Questions tagged [existentialism]
A loose title covering : the individual, the experience of choice, and the absence of rational understanding of the universe with a consequent dread or sense of absurdity in human life.
42
questions
8
votes
6
answers
1k
views
What are some philosophical works that explore constructing meaning in life from an agnostic or atheist view?
I've been deeply suicidal for years, but it's gotten worse recently. I grew up Mormon, and last year I realized I couldn't believe in it anymore. I just couldn't; it would take too long to explain.
I ...
- 81
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
The phenomenon of Négatité
I am a novice to JP Sartre's philosophy of existentialism and I came across the notion that in Being and Nothingness,The Origin of Negation where he claims that "nothingness is at the origin of ...
- 462
6
votes
3
answers
2k
views
On freedom in Sartre's existentialism
I am reading "Existenstialism is a humanism", the text of the famous conference by Sartre in which he explains his own version of existentialism. I think is full of logical inconsistencies, but maybe ...
- 61
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Sartre on essence
Yesterday my professor said something that seemed rather strange. Roughly, it was
According to Sartre, humans are the only beings that don't have an essence.
Now I haven't read Sartre, and I'm not ...
- 1,982
42
votes
15
answers
29k
views
How come nihilism is so popular today?
I've been trying to attack this question (or more precisely, come up with an answer to that fact) for some time now, but after a while of research I'm suddenly not so sure of the reason the situation ...
- 4,020
8
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Does Sartre imitate Kant in moral philosophy?
This is not originally my question but someone deleted their question while I was typing an answer to it. Consequently, I'm reposting the question and then my answer -- n.b., I've changed the title ...
- 24.8k
12
votes
5
answers
3k
views
What is an existentialist?
When watching this speech by the Atari founder, he says (at 09:19):
If you're a true existentialist [...] you want to have an interesting life.
Thus, if someone says he or she is an existentialist,...
- 223
8
votes
10
answers
4k
views
What's the reason to live in this life?
I'm scared of life too much.
What will happen after this life ends? Even in this life, what is happening? Are we just some animals who have higher consciousness and are interacting with each other? ...
- 205
4
votes
3
answers
10k
views
Existentialism and the absensce of free will
One of the most famous doctrines of existentialism formulated by Jean Paul Sartre is that we are absolutely free.
Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible ...
- 2,386
2
votes
1
answer
261
views
Interpretation of an existentialist quotation by Camus
In *The Plague*, Rieux, the main character of Albert Camus's novel in Chapter 15 says:
I've seen too much of hospitals to relish any idea of collective punishment.
What does he mean by this? How ...
- 121
1
vote
1
answer
210
views
What sort of thought is nihilism?
The basic question for nihilism (as I understand) is "Why do I exist?" As they try to deny it.
I was wondering that this is not a well defined concept. The argument is as follows, I exist ...
- 41
43
votes
14
answers
11k
views
Is faith necessary for man to survive / why is existentialism valued if it is unsubstantiated?
I'd like to point out that I have basically no knowledgeable background in philosophy, but this question has been troubling me as of late, and I need an informed take on this.
I was watching a video ...
- 987
15
votes
12
answers
10k
views
Rationality of Suicide?
I came across a story about a kid who committed suicide after carefully calculating the benefits of life and deciding it was not worth living.
I am wondering if any philosopher has considered the ...
- 263
15
votes
6
answers
740
views
Do Kierkegaard's non-pseudonymous writings enable one to understand Kierkegaard's philosophy much?
As I read them, Kierkegaard's writings can be split into two groups: the mostly philosophical psuedonymous, and more theological non-pseudonymous works.
I have read primarily the pseudonymous works (...
- 748
14
votes
10
answers
3k
views
What are some philosophical arguments for accepting absurdity?
In absurdist philosophy, the Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual's search for meaning and the meaninglessness of the universe. As beings looking for meaning in a ...
- 143