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The impact of existentialism
Concept of existentialism
Concept of existentialism
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Philosophy 101 A look into the Philosophy of Existentialism and how one uses it for spiritual exploration… Introduction: For thousands of years, humanity has searched for meaning in their lives, it is one of the strongest aspects that connects us, to our ancestors across history. Now, I want you all to think for a moment, what gives your life meaning? It could be anything such as educating others, fighting for social justice, exploring new cultures, or your religion. Whatever it is, no one could fault you for wanting your life to have meaning; a sense of meaning, is something everyones wants, or maybe even needs. As countries throughout the world are becoming increasingly secular, more and more individuals are looking towards spirituality, …show more content…
It wasn’t until the early 1940s, when French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, named it existentialism (Sackmann, 2016). The theory itself has been defined as, “Existentailism in the broader sense is a 20th century philosophy that is centred upon the analysis of existence and of the way humans find themselves existing in the world. The notion is that humans exist first and then each individual spends a lifetime changing their essence or nature” (allaboutphilosophy.org, …show more content…
The phrase “spiritual but not religious” has become popular in recent American history for those who are trying to describe their religious identity (Masci, 2016). Back home in Australia, No Religion was the most popular choice in the 2016 census at 30.1%, with Catholicism behind at 22.6% (ABS, 2017). Furthermore, McCrindle , an Australian social research firm, found in 2012 that nearly a fifth of Australians identify as 'spiritual but not religious’ (Debien, 2016). As humanity changes its view on religion and society, it also changes its views on personal spiritual exploration. As a result, existential spirituality and our perception of it has developed over the years to fit our beliefs. While traditional existentialism is frequently seen as “harsh and depressing”, particularly when looking at works of Sartre and Nietzsche, the new existentialism is said to explicitly “[embrace] ones capacity for joy.” (Wachs, 2011) In saying this, this is not joy in spite of the existential truths one must confront, but because of
To Be Or Not to Be... 5 Existentialist Films Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding oneself and the meaning of life through free will, choice and personal responsibility. The belief is that individuals want to know who they are, why do they exist, the reality and / or illusion of life and death, the presence (or absence) of God, etc. And that we make choices based on notions, mindsets and experiences. These choices are thus based on perceived truths that need not be objectively true, and are thus unique to each of us. Also central to the philosophy is the assertion that people should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws or traditions.
Existentialism is just one of the many philosophies that attempt to determine the meaning of life. This idea that the world is meaningless developed in Europe around the time of World War II. Many writers and authors in the forties and fifties were affected by the horrors of war and this new philosophy, namely, Albert Camus. Existentialism is greatly reflected in Camus’ time period, culture, and works such as The Stranger.
Snodgrass, J., & Sorajjakool, S. (2011). Spirituality in older adulthood: Existential meaning,productivity, and life events. Pastoral Psychology, 60, 85-94. doi: 10.1007/s11089-010-0282-y
Existential has lead to the creation of many different ideas and things. One of these ideas being Existentialism. Existentialism was prevalent in the late-19th century and 20th-century. It is a modern philosophical movement stressing the importance of personal experience and responsibility and the demands that they make on the individual, who is seen as a free agent in a deterministic and seemingly meaningless universe. This can also relate to an existential crisis. An existential crisis is a moment in an individual’s life where they question the very foundations of their life. And are stuck on thinking about whether this life has any meaning. An existential crisis is
Existentialism is a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining his or her own development through acts of the will. To Sartre, saying that som...
Ross, Kelly L. "Existentialism." The Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series. Kelly L. Ross, Ph.D., 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
The Existential Approach stands for respect for the person, for exploring new aspects of human behavior, and for divergent methods of understanding people (Corey, 2013). Existentialists do not focus on instinctive drives or internalized others but on the person's unavoidable confrontation with the givens of the human condition. Yalom (1980) described those givens as death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. (Bauman, & Waldo, 1998).
Existentialism is defined as a philosophical movement that human beings are completely free and responsible for their own actions. Existentialists will try not to cause waves and remain completely uninvolved with anyone because they do not want to hurt anybody. There is absolutely no such thing as an existentialist because he would have to be so uninvolved to the point where he would not be able to live at all. Although the two stories: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Stranger by Albert Camus are very different in approach, their endings are similar in that they both support the basics of existentialism.
Existentialism is a term that was coined specifically by Jean-Paul Sartre in regards to his own life. Sartre had adopted the Atheistic approach to life and its meaning, and while he was not the first or only one to do so, was the first and only one to come up with a way to describe it. Under Existentialism, man lives without higher power or guidance and must rely solely on himself and what he is aiming to do in order to lead a fulfilling life. This can be anything. Critics of Sartre propose that, because such a vast array of options exists within the meaningfulness of life, this philosophy is obsolete and trivial in nature. This is not true, as it is seen in everyday examples – celebrities, namely – that a thirst
Kreis, Steven. Lecture 12: The Existentialist Frame of Mind. 25 July 2002. The History Guide. 27 Nov. 2002.
Existentialism is the epitome of the unknown. There is no straightforward explanation of what exactly it is, there is only certain characteristics and behaviors that describe existentialist views. Throughout today’s world, there are examples of it everywhere, it’s found in movies, books, songs, and just people in general. Existentialists are known to think and do for themselves only. They believe that to understand what it means to be human requires understanding of themselves first. Some very well known pieces of entertainment existentialism is found in are: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and The Breakfast Club by John Hughes. The Stranger is a book written about a young man whose mother dies, which soon leads him to becoming acquainted with the feeling of not caring about what his actions do to others or himself. The main character Meursault starts helping his friend Raymond, carry out ways to torment his mistress. Out of nowhere while at the beach, Meursault shoots Raymond’s mistress’s brother. He is thrown into jail and tried, but he seems to not be affected as much as he should about his actions. He first finds it hard to live without cigarettes, women, and nature, but he soon finds out he doesn’t need any of those. After being sentenced to death, he is suggested to turn away from his atheism but later realizes that human existence has no greater meaning. This realization and acceptance is what truly makes him happy (Camus). Next, The Breakfast Club is a very relatable movie about high school students suffering the consequences of their actions in detention. The kids are all of ...
Existentialism is a phiosophy which revolves around the central belief that we create ourselves. External factors are not important. It is the way that we let external factors affect us that determines who we are. As individuals we all have the freedom to choose our own path and that is what life is all about. Along with the freedom of choice comes the responsibilty of one's actions which can make some people anxious but give others meaning to their lives. To overcome this anxiousness and accept responsibilty is to meet the challenges of life and to truly live it. I can adopt the existentialist approach which states that to live life is to experience happiness and absurdness and to appreciate both as a part of life.
The main idea of Existentialism is that one is defined by choices one makes. Choosing is how one define essence, or ...
Perhaps the most telling symptom of existentialist philosophers is their ever-divergent theories on the fundamental characteristics of human life and their steadfast refusal to assign an explicit meaning or reason to our existence at all. Contrary to criticism which therefore labels the movement cynically nihilistic, existentialism justifies life with reasoning similar to that of Zen Buddhism. Specifically, the notions of hopelessness and absurdity can be gleaned from Buddhism in a manner helpful to the understanding of existentialist viewpoints on the same.
This lecture was very interesting, it opened up my mind to the direction I never thought of. Existentialism is the most complex subject of philosophy I have had learned about yet. Existentialism is the study of essence of life, self-knowledge, and discovery of our existence, exploring the meaning of our life.