Political Crossfire Forums

FinnMacCool · Joined: 07 Sep 2005 Posts: 2731

I think thats how its spelled anyways. . .

Anyone know of it? I've looked at the some of the beliefs and I actually agree with a lot of it. I think I identify most with the absurdist portion which was championed by Albert Camus.

Basically, existentialism is the belief that there are no absolute truths and, in some places, that there is no point to life. I identify with absurdism which says that life is meanignless and their life can create meaning through actions, either by making the world they live in a better place for others or for themselves.

yETII90 · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 1484 Location: New York

FinnMacCool wrote: I think thats how its spelled anyways. . .

Anyone know of it? I've looked at the some of the beliefs and I actually agree with a lot of it. I think I identify most with the absurdist portion which was championed by Albert Camus.

Basically, existentialism is the belief that there are no absolute truths and, in some places, that there is no point to life. I identify with absurdism which says that life is meanignless and their life can create meaning through actions, either by making the world they live in a better place for others or for themselves.

Is this the one that states

"existance before essence"

FinnMacCool · Joined: 07 Sep 2005 Posts: 2731

Not sure. . .

Too be honest, I'm not that well read in the philosophy. I just read a few outlines on the subject which is how I got interested in it. I do agree with a lot of its basic principles so I will read some existentialist works soon I think.

yETII90 · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 1484 Location: New York

FinnMacCool wrote: Not sure. . .

Too be honest, I'm not that well read in the philosophy. I just read a few outlines on the subject which is how I got interested in it. I do agree with a lot of its basic principles so I will read some existentialist works soon I think.

I think this may help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism

I am also curious about it as well.

Mr. Jaggers · Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 152

edited

MLBrandow · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 105 Location: Tallahassee, FL

Suppose for a second that there is no God.

You don't have to just mull around and be a drab Atheist about it.... do what you can to change the world while you have time on this earth.

That's a lehman's definition of Existentialism as I see it.

Gus · Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 7254 Location: Tampa, FL

MLBrandow wrote: Suppose for a second that there is no God.

You don't have to just mull around and be a drab Atheist about it.... do what you can to change the world while you have time on this earth.

That's a lehman's definition of Existentialism as I see it.
Kierkegaard was a Christian.

Kindred · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:21 am Post subject: Re: existentialism

yETII90 wrote: FinnMacCool wrote: I think thats how its spelled anyways. . .

Anyone know of it? I've looked at the some of the beliefs and I actually agree with a lot of it. I think I identify most with the absurdist portion which was championed by Albert Camus.

Basically, existentialism is the belief that there are no absolute truths and, in some places, that there is no point to life. I identify with absurdism which says that life is meanignless and their life can create meaning through actions, either by making the world they live in a better place for others or for themselves.

Is this the one that states

"existance before essence"

Yes, it is.

It is the idea that, rather than the essence of man coming prior to existance as is the case with some forms of theologism, existance comes first and essence is whatever we make of it.

Life is absurd in that it is a priori meaningless, but by creating a vocation we can, in effect, shun this meaninglessness. The Myth of Sysethis is the alagorey Camus communicates this belief through.

I've actually quite a bit of Camus work (Teh Plague, The Fall, The Outsider etc.), and in all honesty have nothing bad to say about him (philosophically speaking). If you want a brief introduction to existentialism, I highly recomend Sartre's 'Existentialism as a Humanism'.

Fiscal_Conservative · Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 158 Location: Lloret del Mar

FinnMacCool wrote: I think thats how its spelled anyways. . .

Anyone know of it? I've looked at the some of the beliefs and I actually agree with a lot of it. I think I identify most with the absurdist portion which was championed by Albert Camus.

Basically, existentialism is the belief that there are no absolute truths and, in some places, that there is no point to life. I identify with absurdism which says that life is meanignless and their life can create meaning through actions, either by making the world they live in a better place for others or for themselves.

Existentialism is one of the most honest philosophical currents you’ll ever find. Martin Heidegger arguably started its theoretical confection by referring to metaphysics as something meaningless. Confronted with the question ‘Does God exist?’, he answered in the following way:

1) God exists ---- This is false because it cannot be proven empirically.
2) God does not exist ---- This is false, too, because it cannot be proven empirically.

Conclusion: the answer he gives to the question ‘Does God exist?’ is ‘we don’t know empirically’. Let me remind everybody, at this point, that the only method to arrive at some certainty in knowledge is the scientific method. Therefore, this answer is one that is scientifically and intellectually of the highest order in what concerns honesty. This honesty regarding the question of God is known as Agnosticism.

Later, Jean-Paul Sartre emphasized that it’s not so important for humans to know if God exists or not, but rather try to understand that man is on his own to construct reality. And this is the point where he starts to define Existentialism, offering a theory for this philosophical current.

According to Existentialism, man is the only thing that was not designed for a particular purpose. He chooses what to be in so far as he chooses the values by which he wants to live. A desk has an essence, because it was built for a particular purpose. But man has no essence. Man exists first, and then he chooses what to be through his actions. He can choose to join the Republican Party or the Socialist Party. He can choose to live with his parents or become independent. He can become a Christian or choose to remain an Atheist. And through these choices he builds himself. So, for Sartre, the question is not really if there is a God, but rather realize that I’m responsible for my life, that I have no essence, that I become what I am in so far as I choose a particular path.

