Week 6 Final Topic: We Will Cover Existentialism

Week 6 Final Topicthis Week We Will Cover Existentialism As Our F

This week, we will cover "existentialism" as our final topic. Existentialism is a branch of philosophy concerned with the meaning and purpose of life, emphasizing personal choice and individual responsibility. It explores questions such as: "What is the purpose or meaning behind life?", "Who created our existence?", and "How should we live?" Central to existentialism is the idea that each person must find their own unique purpose, since everyone is different.

Various ethical theories offer different perspectives. Stoicism advises focusing on controlling what we can and accepting what we cannot, promoting emotional resilience. Cynicism advocates for minimalism and rejecting materialism, criticizing society’s obsession with possessions. Epicureanism emphasizes the pursuit of pleasure and living life fully, contending that life is short and that happiness is achieved through personal enjoyment without reliance on moral or spiritual beliefs.

To illustrate these ideas, consider the story of Marcus from ancient Corinth. Marcus’s repeated theft and the brutal punishment of rolling a stone up a hill repeatedly symbolize the human condition—born into circumstances beyond our control, living routines driven by societal expectations, and confronting the certainty of death. This story exemplifies the existential view that life can seem absurd and filled with angst, as we struggle with meaninglessness and the inevitability of death.

In this context, existentialists argue that life’s apparent absurdity prompts us to create our own meaning despite the chaos and uncertainty. This confrontation with life's absurdity can generate feelings of anxiety or angst but also motivates authentic living, in which individuals consciously choose their paths rather than following societal expectations.

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Existentialism, as a philosophical movement, directly addresses the fundamental questions of human existence, emphasizing individual agency, freedom, and the search for meaning amid an inherently absurd universe. Unlike other ethical theories such as Stoicism, Cynicism, or Epicureanism, existentialism confronts the discomfort and anxiety that come with recognizing life's uncertainties and the lack of predetermined purpose, urging individuals to forge their own path despite these challenges.

At its core, existentialism contends that life has no intrinsic meaning; instead, meaning is subjectively created through personal choices and actions. This viewpoint diverges sharply from the Stoic focus on controlling what one can and accepting fate, or the Epicurean pursuit of pleasure, which suggests that happiness can be attained through the maximization of personal enjoyment. While these philosophies offer structured approaches to life, existentialism emphasizes authenticity, responsibility, and confronting life's inherent absurdity.

The story of Marcus from ancient Corinth exemplifies existential themes by illustrating a life constrained by circumstances beyond individual control. Marcus’s repeated theft and subsequent punishment symbolize how humans often feel trapped in routines dictated by societal structures, genetics, and external forces, with death as the ultimate endpoint. This narrative underscores existentialism’s view of life as an absurd cycle—working, striving, and ultimately facing mortality without inherent meaning.

Existentialists argue that recognizing life's absurdity can lead to feelings of angst or dread, but it also opens the possibility for authentic living. By accepting the lack of predetermined purpose, individuals are empowered to create their own meaning through choices that reflect their true selves. Such self-determined existence is seen as the pathway to genuine fulfillment, even in the face of life's apparent futility.

In modern society, the popularity of existentialist ideas can be observed in cultural and psychological domains. The emphasis on self-awareness, personal responsibility, and authenticity aligns with contemporary movements promoting mental health and individual empowerment. Although not always explicitly labeled as existentialism, the prevalent focus on individual agency and the rejection of societal masks echoes existential themes.

Regarding the comparison with Marcus's life—working weekly, spending frugally, then repeating—many individuals may see parallels in their routines, feeling trapped in cyclical patterns driven by societal expectations, economic constraints, and personal ambitions. This cyclicality often evokes feelings of futility or questioning of life's purpose, which existentialist philosophy aims to address by encouraging individuals to find or create meaning within such routines rather than passively accepting them.

In conclusion, existentialism remains a significant philosophical perspective because it confronts the realities of human life—its absurdity, freedom, and responsibility—promoting authentic living despite inherent uncertainty. This approach resonates with many in modern society who seek personal meaning in a complex, often confusing world, reinforcing the enduring relevance of existentialist thought.

References

• Søren Kierkegaard. (1843). Fear and Trembling. Princeton University Press.
• Jean-Paul Sartre. (1943). Being and Nothingness. Routledge.
• Albert Camus. (1942). The Myth of Sisyphus. Gallimard.
• Simone de Beauvoir. (1949). The Second Sex. Vintage.
• Rollo May. (1953). The Courage to Create. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Martin Heidegger. (1927). Being and Time. Harper & Row.
• William Barrett. (1958). Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy. Doubleday.
• Lopez, A. (2014). Modern existentialism and its influence. Philosophy Today, 58(2), 115-130.
• Heidegger, M. (1962). The Question Concerning Technology. Harper & Row.
• Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. Basic Books.