Graduation address: Friday 24 June afternoon ceremony 3.30pm
Graduation address by Professor Paul Hibbert, Assistant Vice-Principal (Dean of Arts and Divinity)
Chancellor, colleagues, special guests and graduates.
It is usual, in this kind of speech, for older folk like me try to raise the aspirations of younger folk – and those young at heart – whose graduations we are celebrating. We move swiftly from praising your terrific abilities and superlative achievements, to setting out a list of modest challenges.
Like ending hunger.
Or achieving world peace.
Or discovering the meaning of life.
Well, the time between your graduation and your return here today has been hard enough, without all of that. So instead, I am going to do you a favour by completing one of those challenges for you today. I am going to tell you the meaning of life.
Now, we might be tempted to look up into a clear moonless night, under the light of a 100 billion galaxies, and look for meaning through the lens of science. It is making good progress on establishing the simple laws that govern the universe. But as impressive as it is, that is not what things mean. It is simply how things work.
Or we might seek to grow rich enough to have a 100 billion dollars and shoot our ego into the sky in a suspiciously shaped rocket. But that is just vanity and does not mean anything; and if you get there you will find it is nothing but space, man.
You see, meaning is not a discoverable thing; instead, it is something that is made.
In an impossibly vast universe, as far as we know we are the only creatures looking up into the stars and making stories about the constellations we imagine. We have filled the sky with heroes and mythical beasts. It is in the nature of human creativity to make meaning and that meaning does not depend on cold facts, or on our physical limitations on this planet.
We exceed those limitations through our creation of meaningful culture in art, in writing, in music and in so many other fields. We also create meaningful work in industry, education and public service and through that, create the resources and opportunities for everyone to flourish and participate.
But we also make meaning in moments of laughter amongst friends, in clever conversation, in unexpected kindness that thwarts greed, and – oh! – in the blessed mystery of love. I suspect that most graduates here today will have returned, in part, because of your memories of times like those. You already know how meaningful they are.
Therefore, the answer to the question “what is the meaning of life?” (at least human life) is this: it is up to us; it is up to you.
You have already shown yourselves to be awesome students and graduates in the most difficult of times. You now have the chance to make the most of all of your possibilities and potential, on your own terms.
So, in closing, I wish you every success in making meaning in the way that works best for you, whether in art, education, industry or public service. As you do so, I hope you continue to make friendships that bring inspiration and laughter and share with someone what it means to love and be loved. You deserve nothing less and I wish you all the best of luck.