Review Introduction to Existentialism

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