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EXISTENTIALISM. Religion vs. Philosophy. Religion Can be philosophical but doesn’t need to be Has rituals/ceremonies Makes use of reason (sometimes), but relies mostly or entirely on faith Based on faith in God, gods, or religious principles Often includes miracles or miraculous events.
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Religion vs. Philosophy • Religion • Can be philosophical but doesn’t need to be • Has rituals/ceremonies • Makes use of reason (sometimes), but relies mostly or entirely on faith • Based on faith in God, gods, or religious principles • Often includes miracles or miraculous events
Religion vs. Philosophy • Philosophy • Can be religious but does not need to be • No rituals • Emphasizes the use of reason and critical thinking • Based on rational arguments • No miracles
Religion vs. Philosophy • Common Ground • Both wrestle with problems like: • What is good? • What does it mean to live a good life? • What is the nature of reality? • Why are we here and what should we be doing? • How should we treat each other? • What is really most important in life?
World War II • Germany started World War II by invading Poland on Sept. 1, 1939 • Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany – Sept. 3 • Within a month, Poland was defeated and divided between Germany and Russia • Germany then invaded Norway and Denmark
World War II • May 10, 1940 – Germany began its assault on western Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France) • Germany attacked France from the north – Italy attacked from the south – Germans closed in on Paris • June 17, 1940 – Marshal Henri Petain (French military commander) told his country “we must stop fighting”
World War II • Four days later, Hitler handed French officers his terms of surrender – Germans would occupy the northern part of France, and a Nazi-controlled puppet government would be set up at Vichy in southern France • Dec. 11, 1941 – U.S. declared war on Italy and Germany • In late 1942, Germany took over all of France
World War II • May 7, 1945 – Germany signs unconditional surrender • Sept. 2, 1945 – Japan signs unconditional surrender • During World War II, French people were under control of the Nazis and feared that they had lost their country and their heritage forever.
Jean-Paul Sartre Nobel Prize for literature in 1964 “for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom, and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age”
Biography • Born in Paris – June 21, 1905 • Grew up in the home of his maternal grandfather • Educated in Paris • Inducted into the French military following the outbreak of European war in 1939 (World War II)
Biography • Captured in June, 1940 and imprisoned into 1941 by the Germans • Germans released him on the grounds that he was not physically fit for military service • Taught philosophy • Active in the French Resistance • Developed existentialism (a philosophy) during Nazi occupation of France
Biography • Existentialism gained a large following • Sartre gave up teaching in 1945 and founded a political and literary magazine • Existentialism maintained an enormous following even after World War II • After World War II, Sartre moved away from existentialism and became more involved with Marxism
Biography • Rejected the 1964 Nobel Prize in literature, explaining that to accept such an award would compromise his integrity as a writer • Died April 15, 1980 • More than 25,000 people lined the streets of Paris for his funeral procession
Existentialism • A philosophy developed by Sartre during the Nazi occupation of France • The philosophy makes sense in the time frame • Consider the lack of freedom in France • Think about how the French felt, thinking their freedom and heritage had been taken forever • They had a feeling of hopelessness • Existentialism gained popularity because it gave the people a feeling of power over their lives and their world • Existentialism also gave people a feeling of individuality against the conformity of Nazism • The Nazi occupation could also explain Sartre’s atheism – how could God allow this to happen?
