The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines existentialism as a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad (Merriam, 2011). In other words, an existentialist believes that our natures are the natures we make for ourselves, the meaning of our existence is that we just exist and there may or may not be a meaning for the existence, and we have to individually decide what is right or wrong and good or bad for ourselves. No one can answer any of those things for us. A good example of existentialism is Woody Allen’s movie, Deconstructing Harry. A man is haunted by his past and his past has followed him into the present. He is a wreck not because of the things that happened to him, but because of the choices he made. He is consumed by regret and insecurity and he tries to find blame in his situation with someone other than himself, however he cannot (Barnes, 2011). Throughout the rest of this paper I will be discussing two of the most prominent existentialists, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
Soren Kierkegaard’s ideas of existentialism were firmly rooting in his Christianity. This would make sense in light of his college major and at one time feeling a call to serve within the church. Kierkegaard surmised, “God is infinite and personal… transcendent and imminent, omniscient, sovereign, and good” (Teachme, 1997). Even though his beliefs were rooted in Christianity he believed that man also had the inalienable right to be himself (Teachme, 1997). That is, he has the right to be ...
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Wyatt, C. (2010). Friedrich Nietzsche. In Tameri Guide for Writers. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/nietzsche.shtml
8- McDermid, Douglas. "God's Existence." PHIL 1000H-B Lecture 9. Trent University, Peterborough. 21 Nov. 2013. Lecture.
In The Dark Side: Thoughts on the Futility of Life written in 1994 by Alan Pratt demonstrates that existential nihilism, in one
Kierkegaard, Søren, Howard V. Hong, Edna H. Hong, and Søren Kierkegaard. Philosophical Fragments, Johannes Climacus. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UP, 1985. Print.
...at Kierkegaard expresses his honest feelings by stating, “but I do not have faith; this courage I lack” (63).
Leiter, Brian. “Nietzsche’s Moral and Political Philosophy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, CSLI, Stanford University, 26 August 2004.
classicmoviescripts/script/seventhseal.txt. Internet. 4 May 2004. Blackham, H. J. Six Existentialist Thinkers. New York: Harper, 1952. Choron, Jacques. Death and Western Thought. New York: Collier Books, 1963.
He believed that Christ was an immense figure. It was the simple truths of the Gospels that appealed to him. He ponders the concept that religion is nothing more than a regulated human function, full of conformity. Religious belief and in that sense faith lies in the difference between being a Christian versus Christendom. Kierkegaard warns us not to fall into a trap. To understand faith, one must abandon rationality. This is not a negative, he is not asking for blind, unquestioning acceptance. Instead he is asking for a ‘leap of faith’. Doing this and having faith is the truest faith. “To have faith is to lose your mind and to win God”. This abandonment of rationality is possible because there are no objective truths in religion. All truth is subjective, but we need to see religion as something different. Kierkegaard asks us to base our understanding of religion on how we experience it. The truth of Christianity is not what objective truth neither is it denial. He believed that faith is neither objective nor
In lecture we learned that for Kierkegaard, modern life had become something that was ruled by the monotonous act of knowing rather than doing, as opposed to making choices that represent the individualistic beliefs and passions of the being. When viewing how I live my own subjective life through the lens of Kierkegaard’s thinking, I will focus on themes that are central to existential thought such as: autonomy, genuineness, becoming rather than being, the passions that drive me, despair, uncertainty, the balance between objectivity and subjectivity, and finally understand if I truly exist, therefore I am.
According to world renowned French existentialist philosopher, political activist and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre, “man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself”. This idea forms the foundation of existentialism, a philosophical movement originating in France and Germany, and rising to popularity after World War II. Existentialism emphasizes the individual’s freedom of choice, which solely gives life its meaning. Existentialism holds the individual responsible for their own creation and development, and the consequences that arise from their choices and free will, or lack thereof. Franz Kafka, considered by many to be an existential writer, heavily focused on the meaning of life and how actions create the individual, especially in his
Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher in the mid 1800s. He is known to be the father of existentialism and was at least 70 years ahead of his time. Kierkegaard set out to attack Kant’s rational ethics and make attacks on the Christianity of our day. He poses the question, how do we understand faith? He states that faith equals the absurd. In “Fear and Trembling”, he uses the story of Abraham and his son Isaac to show an example of faith as the absurd. The story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac signifies a break in the theory that ethics and religion go hand in hand. He shows how the ethical and the religious can be completely different. “I by no means conclude that faith is something inferior but rather that it is the highest, also that it is dishonest of philosophy to give something else in its place and to disparage faith” (Fear and Trembling, 12).
3. The Point Outside the World: Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein on Nonsense, Paradox, and Religion by M. Jamie Ferreira
Jaspers, Karl. “On the Origin of My Philosophy,” “Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, “The Encompassing.” Existentialism from Dostoyevsky to Sartre. Ed. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Plume, 2004. p.158-232.
In defining existentialism the responsibility of the free being is essential to define what one is although the actions taken by the individual are self imposed and are not the fault of the environment. The Stranger by Albert Camus is in relation to the existential philosophy of the individuals deviating thoughts towards their actions are in relation with protagonist Meursault in The Stranger by Albert Camus. Existentialism and its definition of mans self determination reflects life during the world war two era.
Religiousness A and B, although both based on blind faith differ in the fact that as Kierkegaard saw it, religiousness B allows for one’s own thoughts. It involves having a faith unique to oneself based on the ability to look within the self for truths and answers. It differs from that of the ‘organized’ religiousness A. Those who live the religious life A also hold a very strong faith but have been criticized of being followers of a herd mentality. This is argued because they go to organized church ceremonies given by a priest*. It is believed that those living in this faith do not think or act for themselves. Instead they allow for someone to dictate to them how they should act, behave and think.*A priest is a figure who for centuries has been seen as ‘called upon’ by God to spread His word and show people how to live to please Him.
Elrod, John. Being and Existence in Kierkegaard’s Pseudonymous Works. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1975.