LECTURE 19: EXISTENTIALISM

EXISTENTIALISM

Existentialism is primarily interested in the following:

The question of existence

What is it to exist? (what is it to live?)

Questions about human existence

Who am I? What am I? How should I live my life? What is the purpose of

human existence? Why should we do anything? How do I become who I am?

Questions about human psychology (phenomenology)

What does it feel like to be a human? Why do people do the things they do?

Why are people afraid of freedom? Why do people commit suicide?

Questions about human society/culture/religion

If God exists or does not exist, then what? What is it to be an x? (Christian,

member of society, musician, policeman etc.) To what degree am I free within

my society?

Existentialism covers a diverse variety of thinkers,

film makers, writers, philosophers, scientists,

psychologists and more!

EXISTENTIALISM

Many existentialists take a phenomenological approach

Phenomenology attempts to investigate the world subjectively

o Takes a First-Person approach to exploring the world

o Phenomenology is concerned with the phenomena of human experience

o It investigates the appearance of human consciousness and experience

o It is primarily interested in the subjective features of the human world

o Often challenges the motivation behind a theory rather than the theory

itself

For example:

What kind of being am I?

How does it feel to be a human?

What am I aware of in experience?

What is it to be?

JEAN-PAUL SARTRE

SARTRE

Jean-Paul Sartre

Lived 1905-1980 in Paris, France

One of the most famous and influential

philosophers of the 20th Century

Famous for his philosophy of

Existentialism

Sartre was a P.O.W. in WWII

Used literature, plays, and academic

works to express his philosophical views

Immensely concerned with a subjective

inquiry into freedom

SARTRE’S INFLUENCES

Søren Kierkegaard

Lived 1813-1855

Considered to be the father

of existentialism

Was interested in

investigating the

relationship between

freedom, the individual,

society and Christianity

Used a literary method

Edmund Husserl

Lived 1859-1938

Endorsed a philosophy

of phenomenology

Martin Heidegger

Lived 1889-1976

Taught by Husserl

Interested in

phenomenology and the

relationship between the

individual, society and

freedom

Investigated the key

question: what is a human

being?

EXISTENTIALISM

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM

Sartre’s existentialism is based on two important themes:

1. The non-existence of God

Sartre founds his existentialism on the principle that there is no God

o This is simply a fact about our world

o No matter how terrifying this idea may be, we must accept it

o This means that humans are alone in the world

o There is nothing more to human existence than what humans create

o Sartre was interested in exploring the consequences of this fact on

human experience

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM

Sartre’s existentialism is based on two important themes:

2. For humans, Existence Precedes Essence

Because there is no God, humans are free to define their own existence

Essence precedes existence (Being in itself)

Essence existence

Cut food knife

Count time watch

Write things pen

Run programs laptop

Existence precedes essence (Being for itself)

Existence Essence

Human being ?

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM

The Consequences of these two ‘facts’ are as follows:

A: Personal Freedom

Sartre claims that humans are Radically (unconditionally) Free

o There are no limits or restrictions on our freedom

o Everything we have done, are doing, will do was a free personal choice

o No one or no thing can force us or make us do something we don’t want to

do

o No one or no thing can make our decisions for us

o But this freedom is terrifying

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM

The Phenomenology of Freedom (anxiety)

The experience of radical freedom is connected to anxiety (angst)

For Sartre and Kierkegaard this feeling of anxiety is proof that we are radically

free

For example:

In some situations we might feel fear

In others we feel anxiety

We feel anxiety when we become aware

of the possibilities of our freedom

I realize that if I so choose, I could jump

off the cliff

All that stops me is a personal choice

KIERKEGAARD AND ANXIETY

Kierkegaard and Anxiety

Kierkegaard uses the myth of the fall to illuminate how freedom and anxiety are

related

Adam is happy and at peace in

the garden of Eden

God commands Adam not to eat from

the tree of knowledge

God’s command makes Adam aware of

the fact that he has a choice and Adam

feels anxious

Adam is anxious because he realizes he

could eat from the tree of knowledge (if

he chooses)

Adam then realizes he probably will

eat from the tree of knowledge

The rest is history...

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM

Bad Faith

‘Bad-Faith’ occurs when an individual attempts to hide from or deny their

freedom

Because radical freedom is true we are completely responsible for everything

we do

‘Bad-Faith’ commonly occurs because radical freedom is so terrifying and we

want to avoid the responsibility of our choices

Examples of Bad-Faith include:

Psychological determinism

Making excuses

Hiding behind ones job or a set of rules

Asking a friend for advice

Following orders in times of war

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM

Because there is no God and human existence precedes essence

B: The meaning of Human Existence

Each human being is responsible for inventing themselves

o We are completely free to define ourselves and our lives however we choose

o We must each find our own meaning and purpose to our lives

o Only humans give value to themselves and the world

o Mankind is constantly searching for meaning and commitment

o Who we are is a matter of choice, though we often hide behind Bad-Faith,

rather than living an authentic existence

You are free, therefore choose, that is to say, invent.

(Jean-Paul Sartre)

ALBERT CAMUS

CAMUS

The atheist philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960) draws on the Myth of

Sisyphus for inspiration

Sisyphus is condemned to push a boulder up a mountain only to find it falls

back down and he has to start again

We humans face the same dilemma

Camus asks, why do we continue to strive when it all seems to be for nothing?

For Camus, philosophy should only concern itself with the question: Why do

we carry on living? Why do we not commit suicide?

I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's

burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates

the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This

universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile

nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night

filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the

heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus

happy.

Albert Camus