The Principles of Existentialism • Existence Precedes Essence • The prevailing philosophical view of human beings is that they have a “nature” or “essence from birth” • Christianity – we are created by God for a reason • Sartre himself denies the existence of God, and believes there is no human essence (no reason for being) • Sartre argues, however, that there are also Christian existentialists
The Principles of Existentialism • Existence Precedes Essence (cont.) • First we exist, then we create ourselves through our actions and decisions • We are nothing more than a collection of acts that make up our lives • When a paper cutter is made, it is made with a purpose – the person who makes it knows that it is a paper cutter and that will be its function • Humans are not made like this – there is no reason for our existence – we are not made for a specific reason or purpose
The Principles of Existentialism • Existence Precedes Essence (cont.) • There is no meaning for our existence • But we do exist • This is absurd • Man is thrown into a meaningless world without his permission • My essence, the person I am now, is the product of the free choices I have made in the course of my life so far
The Principles of Existentialism • Existence Precedes Essence (cont.) • There is also “nothingness in being” • When I look for Pierre in a café and discover that he is not there, I reveal a nothingness in reality – his absence is real • Nothingness also separates me from myself • I am NOT who I was in the past • I am NOT who I will be in the future • Every decision I make changes who I am
The Principles of Existentialism • Consciousness • Consciousness always refers beyond itself to an object • “Unreflected consciousness” – consciousness before it is reflected on/thought about • No “I” • Running to catch a bus – unreflected consciousness – “bus-to-be-caught”
The Principles of Existentialism • Consciousness (cont.) • “Reflective consciousness” – when you actually think about/reflect on something • You understand your relationship to something • This is where the “I” is found • Once you missed the bus – “I missed the bus; I’m going to be late for school” • Focus is internalized • Suddenly consciousness is self-directed and self-aware, not just observing outwardly
The Principles of Existentialism • I Create Myself • My “self” is not a stable, solid entity – it is a creation that I must make and remake from moment to moment • Every decision I make or do not make creates me (it makes me who I am)
The Principles of Existentialism • I Create Myself (cont.) • I must also create my world • In choosing for myself, I am also choosing for the world • Every time I make a decision, I am putting values into the world • If I choose to cheat on a test, then I am saying it is ok to cheat. I am putting that value into the world
The Principles of Existentialism • I Create Myself (cont.) • If I choose to get married and have children, then I am choosing the value of monogamy for the world • I am not only responsible for myself, I am responsible for the world • Every time I make a decision, I must think “What would happen if everyone looked at things this way?”
The Principles of Existentialism • Condemned to be Free • We are free • Freedom is not absolute – if a boulder falls in my way, I cannot change the fact that it is there and I cannot get through it, but I am free to interpret the meaning of the boulder • It may mean an obstacle to be conquered • It may mean that I cannot reach my goal of getting to the top of the mountain
The Principles of Existentialism • Condemned to be Free (cont.) • We are always making decisions and creating ourselves and our world • Even choosing not to decide is a decision • We are always free because there are always alternative choices – the ultimate alternative is death – If I do not shoot myself, then I have chosen whatever is the alternative to death • We are condemned to be free – we cannot escape this freedom as long as we are alive
The Principles of Existentialism • Condemned to be Free (cont.) • “If God doesn’t exist, everything would be possible” –Fyodor Dostoevsky • This is true • Because there is no God, there are no excuses • There are no values except those that we create
The Principles of Existentialism • Bad Faith vs. Good Faith • Most people create themselves and their world in “bad faith” • Rather than facing up to their responsibility and freedom, they flee from it by blaming others or fate • We should act in “good faith” • We should accept responsibility for our actions without blaming other things
The Principles of Existentialism • Bad Faith vs. Good Faith • Examples • I didn’t do well on that test because the teacher doesn’t like me and we didn’t go over the homework enough – BAD FAITH • I didn’t do well on that test because I didn’t study or ask for help – GOOD FAITH • I am never going to be successful because I come from a poor family and my parents don’t care about me – BAD FAITH • I can be successful if I make choices that lead me in the direction I choose – GOOD FAITH
The Principles of Existentialism • The Gaze • The main complication in all of this is that we must encounter other beings • When someone else looks at me, I become the object of his gaze • I am transformed into object • This is not a good feeling because we have no control over it • “Hell is other people” – Sartre
The Principles of Existentialism • The Gaze • Imagine that you are looking through a key hole into someone else’s house. You are spying on them. • The people you are looking at are purely object. You are watching them and seeing what they are doing. They do not know you are there.
The Principles of Existentialism • The Gaze (cont.) • As you are watching them, you become aware that someone is behind you – someone has caught you peeping. • You have now become the object to that person. • You have become the “other” – you are now an object to someone else. • You now see yourself as object – as the other person sees you.
Criticism of Existentialism • It is pessimistic • Sartre denied this, saying that we are all heroes in existentialism because we persevere • Sartre ignores the lower classes • It is difficult to focus on the issues of existentialism when you are worried about feeding your children and having a place to live • Sartre does not mention or deal with politics or government • These two reasons may explain why Sartre later became a Marxist (Marxism focuses on these two issues)