its own and then exercises such to dominate, subjugate, and rule with an iron fist all those weaker than itself, it leads to the inevitable misery of all and the ultimate destruction of that person or that society (e.g., Nazi Germany, Japanese Empire, Soviet Union... and those only in the past 100 years). Totalitarian governments or societies that prey upon the weak, whether that weakness be militaristic, economic, racial, sexual, religious, etc., are antithetical to free agency and to harmonious Human society. This is in direct contradiction to the evolutionary view of Life as arbitrary, accidental, and thus inherently devoid of purpose or reason. And yet... we remain as the ultimate glaring contradiction to such a foundational Evolutionary law. Why?!
While in all other species such basic predatory attitudes and behaviors are considered as demonstrably healthy and, in fact, necessary. Yet strangely... and contrary to Evolutionary principles... only in Human society is such rightly judged extremely unhealthy, decidedly destructive, and in fact, sociopathic and criminal... and rightly so!
Assuming you have followed my argument thus far, allow me then to pose the obvious question: if Life for us is without purpose and merely a fluke by-product of Evolution... then why is this foundational Law of Evolution, the law of "Natural Selection," of "Survival of the Fittest," not only completely inoperable where Human societies are concerned, but in fact inherently contrary to our most foundational natures and, in fact, inexorably self destructive? Why are we required to learn and operate by HIGHER laws of societal behavior to survive, laws that teach compassion, unselfishness... even at the risk of our lives (which REALLY flies in the face of Evolutionary principles)? Why is it that for us as Human Beings, the "natural" law of "Might Makes Right" ("Survival of the Fittest"), which plainly operates wonderfullly throughout the animal kingdom and has for untold millenia, would result in the destruction of our entire species were such behavior made legal and put into actual practice worldwide?
There is only one LOGICAL answer to that singularly important question: WE are not the product of that Evolutionary paradigm, thus the foundational principle of same... does not work for us.
Were this conclusion in error, then the foundational principle upon which it is based would indeed operate as fluidly and harmoniously in our Human societies as it has always done in animal societies.
Thus... Life does have a purpose that transcends this mortal plane, or else we would not be required by life to inherently learn principles diametrically opposed to those dictated by evolutionary "science" (e.g., charity, compassion, self-sacrifice, atruism), principles that potentially could actually limit our lives here or lessen the quality of same for us and/or our children. And yet, when we help another, when we sacrifice ourselves or our resources to help others in need, we FEEL wonderfully... inside... emotionally and (dare I say it?) spiritually. These FEED our sense of self-worth and self-esteem in ways not possible via money or even power, both of which... as the old adage correctly states... inevitably corrupts and, thus, self destructs the individual.
And these key lessons that life teaches our species alone succeed not in developing our bodies... but instead something within us that must be much deeper... much longer lasting that has a purpose far surpassing the brief period of mortality in which we presently find ourselves.
Were this not so, we would be naturally happy and fulfilled living the same Law of the Jungle as works so well in all the animal kingdoms. And instead of locking up the psychopaths amongst us for simply learning such natural "Survival of the Fittest" (i.e., "Might Makes Right") evolutionary lessons as are taught by Nature to all species... we ought to free them all.
And, by extrapolation, let's instead lock up all the true heroes in society who have freely chosen to view Life as having purpose! You know, those "idiots" who have dared to choose living by the many altruistic principles of unselfishness, self sacrifice, and even heroic altruism, all of which are in diametric VIOLATION of the aforenamed evolutionary principles. And while we're at it, if indeed "Survival of the Fittest" is the Darwinian ideal, and if therefore life is indeed without purpose anyway... ought we then not to abide by such "high" Evolutionary Laws and act as did Hitler in exterminating all those scientifically judged to be genetically inferior, too?
Quite the Slippery Slope, huh?! And yet, this is entirely reasonable and, perhaps, inevitable when Darwinian principles are considered valid and actually applied!
Thus... either Life is the accidental product of Evolution, without purpose and without point at all except to live, propagate, and die as selfishly and as predatorily as possible to ensure the evolutionary "survival of the fittest," or else we are here for far more than that... thus explaining why we as Humans are far more fulfilled when we exhibit characteristics and behaviors in direct violation of such evolutionary laws and, thus, such a limited view of Life and its purposes.
There can be only one answer: The choice... as always... is ours.
