Philosophy 101, #2: What is Existentialism?
Existentialism is a 19th-20th century branch of philosophy that deals with questions of individual liberty and responsibility. Most of the time, these questions are raised within the context of a Godless and meaningless existence.
Examples of existentialist philosophers are, from left to right and top to bottom, Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, and Sartre.
Philosophers still argue what existentialism exactly means, but broadly speaking we can assert that the following four attributes are more or less associated with the philosophy of existentialism:
1. Existence precedes essence
Every human being is born 'blank' without any inherent identity and essence. In addition, every human being is capable of acting independently and of responsible for his personal actions. Through our independence and consciousness, we are able to reflect on ourselves and to give shape to our own lives.
2. Authenticity
The highest value is to be authentic. Despite the social pressures to conform, you should develop a truly personal spirit and character.
3. Facticity
There are certain factors within your life or within our world that we cannot control. We cannot for example control the fact that we have been born, nor could we have decided where and when we were born. Although we cannot change these facts, we can still control the values derived from them.
4. Absurdity
Absurdism is the belief that the universe is irrational - that there's no inherent meaning in our lives despite our tendency to seek inherent meaning and value. The world itself is also considered amoral.
Although all existentialist philosophers deal with a set of overlapping concerns, they differ a lot in their existential outlook.
Shakespeare's graceful summary of existential nihilism
To conclude my article, I would like to share Shakespeare's graceful summary of the meaninglessness of our lives. It's delivered by MacBeth after he has heard the news of his mother's death:
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
A very nice article indeed. The amorality of life is probably hard to comprehend/accept for many. "If I'm not fulfilling my potential and life doesn't treat me fair, the supreme being in the sky should be kind of a great equaliser" Yet another reason to at least approach religion agnostic if not atheistic.
Thanks for your comment, Ryan!
Nice post @chhaylin Keep up the good work. Good luck with the series!
Thanks, Mr. RB24.
Another good article Lin
Thanks, Lem! :)
Very good post. Once your mind has been touched by existentialism, there is no going back. When I first came upon it, its rawness and unforgiving truth took hold of me. My first taste of it was, "The Stranger." I soaked up everything I could find written by Camus, thereafter. You are left feeling a bit anxious at first (at least if it resonates with you) because you are forced to grapple with the idea that the world is indifferent to, not only our struggles, but to our very existence. It took my a while to realize that this philosophy is meant to empower us. That, through our self-reliance, we can live greatly here on Earth.
Thank you for your comment, @therussianmonk. I have had a similar experience. For me it started with reading Nietzsche. It was very unsettling at first, but eventually it was extremely empowering. :)
He is perhaps my favorite. It's as if whatever it is we are holding onto that brings us comfort, is ripped away when reading his work. As if he is saying, "You are stronger than you realize. You don't need that anymore."
Hm... now I think about it. I will write a post on Nietzsche's Übermensch soon. Thank you for the inspiration. :)
You're welcome and I look forward to reading it. You always publish good posts.
Existentialism led me to alcoholism. They work pretty well together, I've found.
Haha :D
Haha same here
Good Stuff! I upvoted this content of my own free will and due to its high level of authenticity.
Ha, thanks! :D