http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EksuA4IAQIk
Here is a link to Chomsky being asked about his views on human knowledge and philosophy. There are four parts to it. I believe that what he says is that throughout human history there have been lines of inquiry that have developed significantly and other lines that never go anywhere. Therefore, is life too short to ponder the meaning of life and should we then devote ourselves to the next generation and so on?