Context is everything. So long as everything is maintained within context of the Universe, which it does, then it has its purpose within the context of that Universe ... to serve the purpose of the greater whole that is. So you can't say nothing exists without without purpose. Unless of course you could prove its existence is wholly arbitrary and, that it came about by chance.

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So when the body dies, and consciousness departs, where do "we" go? ... Off to define another "reality" perhaps?

Obviously it is impossible to prove such a thing. To do so, you would have to examine every possible purpose and evaluate whether or not it fulfills exactly that purpose.

So all we can do is examine the "purposes" that have been stated.
All we can say is that so far, no purpose has been discovered behind the universe. We do have lots of people claiming there is a purpose, but when asked to provide the information on it, they either cannot do so or provide one that is refutable by evidence.

Do you want to tell us what you think the purpose is? Are you ready to have it tested by evidence?

In other words, "I don't understand what you said, but I am going to comment on it anyway."

Ok, let me explain just a bit. You said:So, materialists are wrong because they deny any notion of mental reality. I found this hilarious, because of course you misunderstand not only materialism, but the purpose of any philosophical stance. They do not need to admit mental reality--what they need to do is to explain your experience (the experience which leads you, Iacchus, to claim it is "mental") purely through material means. This they are perfectly able to do. They can, and do (there is an entire library full of peer-reviewed journals to back this up, should you ever care to visit a library), examine your thinking, remembering, feeling, seeing, hearing...all the things you do which you (yes, you in particular, Iacchus) think would not be possible without a mind. They do this without ever having the need to say "oh, this part is only explainable if we invoke the concept of mind, but we choose to deny that." No, they are perfectly able (as well as any other stance or better) to explain those things which you call your "mind", without ever straying outside a material universe.

You called materialism a "fallacy" because it denies mind. In truth, it does not deny mind, it simply finds no need of the concept.

So why the map of Florida? If we presuppose that the fountain of youth exists (a fictional entity, just like the mind), then any map of Florida which does not show its location is incomplete. It must be, logically speaking. If, on the other hand, we do not presuppose that the FOY exists, and simply map Florida to the best of our abilities...if the FOY is there, we will be forced to put it on the map--we will not "deny" its existence. If we do not find the FOY, and do not put it on the map, are we denying it exists? No, we are simply saying nothing about it, because there is nothing in the data to suggest we need to say anything about it. The map is not incomplete.

Why on earth would you respond as you did to my question about mapping florida? I asked if a map which does not show the FOY is incomplete, and you said:Do you really, honestly think that the FOY could possibly exist in florida without our finding it? Do you think that you are keeping an open mind by admitting the possibility? That's not an open mind, Iacchus, that's a hole. Your mind is closed to the possibility that materialism might be right.

And yet they deny that it's their mental reality that speaks to them of such things? No. That's just a load of crap.

Get real!

To deny the thinker exists behind the thinking is absurd.

Materialism is okay, so far as it goes.

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So when the body dies, and consciousness departs, where do "we" go? ... Off to define another "reality" perhaps?

Yet I need look no further than the constituent parts which go into the construction of "my body" as a whole. Which, is ruled over by the express purpose of a single entity -- "me." Which is really a matter of understanding the relationship between essence and form. Where essence is maintained "in context" with form and, ultimately "rules over" form.

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So when the body dies, and consciousness departs, where do "we" go? ... Off to define another "reality" perhaps?

Uh, Iacchy, in your effort to OMRI the question I asked, you skipped the part on where you tell us what that purpose is. You reasserted your belief that there is a purpose and threw out some undemonstrable things, like essence, but not actual revelation of the "purpose".

How can we evaluate your statement of purpose if you don't even make it? Of course, if you do make it, then you run the danger of having it critically examined. Recent history shows that your ideas don't stand up well to critical examination, so I can see why you would be hesitant to provide examples of this thing you claim exists.

LOL...Iacchus, your use of the word "deny" shows you are just not getting it. There is no denial of anything going on. Please, if you can give even one example of your experience which the materialist cannot explain through their philosophy, then and only then do you have a case for "denial". As my FOY example should have shown you, there are two ways of saying something does not exist: denying it despite evidence, or simply seeing no evidence for it. Face it, Iacchus, there is no evidence for mind. At all. The things which you experience and label as mind, all are explanable through the working of your body. Period. You are searching for the fountain of youth, and it does not exist. Get over it.

And...calling it a "load of crap" shows how closed-minded you are.Which is more offensive--that this disagrees with your world view, or that it is considerably more supported than your world view?Who denies it? Who, Iacchus? You--the physical you--are a thinker. So am I. So is Gooze. No one denies that we think (well, some may be tempted...). This is a strawman, Iacchus. This is exactly the same as saying that a map of Florida is indeed incomplete if it cannot show us where the FOY is.Where does it not go? It can, and does, explain what you experience as consciousness. It can, and does, explain what you experience as thought, as memory, as religious experience. The fact that you cannot accept their explanations says much more about you than about materialism.