Existentialism

ExistentialismExistentialism

Oh boy…Oh boy…

Source: Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophySource: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

““Existentialism” was a term Existentialism” was a term adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre that came to identify a cultural that came to identify a cultural movement in Europe in the movement in Europe in the 1940’s and 1950’s. 1940’s and 1950’s.

Revolutionary idea: “existence Revolutionary idea: “existence precedes essence”precedes essence”

Neither scientific nor moral Neither scientific nor moral inquiry can fully capture what it inquiry can fully capture what it is that makes me myselfis that makes me myself

ExistentialismExistentialism

While not denying the validity of While not denying the validity of scientific or moral categories, scientific or moral categories, existentialism may be defined as existentialism may be defined as the philosophical theory which the philosophical theory which holds that a further set of holds that a further set of categories is needed to grasp categories is needed to grasp human existence.human existence.

At its heart: a gesture of protest At its heart: a gesture of protest against academic philosophy, against academic philosophy, anti-system sensibility, and flight anti-system sensibility, and flight from reason.from reason.

Essence: “meaning of being”Essence: “meaning of being”

Heidegger insists that the Heidegger insists that the question of what it means to be question of what it means to be must be raised concretely, not must be raised concretely, not as an academic exercise; as an academic exercise; instead it should be a burning instead it should be a burning concern arising from life itself:concern arising from life itself:

What does it mean What does it mean for for meme to be? to be?

Existence precedes essence.Existence precedes essence.

No general, non-formal account No general, non-formal account of what it means to be human of what it means to be human can be given, since that can be given, since that meaning is decided in and meaning is decided in and through existing itself.through existing itself.

What is essential to a human What is essential to a human being is not fixed by her type but being is not fixed by her type but by what she makes of herself, by what she makes of herself, who she becomes.who she becomes.

From From Fight ClubFight Club

Tyler Durden: Tyler Durden:

““You're not your job. You're You're not your job. You're not how much money you not how much money you have in the bank. You're have in the bank. You're

not not the car you drive. You're the car you drive. You're not not the contents of your wallet. the contents of your wallet.

You're not your f***ing You're not your f***ing khakis.”khakis.”

Facticity and TranscendenceFacticity and Transcendence

Human essence, according to Human essence, according to existential philosophers, is the existential philosophers, is the manner of coordination between manner of coordination between “facticity” and “transcendence”.“facticity” and “transcendence”.

These can be approached as These can be approached as two different attitudes towards two different attitudes towards self: the third-person theoretical self: the third-person theoretical observer (facticity) and the first-observer (facticity) and the first-person practical agent person practical agent (transcendence).(transcendence).

FacticityFacticity

The properties that third-person The properties that third-person investigation can discover about me: investigation can discover about me: natural properties such as weight, natural properties such as weight,

height, and skin color; height, and skin color; social facts such as race, class, and social facts such as race, class, and

nationality; nationality; psychological properties such as my psychological properties such as my

web of belief, desires, and character web of belief, desires, and character traits; traits;

historical facts such as my past actions, historical facts such as my past actions, my family background, and my broader my family background, and my broader historical milieu.historical milieu.

TranscendenceTranscendence The stance I take towards my The stance I take towards my

facticityfacticity The attitude toward myself The attitude toward myself

characteristic of my practical characteristic of my practical engagement in the world: the factual engagement in the world: the factual always emerges in light of the always emerges in light of the possible, where the possible is not a possible, where the possible is not a function of anonymous forces but a function of anonymous forces but a function of my function of my choicechoice and and decisiondecision.. Ex. A suddenly empty penEx. A suddenly empty pen Ex. Factic property of workaholismEx. Factic property of workaholism

ProjectsProjects

Trancendence, or being-in-the-Trancendence, or being-in-the-world, a self-making situation, is world, a self-making situation, is what many existentialists also what many existentialists also refer to as “projects”. refer to as “projects”.

The world is not a The world is not a representation of me, but representation of me, but through projects of engaged through projects of engaged agency in the world, my agency in the world, my “identity” is revealed.“identity” is revealed.

Alienation: the estrangement of Alienation: the estrangement of self from both the world and itselfself from both the world and itself

The world however is not brought The world however is not brought into being through my projects; it into being through my projects; it retains its otherness and thus can retains its otherness and thus can feel utterly alien (unheimlich). feel utterly alien (unheimlich).

When other people look at me, I When other people look at me, I become aware of my subjectivity become aware of my subjectivity being invaded by the subjectivity of being invaded by the subjectivity of another for whom I am merely part of another for whom I am merely part of the world, an item for her projects. the world, an item for her projects. Because of others I can take a third-Because of others I can take a third-person perspective on myself, but person perspective on myself, but this leads to alienation—who I am in this leads to alienation—who I am in an objective sense can only be an objective sense can only be revealed by the Other.revealed by the Other.

AuthenticityAuthenticity

How are we to measure our How are we to measure our efforts “to be”? efforts “to be”?

Existentialism differentiates Existentialism differentiates between what I do as “myself” between what I do as “myself” and what I do as “anyone”.and what I do as “anyone”.

Authenticity names that attitude Authenticity names that attitude in which I engage in my projects in which I engage in my projects as my ownas my own..

Authenticity: an exampleAuthenticity: an example If I keep a promise, I act in If I keep a promise, I act in

accord with duty; and if I keep it accord with duty; and if I keep it because it is my duty, I also act because it is my duty, I also act morally…morally…

My moral act is My moral act is inauthenticinauthentic if I if I do it because that’s what “one” do it because that’s what “one” does or what “moral people” do;does or what “moral people” do;

But I can do the same thing But I can do the same thing authentically if it is something I authentically if it is something I choose as my own, something choose as my own, something that apart from social sanction I that apart from social sanction I commit myself.commit myself.

A step further…A step further…

Some existentialist writers take Some existentialist writers take this further, arguing that the this further, arguing that the measure of an authentic life lies measure of an authentic life lies in the integrity of a in the integrity of a narrativenarrative, to , to be the author of oneself.be the author of oneself.

In contrast, the inauthentic life In contrast, the inauthentic life would be one without such would be one without such integrity, one in which I allow my integrity, one in which I allow my life-story to be dictated by the life-story to be dictated by the world.world.

Anxiety, Nothingness, the AbsurdAnxiety, Nothingness, the Absurd

In anxiety, as in fear, I grasp myself In anxiety, as in fear, I grasp myself as threatened or as vulnerable; but as threatened or as vulnerable; but unlike fear, anxiety has no direct unlike fear, anxiety has no direct object, there is nothing in the world object, there is nothing in the world that is threatening.that is threatening.

This anxiety collapses my ability to This anxiety collapses my ability to engage in roles and projects and engage in roles and projects and makes me lose my basic sense of makes me lose my basic sense of self provided by these roles. I self provided by these roles. I realize I am not merely that which I realize I am not merely that which I factically am—I am not my roles.factically am—I am not my roles.

Anxiety, Nothingness, the AbsurdAnxiety, Nothingness, the Absurd

So long as I am practically So long as I am practically geared into the world, in a geared into the world, in a seamless and absorbed way, seamless and absorbed way, things present themselves as things present themselves as meaningfully coordinated with meaningfully coordinated with the projects I’m engaged in.the projects I’m engaged in.

In the mood of anxiety, however, In the mood of anxiety, however, the meaning falls away, and as the meaning falls away, and as one repeats a word until it loses one repeats a word until it loses meaning, anxiety undermines meaning, anxiety undermines the taken-for-granted sense of the taken-for-granted sense of things, rendering them things, rendering them absurdabsurd..

Anxiety, Nothingness, the AbsurdAnxiety, Nothingness, the Absurd

Nothingness is the term introduced Nothingness is the term introduced by Heidegger to indicate the self- by Heidegger to indicate the self- and world- understanding that and world- understanding that emerges in anxiety: when my ability emerges in anxiety: when my ability to engage in the practices that to engage in the practices that constitute my practical identity, I constitute my practical identity, I “am” not anything.“am” not anything.

However, this awareness of the However, this awareness of the ultimate nothingness of my practical ultimate nothingness of my practical identity is “freedom” for identity is “freedom” for existentialists.existentialists.

