Existentialism Blog Task
This blog is a part of my academic activity, Task given by Dr. Dilip Barad
Click here for the link of Task.
#What is Existentialism?
" 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."
In simpler terms, existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibly.
#pioneers of Existentialist philosophy
3) Albert Camus
#Interpretation of the Videos:
#Video 1
It starts with the general
definition of existentialism. Soren Kierkegaard is considered as pioneer of
Existentialism. Jean-Paul Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Albert camus, Simone de
Beauvoir all are known as the existentialist philosophers.they all have different
belief about existentialism but they share same concept about it. They think
about the human existence and mainly concerned with subject that is individual.
we all are alone and unique piece in this world. they gave the concept of
triangle of 'freedom, passions and individuality'. No one can escape from the
sorrow and suffering of life. every life is full of pain. this theory talks
about the burning issue of human life such as suicide, passions, emotions,
anxiety,freedom,despair so it really affects the young generation.
In this video i am really impressed
by the thought of "Philosophical suicide". if person believe in God
then there is a philosophical suicide of individual because he accepts
everything without reasoning. (What is Existentialism)
#Video 2
every life is full of adversity.
therefore death can be the ultimate solution of life and absurdity of life.
Many people commit suicide because they feel that their life is not worth
living. there we find comparison with movie 'Stay'. it said that " An
elegant suicide is the ultimate work of Art." Tramp or stranger are living
without any profound purpose so for them Death can be mistress " Death is
my Mistress".
In this video i really influenced by
the idea that is there logic to the point of death? Life is a gift for us given
by someone. but this is a unexpected gift so we have all rights to end our life
but there should be logical reason behind suicide. (Myth of Sisyphus)
#Video 3
In this video there
is "myth of Sisyphus" given
by Albert Camus. According to the Greek myth Sisyphus was punished for all
eternity to roll a rock up a mountain only to have it roll back down the bottom
when he reaches the top. Camus claims that Sisyphus is the ideal absurd hero.
his punishment is the representation of human condition. Sisyphus can do such
monotonous work because he habituated to such life. sometimes human
beings also live same life everyday and find pleasure in it.
In this video i find it
really very interesting that how Myth of Sisyphus represented the human life. (Philosophical
suicide )
#Video 4
World war gave the rise
to the term of "Dadaism", idea of change. It questions established
notions and values. In this way it creates new path of living. it finds the way
of becoming free from everything. Here there is opportunity for making your own
values.there is example of 'R.Mutt' and it questions that 'is that really art?'
'if it is indeed art what kind of art is it?'. it questions your knowledge, no
matter what the answers. but it will destroy all values you know.
In this video i really
like the quote " The absurd doesn't frighten me, because from more
elevated point of view i considered everything in life to be absurd." (Existentialism
and Nihilism )
#video 5
Is existentialism a
gloomy philosophy?
Every life is full of
adversity, anxiety, despair, absurdity. But we are free to choose our own
way of living. once we chose the things then we are responsible for it's
consequences.Normally we find that people chose their own way of life but after
that they tried to escape from it's result. this should not done by individual.
Existentialism is differs from Nihilism. After world war 2 people's life became
miserable and full of despair. Everyone tried to find the meaning of
life.
In this video i really
like the one thing that we are responsible for our own choices in life. (Existentialism
a gloomy philosophy)
#Video 6
There is a
misconception that Existentialism is Nihilism. But it is not that so
because both share different concept of life. Existentialism believe in
subjectivity while Nihilism believe in objectivity meaningless life.
#Video 7
After world war 2
existentialism became influential. All existentialist talk about 'problem of
life' which tied them together. this theory questions some fundamental
questions such as 'why am i here?', 'what does it mean to be human?', 'how
should i live my life?'.Existentialist believe that we don't need 'divine
perspective' but we need 'human perspective' to live. Albert Camus said that
"Existence precedes essence". Great philosopher Aristotle believed
that every substance has it's own essence. and our essence gives us defining
feature as a human. Believer in God believes that God has created essence for
human. but Sartre believed that we can make our essence by choosing the
things.
In this video the
thought i like most is that we can make our own unique essence. (Introduction to Existentialism)
#Video 8
Friedrich
Nietzsche gave the theory of "Ubermensche" it means man as a
superman. He believed that "God is dead". When human beings start in
believing that there is no God then they become free of doing anything they
want or desire. they no more believe in established rules and regulation
but create new rules.
In this video i really
like the thought that man can do anything that is 'Ubermensche'. (Explain like
i'm five Existentialism and Friedrich Nietzsche)
#Video 9
It's way of life is it's
deeper side. it affects our mind, heart and soul. it helps to understand life
in more profound way. existentialism talks very freely about the dark side of
life such as anxiety, death and despair. It makes us ready toideo accept
good as well as bad side of life. it affects to think about everyday life. it
helps us to understand things as laughing child or flower. Suffering is
something which life asking us to experience. we learn more thing from
suffering. Existentialism teaches us that suffering is not our enemy. We can
live life with more color and passions.
