> Life only has meaning when viewed through the collective...

This may be true for ants. But I've never seen how this can be an absolute truth for humans for two reasons:

1. If one life is truly meaningless (0), how does multiplying it produce meaning (0 * 8 billion = 0)?

2. If you found yourself to be the last person on the planet, would you A) realize you have no meaning and die, B) create art and put a little more beauty into the universe? Given those choices, does option A or B have more inherent "meaning"?