Existentialism

ExistentialismJean-PaulSartreListofTopicsIntroducingSartreKeyElementsofExistentialism1.“Existence”isPriorto“Essence”2.Self-Creation&PersonalResponsibility3.Angst&DespairJean-PaulSartreHewasaFrenchphilosopher,playwright,novelist,politicalactivist,biographer,andliterarycritic.Hewasoneofthekeyfiguresinthephilosophyofexistentialismandphenomenology,andoneoftheleadingfiguresin20th-centuryFrenchphilosophyandMarxism.Hisworkhasalsoinfluencedsociology,criticaltheory,post-colonialtheory,andliterarystudies,andcontinuestoinfluencethesedisciplines.Theconflictbetweenoppressive,spirituallydestructiveconformityandanauthenticwayofbeingbecamethedominantthemeofSartre'searlywork,athemeembodiedinhisprincipalphilosophicalworkBeingandNothingness.Sartre'sintroductiontohisphilosophyishisworkExistentialismandHumanism.Hewasawardedthe1964NobelPrizeinLiteraturebutrefusedit,sayingthathealwaysdeclinedofficialhonorsandthat“awritershouldnotallowhimselftobeturnedintoaninstitution”.SimonedeBeauvoirandJean-PaulSartreinBeijing,1955KeyelementsofExistentialismOppositiontorationalisttradition.ThebeliefthatRadicalFreedomisaCONDITIONofhumanexistenceratherthanaCHARACTERISTICofhumannature.Whoweareisafunctionofthechoiceswemake,nottheotherwayaround.Philosophicalthinkingbeginswiththehumansubject—notmerelythethinkingsubject,buttheacting,feeling,livinghumanindividual.KeyelementsofExistentialismPart.IIThePrimaryvalueofExistentialismisauthenticity.Authenticexistenceinvolvestheideathatonehastocreateoneselfandthenliveinaccordancewiththisself.Theauthenticactisonethatisinaccordancewithone'sfreedom.So,Sartre,WhatisExistentialism?“Existence”isPriorto“Essence”1Sartre’s“phenomenological”startingpointWhatisphenomenology?ItisanapproachtorealityfromthestandpointofsubjectivityIfIapproachrealityfromthatpointofview,whatdoIfind?IfindadifferenceConsciousSubjectsorPersonsSubjectsPersonsBeingsthatareconsciousNon-consciousObjectsorThingsObjectsThingsBeingsthatarenotconsiciousWhatisthedifference?EssenceprecedesExistenceExistenceprecedesEssenceFromthesubjectivestandpointofindividualconsciousnessIamnotamanufacturedobjectwithapre-conceivedessenceorspecificuse(function)(unlike,forexample,apaper-cutter).NoramIacreaturemanufacturedbyGodinaccordancewithaconcept(essence)inthedivinemind.NoramImerelyaparticularinstanceofauniversalhumannaturethatprecedesanddeterminesmyexistence.AQuotationfromSartreWhatismeantherebysayingthatexistenceprecedesessence?Itmeansthat,firstofall,thehumanindividualexists,turnsup,appearsintheworld,and,onlyafterwards,defineshimself.Ifthehumanindividual,astheexistentialistthinksofhim,isindefinable,itisbecauseatfirstheisnothing.Onlyafterwardwillhebesomething,andhehimselfwillhavemadewhathewillbe.Thus,thereisnohumannature,sincethereisnoGodtoconceiveofit.Notonlyisthehumanindividualwhatheconceiveshimselftobe,butheisalsoonlywhathewillshimselftobeafterthisthrusttowardexistence.“Tosummarize,IexistfirstandthenItakeonanessencethroughmyownactions,throughmyownmannerofexistingandacting.Self-Creation&PersonalResponsibility2AnotherDistinctionbetweenSubjects&ObjectsSubjectsTheyarefreeTheyareself-creatingTherefore,theyarepersonallyresponsibleforwhattheycreateanddo.ObjectsTheyhavenofreedomTheyarenotself-creatingThus,theyhavenoresponsibilityforwhattheyareorhowtheyfunction.AccordingtoSartre:WhatIam(myessence)isaproductofmychoices&actions(mymannerofexisting).Thus,sinceIfreelycreatemyself(myessence),Iamresponsibleformychoices&actions&andwhatIhavecreated.AndIcannotlooktoGodforguidanceinthisprocesssinceGoddoesnotexist.ThenIwilllivealifeof…Angst&Despair3ExistentialAngstExistentialangst,sometimescalleddread,anxiety,oranguish,isatermthatiscommontomanyexistentialistthinkers.Itisgenerallyheldtobeanegativefeelingarisingfromtheexperienceofhumanfreedomandresponsibility.Thearchetypalexampleistheexperienceonehaswhenstandingonacliffwhereonenotonlyfearsfallingoffit,butalsodreadsthepossibilityofthrowingoneselfoff.Inthisexperiencethatnothingisholdingmeback,onesensesthelackofanythingthatpredeterminesonetoeitherthrowoneselfoffortostandstill,andoneexperiencesone'sownfreedom.ExistentialDespairDespair,inexistentialism,isgenerallydefinedasalossofhope.Morespecifically,itisalossofhopeinreactiontoabreakdowninoneormoreofthedefiningqualitiesofone'sselforidentity.Ifapersonisinvestedinbeingaparticularthing,suchasabusdriveroranupstandingcitizen,andthenfindshisbeing-thingcompromised,hewouldnormallybefoundinstateofdespair,ahopelessstate.Forexample,asingerwholosestheabilitytosingmaydespairifshehasnothingelsetofallbackon—nothingtorelyonforheridentity.Shefindsherselfunabletobewhatdefinedherbeing.RecommendedReadingsSørenKierkegaard,(1843).Either/Or.Jean-PaulSartre,(1945).ExistentialismandHumanism.FriedrichNietzsche,(1883).ThusSpokeZarathustraQuestions?References:://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism