Existentialism

1. Existentialism What is it? Who is Jean-Paul Sartre? Who is Albert Camus? Who is Soren Kierkegaard?

2. Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? EXISTENTIALISTS VISIT THESE QUESTIONS…

3. So, what are the answers to these questions? Existence Precedes Essence! essence (the nature) of a thing is less fundamental and less important than its existence (the mere fact of its being)

4. However…they believe that we were born with our essence, where conversely, existentialists believe we acquire our essence over time. According to Plato and Aristotle Essence: A certain set of core properties that are necessary or essential for a thing to be what it is.

5. Existence Before (Precedes) Essence • People are born like a blank slate and create their essence or being through their unique experiences.

6. Mais non! C’est impossible! Merde!

7. Ahh…so you’re trying to say we exist first kinda like blank slates? Tabula Rasa? Told you so Rene DesDumb! Stick to your Cartesian Planes you “thinking” thing you! Rationalism is old news dufus!

8. What the heck are you guys arguing about? I’m lost  EXISTENCE PRECEEDS ESSENCE…

9. Ugh! Why does the next slide have to be sooo wordy?! Tis’ an Absurdity, my dear friend!

10. Existentialism is a philosophical approach that rejects the idea that the universe offers any clues about how humanity should live. In other words, the identity of any one person—their essence, if you will—cannot be discovered by examining other people, but can only be found by examining what that one person has done. What is existentialism? We are essentially living is a constant state of ABSURDITY and searching for ways to live life AUTHENTICALLY!

11. Oh, my…let me simplify, (Hehe, I’m a poet and didn’t know it): Absurdity is the search for answers in an answerless world BACON!!! No seriously, existential absurdity is: the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any in a purposeless, meaningless or chaotic and irrational universe. That’s ABSURD! Wait, pig friend, what exactly is absurdity? Oh, it’s all clear to me now, lol!

12. Again, we cry out to the universe for answers, yet we get no answers! But we continue to cry out, anyway. This, my friends, is absurdity! Read Sisyphus, please.

13. Hey there! Let’s create a little logical argument for Existentialism…Woo Hoo!

14. I hate you, naked chicken! EXISTENCE PRECEEDS ESSENCE…

15. Since there’s no teleology (purpose), the world wasn’t created for a reason, and it doesn’t exist for a reason, Fine. Since you feed me, we’ll make it an ordinary form argument…the easier one! If there’s no reason for any of this, then there are also no absolutes to abide by: There’s no cosmic justice, no fairness, no order, no rules!

16. According to existentialism, each individual is wholly responsible only for and to his or her self. Existentialist believe in the idea of ultimate free-will! Only you know the answers to: “Why am I here and where is the meaning of my life?” What is existentialism?

17. Wait, so you’re telling me, only I know the answers to “Why am I here and where is the meaning of my life?” I create my own essence?

18. Heck yeah, chick…The universe is irrational and it can’t provide you any sort of meaning…duh!

19. Ponder this… • If there are no guidelines for our actions, then each of us is forced to design our own moral code, to invent a morality to live by.

20. Let’s watch some guy drawing stuff as a recap of Existentialism – The basics! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-eRTJzaFsg Read the Sisyphus Critique, please.

21. Who were the first existentialists? Soren Kierkegaard 1813-1855 Friedrich Nietzsche 1844-1900

22. I can’t wait to revisit Kierkegaard later…As for Nietzsche, we’re putting him on the backburner. He hated chicks anyway! “Woman was God’s second mistake!” - FN

23. Hey naked chicken, I thought Nietzsche didn’t even believe in God??? He must have went a little whacko after contracting syphilis in a brothel back in the day. Kind of ironic, wouldn’t you say?

24. Soren and Friedrich were notably the first existentialists, but some other guy named Jean-paul gave it popularity!

25. Jean-Paul Sartre1905-1980 Ok, maybe not the most handsome fella, but was a pretty cool guy! He said things like: “Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness and dies by chance.”

26. Wow! Why would he say such a depressing thing? Life sounds hopeless! On a brighter note, he does remind my of pet Pug, Albert 

27. The despicable nature of WWII caused people to question humanity! Hence, the resurgence of existentialism. Life has no meaning and we have limitless freewill! I chose to use my ultimate freewill to do harm, not good!

28. Again, Ponder this… • If there are no guidelines for our actions, then each of us is forced to design our own moral code, to invent a morality to live by.

29. Some of what Jean-Paul Sartre thought about existentialism We’re actually just making it up as we go! • We are free! We have ultimate FREEWILL! Anything and everything is terrifyingly possible because nothing is pre-determined or pre-ordained. JPS called this realization: Angoisse or Anguish… Once we realize the scope of our freedom it can cause complete anxiety!

30. Freedom: Choice and Commitment • Humans have freedom to choose • Each individual makes choices that create his or her own nature • Because we choose, we must accept risk and responsibility for wherever our commitments take us • “A human being is absolutely free and absolutely responsible. Anguish is the result.” –Jean-Paul Sartre

31. Some of what Jean-Paul Sartre thought about existentialism I can’t do that because I don’t have enough money! • We are free to dismantle capitalism! Money inhibits our freedom and humans have unfulfilled potential which is held back by money. Money is a cause to living in bad faith! “…capitalism is out of date.” –Albert Camus We’ll get to know him later! Money inhibits our ability to live authentic lives!

32. Nothingness and Death • Death hangs over all of us. Our awareness of it can bring freedom or anguish. • “Nothingness is our inherent lack of self. We are in constant pursuit of a self. Nothingness is the creative well-spring from which all human possibilities can be realized.” –Jean-Paul Sartre

33. Some of what Jean-Paul Sartre thought about existentialism We should not have to live a certain way! We should live authentically. • We shouldn’t live in bad faith! Bad Faith is not using our freedom as we should. When we completely identify or someone else identifies us to live in a certain role, we are living in bad faith. Angoisse is our realization that we are completely free and we should use this anxiety to explore what makes us happy. Later, others will call “living in bad faith” as living inauthentically.

34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bQsZxDQgzU Now, let’s watch a video about JP Sartre

35. Yea, dude, but let’s get deeper… I mean existentially deep. No, I mean absurdly deep. Seriously, I mean dreadfully, depressingly, anxiously deep. Whoa…did you hear that cool accent? OMG! You’re scaring me!

36. You might think that there’s some authority you could look to for answers, but all of the authorities you can think of are fake!

37. No, really, think about it…Look at these people… Even your parents have no authority over you! Fake, Fake, Fake! Fake! Fake! Fake, Fake!

38. Listen people… lawmakers, churches, teachers, military personnel, what ever authority you can think of…all fake! Those authorities are really just people like you – people who don’t have any answers, people who had to figure out for themselves how to live!

39. You must accept the full weight of YOUR freedom and accept the ABSURD! Here’s my point. Since there is NO ONE or THING out there to tell you how you should live, you must figure it out on your own! YOU!!!! Any meaning your life has is give to it by…

40. Once you accept that no one has the answers, you can start living AUTHENTICALLY…choosing your own path! Because, if you choose to follow the path that others choose for you, you will be living in BAD FAITH! Beware of NOT accepting your absurd condition!

41. Hey Grinnen, you should really have a transition slide between this and the next concept you’re about to reveal! You have no authority over me JPS! I choose NOT to! There will be no transition slide! My choice is my own path! I choose to live AUTHENTICALLY!

42. Everything, if we think hard and long enough about it, is absurd! Have you ever really thought about something? No, I mean REALLY thought about something? • Things are weirder than we think! Take for instance the concept of going to the restroom. Someone at some point decided that we needed to take an area of earth, dig a hole, place a porcelain seat over the hole, build four walls around it, cut down trees to make paper so we can wipe our bums, push a handle down and send it to a factory built for handling such a product. Weird, huh? Now think about other every day things, desk, school, iPhone, airplanes, backpacks…

43. Hook up with a partner… I will be around with a jar of pieces of paper. Each pair will choose a paper and each paper will have a “thing” written on it. Your goal will be to come of up with a list of thoughts about the item. (Please jot down your thoughts.) Think about it long and hard…until you have realized how weird, strange or even absurd this item actually is. We will share your thoughts with the class!

44. Existentialist believe that at the core we are ultimately ALIENATED and ESTRANGED from: Other Humans Human Institutions The Past and The Future

45. Modern life has an alienating and dehumanizing effect on humans. We live in an age that is becoming more impersonal everyday. If anything, modern humans live the drudgery of Sisyphus in meaningless jobs with mind-numbing repetitions.

46. Is this my life? I get up, brush my teeth, feed the chickens, make breakfast, milk the cows, make lunch, bale hay, make dinner, go to bed and do it all over again…day after day after day after day…Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Some one, any one answer me!!!

47. I’m just happy she feeds me everyday!!

48. The existential Absurdity • Our anxieties stem from a recognition of total freedom of choice that confronts us at every moment…dread and anxiety comes from individuals confrontation with the nothingness and meaninglessness of the universe.

49. Good! This is exactly what is supposed to happen! What!?! Ahhhh!!! This is causing me anxiety and dread!

50. This type of thought and anxiety helps us embrace the absurd, so we can live life to it’s fullest and define our own essence. Please read the Senioritis Article