Existentialism
Name – Janvi Nakum
Paper – From world war ii to the End of the century
Roll no- 11
Enrollment no –4069206420210020
Email id – janvinakum360@gmail.com
Batch-2021-2023 (M.A. Sem – 2 )
Submitted to – S.B. Gardi Department of English Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
What is Existentialism?
What is existentialism? Existentialism is simply a school of thought that many subscribe to answer the fundamental questions regarding a particular outlook referred to as the existentialist outlook. There are several philosophers with whom the term is most commonly referenced; however, some philosophers outright reject being associated with the school of thought, while others were so early on the scene that they were unfamiliar with the term.
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 – A Definition
Existentialism in the broader sense is a 20th century philosophy that is centered 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.
In simpler terms, existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook. And personal choices become unique without the necessity of an objective form of truth. An existentialist believes that a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions.
History of Existentialism
The philosophical line of thought is usually associated with thinkers from 19th and 20th century Europe such as Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre. They might have had differences, but they all believed in the importance of the human subject and many considered transitional philosophies are too abstract to truly speak on the nature of existence. Kierkegaard is usually named the first existentialist philosopher. He is remembered for proposing that individuals are responsible for giving meaning to life, not religion, or society. Humans must, in his view, live life “authentically” and passionately.
Existentialism was popularized in the post-WWII years mostly due to Sartre whose writings were incredibly influential. Importantly for Camus, Sartre believed that “existence preceded essence”. This means that the individual should be concerned with their own individuality rather than with labels or roles they’re supposed to play. These categories are the “essence” part of the equation. It is the life one leads that’s important and their “true essence” not the arbitrary essence that society gives to them.
Existentialism – Impact on Society
Existentialistic ideas came out of a time in society when there was a deep sense of despair following the Great Depression and World War II. There was a spirit of optimism in society that was destroyed by World War I and its mid-century calamities. This despair has been articulated by existentialist philosophers well into the 1970s and continues on to this day as a popular way of thinking and reasoning.
An existentialist could either be a religious moralist, agnostic relativist, or an amoral atheist. Kierkegaard, a religious philosopher, Nietzsche, an anti-Christian, Sartre, an atheist, and Camus an atheist, are credited for their works and writings about existentialism. Sartre is noted for bringing the most international attention to existentialism in the 20th century.
Each basically agrees that human life is in no way complete and fully satisfying because of suffering and losses that occur when considering the lack of perfection, power, and control one has over their life. Even though they do agree that life is not optimally satisfying, it nonetheless has meaning. Existentialism is the search and journey for true self and true personal meaning in life.
Most importantly, it is the arbitrary act that existentialism finds most objectionable-that is, when someone or society tries to impose or demand that their beliefs, values, or rules be faithfully accepted and obeyed. Existentialists believe this destroys individualism and makes a person become whatever the people in power desire thus they are dehumanized and reduced to being an object. Existentialism then stresses that a person's judgment is the determining factor for what is to be believed rather than by arbitrary religious or secular world values.
Characteristics of Existentialism
The characteristics of existentialism emphasize the authenticity of single individuals as to how the world can change; rather than relying on a God, existentialists urge the individual to take responsibility for their place in the world. For instance, the existentialist singular thought or dilemma finds the human experience seemingly pointless, at least at the beginning of one's assessment of the world, resulting from being in an uncaring world. Much existentialist thought came to rise after the famous find by Charles Darwin that humans are merely products of biological evolution. With this, the world grew increasingly materialistic. As a result, the truth of scientific fact came to outweigh religious belief, stripping the world of inherent meaning and humans of their divine right. Suddenly religious thought made way for scientific fact, and philosophers were trying to make amends with this loss of meaning.
Although existential ideas are sometimes far-reaching and contradictory, there are many shared ideas agreed upon by philosophers that labels them as an existentialist. One of such ideas is that humans must now create meaning in the world; this is a contradictory view when viewed from the viewpoint of a God receiving meaning or someone getting meaning from the world. However, the existentialist argues that purpose can be found in one's pursuits, typically through artistic or altruistic means.
An existentialist viewpoint means seeing existence as absurd, something with no evident purpose even though humans persist as if they have one. The existential cure for this apparent meaninglessness lies in looking at and being entirely truthful and authentic with oneself. As a result, the critical eye can embark on a journey of self-realization, allowing the individual to become something like a God of their own.
Examples of Existentialism in Literature
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse-Five is commonly considered to be Vonnegut’s most famous novel and his masterpiece. It’s secondary title is: The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death. It was published in 1969 and fuses science fiction with an anti-war message. The book follows Billy Pilgrim as he comes “unstuck in time” and starts to experience his life out of order. Consider this famous quote from the novel as an example of existentialist thinking:
Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why.
This quote is found in Chapter Four of the novel when Billy is trapped with the Tralfamadorians as a pet in their zoo. This is the answer he receives when he’s asked why they chose him.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Along with the following example, The Stranger is one of the most famous existentialist works of fiction. This is despite the fact that Camus did not consider himself an existentialist. He believed that essence precedes existence meaning the roles or labels that we are born into are at the center of our lives rather than any individual desire. This is in contrast to the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre who say the world the other way around, with “existence” preceding “essence.” Here is an excerpt from The Stranger that demonstrates the type of thinking that’s made the book so famous:
It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, gazing up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe.
This is an incredibly famous quote that comes at the end of the novel when the main character, Meursault is facing his execution for a senseless murder. Camus saw absurdity as essential to the human relationship with the world, in contrast to Sartre and another existentialist who saw it as a property, but not a fundamental one. Camus built his entire philosophical worldview with absurdity at the center. He believed one could not make sense of the world through reason.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis is another incredibly famous existentialist novel. It details a horrifying, pointless transformation that Gregor Samsa undergoes. He wakes up one morning as he always does to discover that he’s been transformed into a giant bug, usually depicted as a cockroach. Never does Kafka give a reason for this transformation. Gregor tries to make the best of his situation, thinking rationally in an irrational world but ends up suffering. Here are a few lines from The Metamorphosis:
I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.
Gregor dies at the end of the novel, his family has played a part in his death and cast him aside as an inconvenience. This, despite the fact that he’d spent his entire life caring for them.
Reference
https://poemanalysis.com/definition/existentialism
https://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/existentialism.htm
https://study.com/learn/lesson/existentialism-characteristics-examples-history.html
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