EXISTENTIALISM

1
EXISTENTIALISM
2
Interesting Quote

• I stick my finger into existence - it smells of
  nothing. Where am I? What is this thing called
  the world? Who is it who has lured me into the
  thing and now leaves me here? Who am I? How did I
  come into the world? Why was I not consulted?
• Kierkegaard

3
Existentialism

• What is it about?
• It is a philosophical movement that focuses on
  individuality, and the necessity of making
  reasoned decisions for ones self.

4
Existentialists

• believe that it is impossible to know anything in
  the world. (Editor huh?!?)
• concern themselves with the problems humans face,
  and the place of the human in the universe.
• feel humans are what they mold themselves to be.

5
Who are the major thinkers?

• The three main philosophers behind this school
  are
• Soren Kierkegaard
• Martin Heidegger
• Jean-Paul Sartre.

6
Soren Kierkegaard believed

• people must move beyond judging their actions
  according to reason or the standards of society
  and become responsible only to the judgments of
  God.
• that it is through their choices people to come
  to know who they really are and what they value.
• that works of art are not real they are
  meaningless and lack purpose.

7
Martin Heidegger

• built on Kierkegaards ideas but rejected his
  religious beliefs and focus.
• believed that your being is always in question
  it doesnt come ready-made.
• authenticity (being true to ones self when
  making moral choices) is the only virtue worth
  striving for in existentialist theory.

8
Jean-Paul Sartre believed that

• people can never be certain that they have made
  the right choices.
• people are free and alone. They are alone because
  God does not exist.
• human nature can by summed up in this three word
  sentence - Existence precedes essence.

9
Sartre also believed that

• human beings have no particular purpose in
  living.
• there is no divine master plan therefore nothing
  makes sense, all events are random, and life is
  absurd.

10
Metaphysics

• Existence precedes essence basically describes
  what an existentialist believes about
  metaphysics.
• They believe there is no human nature people
  exist, and each creates his/her own essence.
• A persons behaviour cannot be compared to
  someone elses. Each individual is unique.

11
Epistemology

• Existentialists believe that knowledge is mainly
  gained through experience in our everyday lives.
• They feel that too much intellectual analysis
  interferes with and active participation in life.
  

12
Ethics

• Existentialists are ones which pick and choose
  their own values and morals. To them, choice is
  everything.
• Each person lives according to different choices
  and morals which each person alone defines.
• They do no believe in actual right or wrong
  choices because they believe that, for every
  choice made, one can assume the person has chosen
  what they felt was right for them.

13
Weaknesses

• Causes anxiety for a person because it can be too
  much responsibility for an individual to take on
  themselves
• Do people even know what freedom really is? How
  can a person be free if our bodies, abilities,
  and environment are pre-determined for us?
• How can a person give meaning to their life if we
  havent yet determined what actually gives you
  meaning in life?

14
Strengths

• You could look at freedom as a good opportunity
  to express yourself and develop your own values
  in life as opposed to having to follow you
  parents teachings for example.
• Existentialism allows a person to see beyond your
  circumstances and move forth in trying to change
  your reality.
• Kierkegaards view on making choices based on
  what you think is best for you and not what
  society urges you to do.

15
THE END