FreedomFreedom

Sartre argues that anxiety Sartre argues that anxiety provides a lucid experience of provides a lucid experience of that freedom which that freedom which characterizes human existence.characterizes human existence.

This consciousness of ultimate This consciousness of ultimate freedom brings anguish, a freedom brings anguish, a recognition that we are recognition that we are “condemned to be free”“condemned to be free”

Condemned to be freeCondemned to be free The consciousness of freedom is not The consciousness of freedom is not

something human beings welcome; something human beings welcome; we’d much rather seek stability, we’d much rather seek stability, identity, and adopt the language of identity, and adopt the language of freedom only when it suits us.freedom only when it suits us.

Those acts are considered by me to Those acts are considered by me to be my free acts which exactly match be my free acts which exactly match the self I want others to take me to the self I want others to take me to be.be.

We are separated from ourselves by We are separated from ourselves by the nothingness of having the nothingness of having perpetually to re-choose, or re-perpetually to re-choose, or re-commit, ourselves to what we do.commit, ourselves to what we do.

Values grounded in freedomValues grounded in freedom

A value is an aspect of my A value is an aspect of my experience that makes a experience that makes a claimclaim on on me. Values make a demand and lay me. Values make a demand and lay claim to a justification.claim to a justification.

I do not simply happen to sit quietly I do not simply happen to sit quietly in church but “attend reverently”; I do in church but “attend reverently”; I do not just see the homeless person but not just see the homeless person but encounter him as “to be helped”; I do encounter him as “to be helped”; I do not merely hear the alarm clock but not merely hear the alarm clock but am “summoned to get up.”am “summoned to get up.”

Values grounded in freedomValues grounded in freedom

Value derives its being from its Value derives its being from its urgency, its urgency does not urgency, its urgency does not come from its being.come from its being.

The urgency of the alarm clock: The urgency of the alarm clock: Why must I get up? I must go to Why must I get up? I must go to work. The question of value work. The question of value gets displaced. Ought I go to gets displaced. Ought I go to work? Why not be work? Why not be irresponsible? Why not take up irresponsible? Why not take up a life of crime? Why should I be a life of crime? Why should I be respectable, law-abiding?respectable, law-abiding?

Values grounded in freedomValues grounded in freedom

It is only because some It is only because some choicechoice has has been made that anything at all can been made that anything at all can appear as compelling, as making a appear as compelling, as making a claimclaim on me. on me.

Only if I am Only if I am engagedengaged at some level at some level do values appear at all.do values appear at all.

The more I pull out of engagement The more I pull out of engagement and move into reflection on and and move into reflection on and questioning of my situation, the more questioning of my situation, the more I am threatened by ethical anguish— I am threatened by ethical anguish— “which is the recognition of the “which is the recognition of the ideality of values”ideality of values”

EngagementEngagement

Commitment, or Commitment, or engagementengagement, is , is thus ultimately the basis for an thus ultimately the basis for an authentically meaningful life, authentically meaningful life, that is, one that answers to the that is, one that answers to the existential condition of being existential condition of being human and does not flee that human and does not flee that condition by appeal to an condition by appeal to an abstract system of reason or abstract system of reason or divine will.divine will.

Existentialism and ArtExistentialism and Art As much a literary movement as As much a literary movement as

a philosophical one, since the a philosophical one, since the ideas are best known through ideas are best known through Sartre’s fictional works Sartre’s fictional works NauseaNausea and and No ExitNo Exit and Albert Camus’ and Albert Camus’ The StrangerThe Stranger..

Other artists and writers linked Other artists and writers linked under Existentialism: under Existentialism: Dostoevsky, Ibsen, Kafka, Jean Dostoevsky, Ibsen, Kafka, Jean Genet, Samuel BeckettGenet, Samuel Beckett

Alberto Alberto GiacomettiGiacometti

Jackson PollockJackson Pollock

Jackson Pollack

Arshile GorkyArshile Gorky

Arshile Gorky

Willem de KooningWillem de Kooning

Willem de Kooning

Where do you see these ideas Where do you see these ideas in in Waiting for GodotWaiting for Godot??

Waiting for Godot in New Orleans, 2007