Hello, I am Himanshi Parmar, student of MK Bhavnagar University. This blog i have written in a response of Thinking Activity, Which is a Part of my academic Work. Which we get after each unit. The activity is given by Professor Dilip Barad sir. In this blog, i am going to discuss some important points related to existentialism.
What is existentialism?
according to Oxford Dictionary,
Existentialism is a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.
Existentialism is a philosophical term, which deals with human's individual freedom and Rights. Existentialism was become a movement in philosophy and literature which focused on mainly individuals choice, freedom and existence. Existentialism was began in late 19th century. But reached its peak in mid 20th century France. According to existentialists the world is totally absurd and all human beings are also living absurd life. And try to find meaning of their existence in this meaningless world.
existentialists are not believing in god, but for them self is everything. In existentialism every human and his actions, decisions are reason of their suffering or good luck. There is no superpower or a existence of god who is responsible for what is happening with them. To read more about it (Click here)
Some interesting posters and quotes which help to understand existentialism more clearly :-
Understanding of Videos :-
Video :- 1
First video is about what is existentialism. Je suis is considered as a existentialist and the movement is highly associated with him. But he was not first existentialist . It is believed that existentialism Started with Kierkegaard. Who is first existentialist. Some of the famous existentialists are Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Heidegger, Shestov, Hesse, Sartre and Beavvoir etc.
This all existentialists focuses on three main terms 1) Individuality, 2) Passions, 3) Freedom. Those who are not believing in god are considered as a existentialist. For all this existentialist, believing in god is gave a easy way to be out from absurdity of life. And create a hope.
But. Albert Camus argued against it and said that believing in god is philosophical suicide. Existentialism is mostly popular among young people. Because the subject of existentialism is highly related to the struggling which young people are face in their day to day life. The subject which discuss by existentialism are,
1) suicide
2) Angst / Anguish
3) Absurdity
4) passion
5) emotions
6) death
7) freedom
8) despair.
Video - 2
This video is about absurd reasoning. Kierkegaard in his essay write that, "There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide." He is focusing on suicide. He says that many people died because they think that life is not worth living. And meaning of life is most complex question. Suicide is individual act. And suicide is also considered as a work of art.
He also give example of movie named "Stay". In movie there is a phrase, 'An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art'. Similar to Ideas of Kierkegaard. Beginning to think is beginning to be undermind, when we start thinking ,we start feeling absurdity of life. Kierkegaard wrote about the death that, "I can not know unless I pursue, without reckless passion in the sole light of evience, the reasoning of which I am here suggesting the source. This is what I call an absurd reasoning.
Video - 3
(Philosophical Suicide)
Absurd feeling or the absurd are not in the world, as well not in the man. But it is occur together in both. When man stop questioning or thinking about the irrational world then it is considered as a philosophical suicide. Albert Camus said that, by philosophical suicide people escape from the absurd. According to him, no one can able to leave absurd. Means absurd ends with us After the death. Philosophical suicide, means you kill your self as a philosopher. A totally absence of hope, continual rejection, and concious dissatisfaction are called philosophical suicide. Camus gave difference between religion and existentialism. When something Absurd happened religion told there is something exist beyond reason or understanding, Means god or superpower. But for existentialism there is nothing beyond reason, excepting Absurdity. For Kierkegaard hope is solution of absurd, this how he escape from Absurdity. But for Camus hope in god is philosophical suicide because when you emerge hope, at that point you stop thinking about reason, you stop questioning which is almost like suicide.
Video - 4
In 1916, Dadaism movement raised. Many people believe that, Dadaism is associated with Nihilism. Dadaism is quest for change, and Dadaism declared against war. Dadaism revolt against every valuable thing. Because during the war every value decrease. And Dadaism is reflection of that. Many artists like Hugo Ball, Janco, Jean Arp, Jristan Tzar, discussed about war and found the movement Dadaism. Creation is primary goal of Dadaism. Dadaism is all about being ode. Existentialism questioning that who we are? Why we are existing? Dadaism questioning to the value of art.
Video - 5
(Existentialism a gloomy philosophy)
Existentialism is considered as a gloomy philosophy. Because notions like anxiety, despair, and absurdity. In gloomy philosophy, if you believe in god and in self, it is okay, you are free to judge value of everything. And what choice you made by judging it, that is your responsibility. And Also the outcome of it is result of your choice. You can not blame anyone. Gloomy philosophy told to become one's own self.
Video - 6
Nihilism is totally opposite to existentialism. Every existentialist stand against nihilism. Existentialists described nihilism as a loss of Individuality. for Nietzsche nihilism means the highest values devaluate themselves. Also there is one another philosopher who strongly believe in nihilism named Hermann Hesse but still he not committed suicide and decided to fought against it. He wrote in his novel Der Steppenwolf that, "All suicide have the responsibility of fighting against the temptation of suicide." And his this mentality caused rebellion. To argue with Hermann Hesse, Camus wrote the myth of Sisyphus. And questions that why rebellion is the only way to deal with Absurdity of life.
