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What is Existentialism?

LotusMegami

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LotusMegami
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Nov 9, 2004
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I've looked this up and I just don't get it. In the most basic terms possible, please, what does this basically mean?
 
So far as I can see, nothing.

But that's my take on most "philosophy".

Pure sophistry. In this case, self-absorbed, navel-gazing, sophistry.
 
Existentialism, as far as I can tell, is the philosophy that there is no external "purpose" to existence, the universe just is. It is an abandonment of the search for "meaning" in the universe, and an acceptance that we are free to find out own meaning.
 
arthwollipot said:
Existentialism, as far as I can tell, is the philosophy that there is no external "purpose" to existence, the universe just is. It is an abandonment of the search for "meaning" in the universe, and an acceptance that we are free to find out own meaning.
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That's about the long and short of it. It's basically the idea that there is no 'meaning' to anything, so go about your business however you please.
 
From Michael Smith's "Ballad of Elizabeth Dark":

"We all wanted to be existentialists
None of us knew what the hell it meant."
 
An existentialist is someone who does archery with a double bass.

/obscure because I really reached far for that one
//extra points for whoever finds the reference I completely twisted
 
It is an evolutionary trait of humans to find meaning in the world around us and in our own existence. Humans from our earliest of time have considered the significance of our existence or whether there is any significance at all. For certain, some people simply don't care. We are here and life impinges on us regardless of how we perceive it or even if it is real or not so what's the point? That's fine, however some of us are intrigued with the notion of existence and try to use logic to understand meaning, existence and the meaning of existence or the lack thereof.

If you don't care then there is no meaning or purpose to philosophy. As someone else said, it's just navel gazing. But then to someone who doesn't care there is no meaning or purpose to whether or not water exists on a moon orbiting a planet 5 astronomical units away.

Insight is insight. The pursuit of truth is never sophistry. Our conclusions and argument that supports those claims might be but attempting to understand our existence or to explore why there is meaning or no meaning is of value to me.

I don't personally dismiss any philosophy.

ex·is·ten·tial·ism (gz-stnsh-lzm, ks-)

n.

A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.
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LotusMegami said:
I've looked this up and I just don't get it. In the most basic terms possible, please, what does this basically mean?
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Well, you asked for it:)

Here is Sartre:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm

Here is a sympathetic critic:
http://www.uri.edu/personal/szunjic/philos/human.htm

Here is Gilbert Ryle:
The systematic abuse of the verb " to be"

And here am I:
You have to have the figure to carry off a black turtleneck sweater.

Regards
 
Sartre? Those in the know know Camus.

I wear a black turtleneck very well.
 
tkingdoll said:
Sartre? Those in the know know Camus.

I wear a black turtleneck very well.
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Camus actually insisted that he wasn't an existentialist, though The Stranger certainly embodies a lot of the existential themes discussed in this thread.
 
Let's not forget Søren Kierkegaard, as well as the philosopher who devised the term "existentialism", Gabriel Marcel.
 
A person who is oriented toward existential thought take the perspective that: meaning may have involve subjectivity; so, people of existential thought often take up endeavors that they personally find meaningful.
 
I suggest reading up on T Bone Stankus. "Is this schizoid paranoia or just existential blues?" True brilliance.
 
LotusMegami said:
I've looked this up and I just don't get it. In the most basic terms possible, please, what does this basically mean?
Click to expand...
It is simply the metaphysical position that existence is prior to essence.

This is in contrast to the idea put by many metaphysicians (such as Descartes) that essence is prior to existence (Essentialism).

Essence is simply the set of attributes or properties that fundamentally define any object.

An Empiricist would say that the distinction between Existentialism and Essentialism is meaningless (which I would also say).
 
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