Ambiguity can be defined as a lack of precise meaning or interpretation, so how can we describe human existence as “ambiguous”? Surely, there must be some essence, or characteristic thing, that we can use to solidify the meaning of our existence. However, it becomes difficult to pin down exactly what every human existence has in common. Dreams of fame and fortune motivate and consume the lives of some people, others dedicate their lives to help people less fortunate, and still there are those that sit on a couch all day watching TV as their years monotonously pass by. In The Ethics of Ambiguity, Simone de Beauvoir develops an existentialist view that explains the details of an ambiguous existence and how those who exist should act in this world. De Beauvoir relies on an individual’s freedom to argue that existence is ambiguous and that each individual should act with the intention of securing this freedom in herself and others. I find Simone de Beauvoir’s analysis on an ambiguous existence to be logical, as I tend to think and act in ways that may constitute my being an existentialist. Throughout The Ethics of Ambiguity, de Beauvoir contrasts the facticity of the world with the individual’s freedom to choose how to shape an otherwise ambiguous existence. Facticity is an undeniable truth that stands in the world, whether it details those who existed in a past event, one’s own birthday, or the force that is gravity. De Beauvoir would argue that, based on pure facticity, an individual’s existence becomes absurd: “Life imprisonment is the most horrible of punishments because it preserves existence in its pure facticity but forbids it all legitimation” (31). Imprisonment has a defined rigid structure with defined schedules and define... ... middle of paper ... ...gical argument for that of existence that parallels Wittgenstein’s investigations on the meanings of words. In my own life, I accept that my existence is largely ambiguous and that I am disclosing who I am every instant I make a choice, even if I direct that choice toward a goal. The indeterminate characteristic of ambiguity may make some uneasy when applying the word to their existence, but I find comfort in knowing that my existence can ultimately be defined as I see fit. I am glad that, through my own freedom, I am able to live and make sense of the world; I exist. Works Cited De Beauvoir, Simone. The Ethics of Ambiguity. Trans. Frechtman Bernard. New York: Kensington Pub., 1976. Print. Wittgenstein, Ludwig; G. E. M. Anscombe, P.M.S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte (eds. and trans.). Philosophical Investigations. 4th edition, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.
SALAMUCHA, AGNIESZKA. Forum Philosophicum: International Journal for Philosophy, Spring2009, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p166-168, 3p
Philosophy Dept. home page. College of the Canyon. 1 Oct. 2008 http://www.coc.cc.ca.us/departments/philosophy/levin.html>. Ortiz, Sister. Dianna.
Beauvoir’s entertains the notion of freedom throughout the Ethics of Ambiguity. Beauvoir does not offer the ultimate truths of how one should live their life, she offers ways to evaluate human-beings and/or human-becomings. She offers the aforesaid criteria as a means to be aware of self-conscious freedom. I can only bring about freedom if I recognize the reality of my peers. According to Beauvoir, this is morality.
Guignon, B. C. and Pereboom, D. (eds). (2001). Existentialism: Basic Writings. Indianapolis, IN: Hacket Publishing.
American Philosophical Quarterly 21, no. 3 (1984): 227-36.
...ernational Journal Of Applied Philosophy 21.1 (2007): 1-24. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
In order to understand the meaning of existence in relation to philosophy, we need to discuss its ordinary meaning and the various levels of existence. The Chambers Concise Dictionary (1992, 362) defines ‘exist’ as having an actual being; to live; to occur; to continue to live’ and it defines existence as ‘the state of existing or being’. In other words, the Dictionary does not make a distinction between existence and living. However, philosophically there is the view that existence is different from living. What then is the meaning of existence in philosophy? In order to answer this question we shall examine how philosophers have used the term in their various works. Our attention shall focus on Plato and Sartre.
The debate between existentialism and the rest of the world is a fierce, albeit recent one. Before the "dawn of science" and the Age Of Reason, it was universally accepted that there were such things as gods, right and wrong, and heroism. However, with the developing interest in science and the mechanization of the universe near the end of the Renaissance, the need for a God was essentially removed, and humankind was left to reconsider the origin of meaning. John Gardner’s intelligently written Grendel is a commentary on the merits and flaws of both types of worldview: the existentialist "meaning-free" universe, and the heroic universe, where every action is imbued with purpose and power. Indeed, the book raises many philosophical questions in regards to the meaning of life as well as to the way humans define themselves. Additionally, Gardner portrays continual analysis, and final approval, of existentialist viewpoints as one observes that the main character, Grendel, is an existentialist.
If If I Die in a Combat Zone, author Tim O'Brien argued that the Vietnam War was wrong and unjust through his depictions of a soldier’s daily life on war, how the author is affected by moral ambiguity, and soldier's experiences of the feel of the war with struggles along with emotional and physical changes.
In this essay, I shall give an account of Wittgenstein's theory of propositions and show that his elementary propositions are in fact divisible. I will outline his 'picture theory' and show that the consequential 'doctrine of showing' is vague and misconceived. I shall submit my own theory of the tautology as a possible cure for the above dilemma. Numbers appearing after quotes refer to the numbered passages in the Tractatus.
Ross, Kelly L. "Existentialism." The Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series. Kelly L. Ross, Ph.D., 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
"Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Beauvoir, Simone de []. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. .
Wittgenstein L. On Certainty G. E. M. Anscombe and Denis Paul editors (Oxford Blackwell, 1969)
...r our actions. In normative or traditional ethics, either notion of God or Humanity allow us to disregard our responsibility for the creation of meaning in our lives and to fool ourselves into believing that we have somehow evaded the ambiguity that is inherent in reality. In all established authoritarian ethical systems we find an appeal to an idealized destiny that would be found through the adoption of said ethical system, which allows us to justify almost any means so long as they work toward that end. In so doing, these ethical systems seduce us into sacrificng the present moment, warping our relationship with time. De Beauvoir, in constrast, insists that ethics must have implicit within them an acute awareness of our temporal, interconnected nature, one which demands that our ethical choices support equanimity in the future and the value of the present moment.
Existentialism is the philosophical theory that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of there will. Friedrich Nietzsche central message concludes that “the basic drive of all living things is not a struggle to survive, but a struggle for power …” (p.530). Jean-Paul Sartre has a different central message stating “Nothing tells me what to do. I myself decide” (p.317). These messages show why they are regarded as existentialists.