1 / 24

Review Introduction to Existentialism

Review Introduction to Existentialism. Existence over essence Rebellion against Plato and Rationalism Human value as rational, knowing creatures Combination with Christianity Rational universe — will of God Science as offspring begins to rebel Reality meaningless, dead, irrational

deon
Download Presentation

Review Introduction to Existentialism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Review Introduction to Existentialism • Existence over essence • Rebellion against Plato and Rationalism • Human value as rational, knowing creatures • Combination with Christianity • Rational universe—will of God • Science as offspring begins to rebel • Reality meaningless, dead, irrational • Huge universe and human knowers peripheral

  2. Humans as Peripheral • Man in image of God • Capable of knowing rational law • Moral and scientific • God is dead = Rationalism failed • Can not give meaning to our lives • Awareness of a succession of myths • Seek solace in reason/God • Nietzsche tartets Descartes “new”rationalism • Seeking to restore human guarantee of knowledge • Even allowing “brain in vat” evil demon fantasy

  3. Questions Explain the Nietzsche’s contrast of a “master” and “slave” morality. Why does he say Christianity is a slave morality?

  4. Cartesian "Radical" Skepticism • Doubt everything—not from specific arguments, but general ones • Main target: objects and other minds • Strategy: prove something immune to evil demon doubt • I think, therefore I exist • Even if I doubt, can't doubt that I'm thinking

  5. Is Cogito Valid? • Back to Parmenides • If a sentence is true then its subject term must denote something • Any true sentence of the form "X Q's" entails "X exists" • So, if the premise (I think) is true then it follows as a matter of form that I exist • "Santa Claus thinks" is false • Thought doesn't matter here • "Santa clause walks" is also false

  6. Is Cogito Sound? • Is the premise true? • Certainly! Whenever I think it • Can we know it is true? Yes • It is true • We believe it is true • (When we think, we think we are thinking) • We have good reason to believe it • We are good judges of our own conscious states

  7. Not enough! Paradox Analysis • Must be immune from Demon Doubt! • To think you do not think is a paradox • Different from semantic (liar) or prescriptive (Shendao) paradoxes • The meaning inconsistent with truth • Conforming inconsistent with meaning

  8. Pragmatic (action) paradox • What you say is inconsistent with the act of your saying it • "I cannot speak one word of English" • The speech act of asserting is inconsistent with its truth • The thought act is inconsistent with the content of the thought 我不會 用中文 想。

  9. Thinking Thoughts and Thinker • Next step cannot reach outside thought • A way to get all rational truths back—prove God exists • So ontological argument for God • Unique in following from definition alone

  10. Ontological Argument • St. Anselm model—easier and more famous • Start with thought of god—a concept • Can be thought of by a non-believer • The non-believer contradicts himself • Not derived just from thinking • From the content (meaning/definition) of the thought • Definition of the ‘god' concept: the perfect being

  11. Existence • Perfect=df has all positive qualities completely • Qualities = predicates • 'Exists' is a predicate • 'Exists' is positive • Not to predicate 'exists' of the being that has all positive qualities completely is a contradiction

  12. So I am not deceived when I think clearly and distinctly

  13. Analysis: Summary • Argument really about two kinds of existence • In mind and reality • But logic the same • Existence is a positive valued predicate • Quality or attribute of a substance • Nutshell: not it’s not—issue isn’t positive • Not a predicate—Hume and Kant (detail later) • Taken for granted by Nietzsche

  14. Existential Angst • Suspended over nothingness, nausea, and alienation • Strength to face a bottomless abyss • Cf. Zhuangzi's view of a similar realization • Existentialist realism • No way to get ethics without blind assertion • Rests on sheer will—will to power

  15. Philosophical Revolution • Reject metaphysical grounds for moral ones • A genealogy of morals • Slave morality: • Reaction against the hated--define as "evil," "sin" • Resentment morality--what it is against

  16. Master Morality • Affirmation of things promoting life • Define good, not evil • Then just failure to fulfill • Beyond "good and evil" to "good and bad" • Control, choose your own meaning in life • Life promoting, affirming, active, vs. Reaction, nihilist resentment

  17. Reality and Power • Everything is interpretation—no original • My Zhuangzi • Interpretations are not getting closer to reality • Only power conferring stories • Science as another myth

  18. The Real World Is a Myth • Plato (the sun) attainable to the wise • Christianity (A woman! A promise) • Kant (a skeptical possibility) source of obligation • Positivism (value unknowable, so meaningless) • Nietzsche (abandon real/apparent distinction)

  19. Christianity and Buddhism • A paradigm of slave morality • Not refuted, but sick! Self-hating negative resentment • All don'ts, evil, sin, sinners • This world, natural man as contrast with God • A form of self-hate • Stems from Socrates’ mind/body values • Double-bind: original sin • Protestant "grace" and predestination • Hate yourself and ideology of powerlessness

  20. Lying • Heaven a contradiction • No – a form of hatred of life • Desire for "the other life" = desire for death • Create a myth in our own image • Attribute all power to him—powerlessness to ourselves • Sin a deceptive form of self-hate • Doctrine of original sin • Moralizes enslavement – we deserve our suffering • So don't do anything about it

  21. Christ and Christianity • Culprit is St. Paul • Actually a Roman—inheritors of the idols of Socrates • Body over mind • Hatred of body and instincts • Celibacy of priests, sex as evil • Christ himself a divine mystic • Declared himself God • Re-evaluated values • Spontaneous self-assertion—we should all be like that • Christ was the last Christian

  22. Buddhism a Kindred Religion • Same mind/body structure • Skepticism of existence • ‘Truth’‘reason’, ‘ideas’ transcendent reality • Nihilistic, decadent power denying • Renunciation religion: Nirvana and life (samsara) • Samsara is suffering. Get rid of desire • But doesn't want to malign it with Christianity • Honest – I seek to die and stay dead • Reincarnation framework • Positivist – no value judgment • “Life is suffering” v “We are all sinners”

  23. Not Powerless • We can achieve the religious goal by our own efforts • We can die and stay dead • No promises and keeps them! • No supernatural intervention—no supernatural role at all • Buddha just a model who found the path • Hygiene, diet, cheerfulness • Attributed to climate and age of culture

More Related