In ‘L’Existentialisme est un Humanisme’, he states that man is free to believe in anything, but when man tries to attribute his actions to an external agent (God, society, family…), he’s acting in bad faith. That means he looks for an excuse to escape responsibility for his own actions. When a person, for example, says “I did so and so, because I heard the voice of God in my head”; the Existentialist replies “And what makes you believe that that voice was God, and not your own conscience?” No excuses are left to justify our actions because we are responsible for them, we choose them. The major stress of Sartre’s ethics, if it can be said that he has one, is on responsibility and bad faith as a consequence of avoiding responsibility.

I would say Camus, Ionesco, Genet, Beckett... are divulgators of the existentialist philosophy through their literary works (particulary theatre). The common ground among them is the recurrent theme of the Absurd of our existence.

Gus · Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 7254 Location: Tampa, FL

So existentialists reject determinism?

yETII90 · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 1484 Location: New York

A.D wrote: yETII90 wrote: FinnMacCool wrote: I think thats how its spelled anyways. . .

Anyone know of it? I've looked at the some of the beliefs and I actually agree with a lot of it. I think I identify most with the absurdist portion which was championed by Albert Camus.

Basically, existentialism is the belief that there are no absolute truths and, in some places, that there is no point to life. I identify with absurdism which says that life is meanignless and their life can create meaning through actions, either by making the world they live in a better place for others or for themselves.

Is this the one that states

"existance before essence"

Yes, it is.

It is the idea that, rather than the essence of man coming prior to existance as is the case with some forms of theologism, existance comes first and essence is whatever we make of it.

Life is absurd in that it is a priori meaningless, but by creating a vocation we can, in effect, shun this meaninglessness. The Myth of Sysethis is the alagorey Camus communicates this belief through.

I've actually quite a bit of Camus work (Teh Plague, The Fall, The Outsider etc.), and in all honesty have nothing bad to say about him (philosophically speaking). If you want a brief introduction to existentialism, I highly recomend Sartre's 'Existentialism as a Humanism'.

I thought existentialism is more of we must choose our own purpose in life seeing as a human being has no purpose because something that is not created can't have a purpose.

but thanks for the info AD, and I assume you agree with it somewhat at least.

enlightedsoldier · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Idaho

thanks for all the info this really interests me

I have a ? however

In one of the descriptions existentialism justifies joining a political party, but in consequence of joining a party don't you sacrifice your own beliefs? as well as your morals? yes, if you join a party you might believe in the outline of the party, but what about every other opinion the party believes in? when you join a party, part of you becomes something your not, what do you think of this? doesn't this take away the responsibility you have or defining your own path?

Saf · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 377

yETII90 wrote: Is this the one that states

"existance before essence"
That would be Jean-Paul Sartre.

Ch33kY · Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 1281

FinnMacCool wrote: I think thats how its spelled anyways. . .

Anyone know of it? I've looked at the some of the beliefs and I actually agree with a lot of it. I think I identify most with the absurdist portion which was championed by Albert Camus.

Basically, existentialism is the belief that there are no absolute truths and, in some places, that there is no point to life. I identify with absurdism which says that life is meanignless and their life can create meaning through actions, either by making the world they live in a better place for others or for themselves.

The bolded text is kind of like Humanism, I guess.

By definition I am in the Existentialist camp. I believe that there are no absolute truths; just truths that are culturally defined. Though most answers can be found through reason.

Robin Hood · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 3295

Ch33kY wrote: By definition I am in the Existentialist camp. I believe that there are no absolute truths; just truths that are culturally defined. Though most answers can be found through reason.

Is that not a contradiction? If there are no absolute truths then what is reason?

The Impeacher · Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 2928 Location: Everywhere

Reason wrote: Ch33kY wrote: By definition I am in the Existentialist camp. I believe that there are no absolute truths; just truths that are culturally defined. Though most answers can be found through reason.

Is that not a contradiction? If there are no absolute truths then what is reason?

"reason" is things that are contingent truths, or sufficient truths, ie probability based on assumptions.

"absolute reason" would be an oxymoronic concept. but then, you do like ayn rand.... so there you go. she's got your mind all messed up.

anselfir · Joined: 16 Apr 2005 Posts: 22901 Location: ZzZzZzZz

i have read this thing, because i am taking an existentialism class >.< Existentialism is not a philosophy about the world, it is a philosophy about man. It rejects reality only in a way that one person rejects another person's opinions. The statement in existentialism is one regarding the power of the individual to define.

If you are going to read anything at all on this, read existentialsim is a humanism, a speech of sartre's that i find sometimes floating somewhere in the ethers. I do not like philosophy dressed in novels nd short stories and such, those are imprecise and useless to understanding.

The use of "truth" in this thread btw is giving me a headache.

Robin Hood · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 3295

Quote: "absolute reason" would be an oxymoronic concept.

So reason's subjective? Is 'absolute reason' just oxymoronic because you believe it is and according to your perceptions?