Video - 7
This video is about introduction of Existentialism. Before we know what is existentialism, it is very important to know, existentialism is what not. Existentialism is not a philosophical system. Existentialism is great philosophical movement. It arose in 19th century in Europe.Saren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche is characterized as a father figure of the movement in 19th century. Along with this, russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky is also considered as a important figure of this movement. In modern era, existentialism become popular in the mid - 20th century, specially after world war two. many famous 20th century's existentialist are popular there like, Franz Kafka, Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, Maurice Merleau - Ponty, Jean Paul Sartre etc. The major question is what element bring all them together, and the answer is, they are sharing similar thoughts, similar subject, and thinking on same object , about the importance of human in world. They all are also share common concern which is the human condition. Which raised some questions that who I am? Why I am here? What does it mean to be human? How should I live my life? Etc. And in a answer of this questions existentialist rejected all encompassing system.and try to answer questions.
There is answer of all the question is hope , god, religion, and concept of heaven. But by believing in that concept, we loose our sight the human perspective on life. According to existentialist what we need is not wide perspective about human condition but is a human perspective about human condition.
Existentialists see a benifit to facing - up to our morality.jean Paul gave a important idea of existence precedes Essence. He gave this idea in 1945 in a lecture titled "is existentialism a humanism." Which is connected with a idea of Aristotle, he wrote that, The essence of a substance can be seen as its necessary properties or characteristics which are required for the thing to be what it is.for Aristotle the nature of humans was acting in full accordance with reason.
Video - 8
This video is about Existentialism and Nietzsche. Nietzsche believe that we have a boundaries of certain rules made by society, family, parents. Which sometimes we thought silly and want to change. We all want to live freely but we are not allowed to do it because we are not free. And when we do ever we like, that is existentialism.
Video -9
The video is about why Eric Dodson like existentialism . And how existentialism and everyday life is related. And how we can apply this theory in our life. There is two sides in existentialism. One side is our deeper ideas, thoughts, which appeals to our mind, and another side is existential way of life. existentialism is much more straightforward than average. Like they openly accept the darker side of life..like how Absurd life is, how we fall away from our deeper destiny, our anxiety , dread and death. Holism is also important part of Existentialism. Existentialism understanding the life in terms of all that life is.existentialism take everyone as they are, they recognise the feeling , fault as it is.
Video - 10
The video is about comparison of essentialism and existentialism. The philosophy is about dialectic, someone put idea and then someone eles response. In ancient time Plato and Aristotle give the idea that everything has essence. Even we have essence in ourselves. And our essence is we are existing before we born. Aristotle and Plato also wrote that, part of what it means to be a good human is to adhere to your essence. Essence give us a purpose in life because we born to do certain things. This belief is known as a essentialism.
The belief of essentialism still accepted by many people today. But some philosophers challenge the idea. For example German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, embraced Nihilism. The belief in the ultimate meaninglessness of life. But in 19th century, the French Thinker Jean Paul Sartre returned to the question of essence and asked why we born without any purpose? And it is on us to figure out our essence is. This theory become known as a existentialism. This says that existence precedes Essence.
The another important thing is existentialism is not synonym of Atheism. For existentialist absurdity is a technical term, which describes the search for answer in an answerless world. We need meaning but we are abandoned by universe's meaninglessness. And we are not able to do anything excepting cry. And for existentialists that is Absurdity.
Questions i had asked in classroom :-
1) According to Albert Camus, believing in god is consider as a philosophical suicide, what is the significance of this sentence?
2) Explain the point, An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art.
3) faith is a solution of absurdism but it is also consider as a escapism, at one point having faith is positive but at another point faith distract us from the true reason of absurdity. So having hope is appropriate or not?
4) in video three it is said that, excepting the god, there is many other ways of leaping from absurdity, which are that ways?
5) Rather than quality of art, creation is important according to Dadaism, then what is the importance of meaningless art?
6) Dadaism is related with which work of art excepting Literature and Painting?
Video i like the most :-
Video number nine, i like the most. Because it gave deep messages through the explanation of existentialism. Also in that video, speaker relate existentialism with other various subject also, Like Buddhis, Nihilism, and psychology and human behavior. So according to me video nine is more informative than any other video. One quote from this video touch me so deeply is, "Existentialism is teaching that suffering is not our enemy". Another quote is, "Existentialism accept me as i am". That quote also i like.
Feedback :-
At one point, i feel theory of existentialism so hard. But flipped learning help a lot to understand easily. All the ten videos gave me basic to important information in very easy language. And what i was not understood from videos, that was i learned by the small movie shorts displayed by sir in classroom. Flipped learning is become so important here to understand the basic idea. Thank you!
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