This video teaches us
ten things to live life very deeply which i like most.
(10) Start questioning
(9) Start relating the
big picture
(8) Learn from difficult
experience
(7) See how free you can
be
(6) Learn to live with
passions
(5) Power in life
(4) Inhabit the present
movement
(3) Recover the ability
to play
(2) Build responsible
community
(1) Remember that you
are born to a brilliant and terrifying universe (Why i like existentialism)
#Video 10
All over life we seek
for meaning of life, through our work, job, responsibility etc. But we can say
that none of them can give meaning to the life. Aristotle believed that you are
born to a certain thing. We can figure out own essence. We can set our path to
follow. There is no meaning of life but meaning is given by us to our life. We
are responsible for our work and decision, only we can give reason to our
choice.
In this video i like the
idea that only we can give reason to our choice. or we can say that there is no
reason for choice because choice is just a choice. (Existentialism: Crash course philosophy)
Question 2 :
Video no.8 i like the
most because it gives the idea of "Ubermensche". It means man can do
anything he wants. if our will power is strong than none can restrict us to
achieve our goal. only required thing is the confident in self. that i am
capable of doing anything.
#My interpretation of Existentialism
This universe is very
large. We are tiny part of this universe. and it does not get affected by our
actions and deeds. it doesn't care for us. Universe will remain as it is
weather we do anything for it or not. There is different between what we expect
from it and what we find in it.
Either people believe in
God or they find life as meaningless. once we find it meaningless then we start
thinking that does it mean that 'life is not worth living?'. So some people may
committed suicide but we can give our own unique meaning to life rather than
committing suicide.
Unlike Rene Descartes,
who believed in the primacy of consciousness, existentialist asserts that Human
being is "thrown into" a concrete, inveterate Universe. We don't know
that weather it is our choice or not to be human, to be Hindu or Muslim, Man or
Woman. Sometimes we can choose something but sometimes we remain choice less.
Here we find Choice v/s choicelessness.
Albert Camus said that
"Existence precedes essence". We are indifferent to material things
such as chair,fen or any material thing. the essence of material things are
predetermined so they act accordingly. But the essence of human can not
predetermined. therefore we are creator of meaning of our life. as a human
being we are free to make choices. But after that we are responsible of
consequences that may arrive as a result of our choices. Generally what
happened is that people make their choices but they try to escape from it's
result. Existentialism is not an escapism.
Existentialism is not a
Nihilism. Nihilism denies that there is ultimate meaning of life. it completely
believe in objectivity. while existentialism believe in subjectivity. in a way
this not a pessimistic idea but optimistic idea by giving subjectivity or hope
to individual's life.
It does not believe in
" Karmic philosophy". It does not believe in God as divine power, but
it believes in self. Some existentialist are believer also, so they argue that
there is God as divinity. but He will not do anything for you. But we have to
do work for our existence.
According to
existentialism one should live with passions. we are the creator our "own
work of Art". we can give variety of colors to our Universe.
Life is full of
adversity, there can not be a best teacher rather than your sorrow and sufferings.
one can learn new things only through pain and grief. therefore we become
habituated to sorrows and suffering.
Like a Greek myth of
Sisyphus human life is also monotonous in such a way that we go on doing the
same cycle of work and then we become habituated, connected deeply with it and
find happiness in absurd work. for example the life of 'Housewife'. she has to
do same work everyday, care for husband and children, all household work.
slowly and steadily she habituated in such a way that she feels happiness in
it.
Same concept we can
apply for feminism. Women are exploit and harassed by society. but some of them
don't even know they are exploited. they become habituated and they start
enjoying the condition. Some Human relations are also absurd.in a sense that at
the end they will gain nothing but yet go on doing the absurd things.Everyone
is different by choosing their own choice. so we should respect one
another's choice.
As Sartre put it "
At first man is nothing, only afterword will he be something. he himself will
have made what he will be." It reminds me the famous poem by Robert
Frost "The Road not taken".
It may be said that if
everyone starts behaving like existentialist, without caring for consequences
then there may be chaos in society. But individual should decide which
situation should be count as moral or immoral. We set our own standards
of morality. Personal experience is essential in arriving at the truth. so the
judgement of situation by someone involved in that situation is superior to
that of a detached, objective observer.
Works Cited
Explain like i'm
five Existentialism and Friedrich Nietzsche. 18 March 2013.
"Existentialism a
gloomy philosophy." 4 April 2013.
"Existentialism
and Nihilism ." 17 April 2013.
"Existentialism:
Crash course philosophy." 6 june 2016.
"Introduction to
Existentialism." 17 November 2012.
"Myth of
Sisyphus." Myth of Sisyphus. 13 may 2013.
"Philosophical
suicide ." Myth of Sisyphus (Philosophical suicide). 2013 october
2013.
"What is
Existentialism." 1 May 2013.
"Why i like
existentialism." 8 may 2015.
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