Existentialism and Absurdism
Existentialism
Existentialism refers to a set of ideas about human existence. The term "existentialism" is used both for philosophical concepts and for literary works. The exact meaning depends on the particular writer, and some writers objected to the notion of being called "existentialists" as an attempt to restrict their ideas into a pre-defined category, including Albert Camus.
The early 19th century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, regarded as the father of existentialism, maintained that the individual has the sole responsibility for giving one's own life meaning and with living life passionately and sincerely, in spite of many obstacles and distractions including despair, angst, absurdity, choice, boredom, and death. Later existential philosophers retain the emphasis on the subjective individual, but differ, in varying degrees, on how one achieves a fulfilling life, what obstacles must be overcome, and what external and internal factors are involved, including the potential consequences of the existence or non-existence of God. Some existentialists considered the meaning of life to be based in faith, while others noted self-determined goals. Existentialism became fashionable after World War II, as a way to reassert the importance of human individuality and freedom. As such, many existential philosophers did not consider themselves existentialists as they did not want to be associated to or typecast with other philosophers' conception of existentialism.
In general, existentialism has been described as a set of ideas to categorize human existence, beyond the traditional ancient philosophies and scientific method.
Main Tenets : Existence Before Essence. We live, we experience, rather than just be. Every existence is unique; we have no universal humanity, but must create ourselves individually through experiencing the world. We are not human except through what we do. We are not human (essence) until we act (existence). Sartre distinguishes between “being for-itself” (pour soi—people with consciousness, action, and purpose) and “being in-itself” (en soi--the lumpy existence dependent upon others).
Absurdity. 1) Our ability to reason as humans is flawed, and 2) There are elements of the world which reason and logic cannot explain. We are often governed by emotion and desire, anxiety, guilt, and a will for power, for instance. D. H. Lawrence writes, “The soul of man is dark, vast forest, with wild life in it.”
Alienation. The elevation of reason (as in science) artificially separates us from the real world. We are alienated from 1) God (spiritual abandonment), 2) nature (technology builds walls), 3) other men (helplessness before an absurd society), and 4) our own selves (powerlessness to see a complete picture of our selves).
Angst / Fear and Trembling. We have a general dread of the future (“When will I blow up?) but also an anxiety in accepting responsibility for making moral choices (“the anguish of Abraham”). Sometimes we must make decisions which are exceptions to the general, universal, moral law, for we are unique individuals which cannot be held beneath them. Can we accept our separation from the world?
The Encounter with Nothingness. Separated from everything, we stand on a catastrophic precipice of emptiness, the Void. Kierkegaard calls this the “Sickness Unto Death.” There is nothing upon which we may ever rely, even accept.
Freedom / Human Will. For the atheist existentialists, we are condemned to freedom—we are nothing more than what we do, and we individually are the only ones who can demonstrate our existence. We are creatures of will. For those of faith, the commitment of choice is to surpass the alienation from God — faith is a commitment to sacrifice one’s own will and being to God’s will.
Absurdism
The idea of the absurd is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in Camus. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things.
Camus explains it in The Myth of Sisyphus: the absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.
This view, which is shared by Jean-Paul Sartre, is that humanity must live in a world that is and will forever be hostile or indifferent towards them. The universe will never truly care for humanity the way we seem to want it to. The atheist view of this statement is that people create stories, or gods, which in their minds transcend reality to fill this void and attempt to satisfy their need.
The philosophy that encompasses the absurd is referred to as absurdism. While absurdism may be considered a branch of existentialism, it is a specific idea that is not necessary to an existentialist view.
It is easy to highlight the absurdity of the human quest for purpose. It is common to assume that everything must have a purpose, a higher reason for existence. However, if one thing has a higher purpose, what is the reason for that purpose? Each new height must then be validated by a higher one. This evokes the common theological question: if humankind was created by God, who or what created God? (And, if God answers to a higher power, to what power does that answer to?).
Søren Kierkegaard, although religious himself, declared faith in God to be absurd, since it is impossible to know God, or to understand His purpose. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus described suicide as the most appropriate and rational reaction to the absurd — but admitted that this is not a very rewarding or worthwhile reaction.
Critics of absurdism tend to focus on two areas of the philosophy. The first is the proposition, as Camus described, that life's absence of meaning seems to remove any reason for living. Camus answers this with methods of living with the absurd: through coping or through revolt — and by pointing out that this lack of purpose presents humankind with true freedom. Others consider the theory itself to be arrogant, stating that although the purpose of life may not be apparent, that does not confirm that it does not exist.
Many writers have addressed the Absurd, each with varying interpretations of what the Absurd is and what comprises its importance. For example, Sartre recognizes the absurdity of individual experience, while Kierkegaard explains that the absurdity of certain religious truths prevent us from reaching God rationally. Camus regretted the continued reference to himself as a "philosopher of the absurd".
Camus believed that happiness is fleeting and that the human condition is one of mortality. He did this not to be morbid, but to reflect a greater appreciation for life and happiness. We value our lives and existence so greatly, but at the same time we know we will eventually die, and ultimately all our efforts are meaningless. Camus was interested in how we experience the Absurd and how we live with it. Our life must have meaning for us to value it. If we accept that life has no meaning and therefore no value, should we kill ourselves?
Camus suggested that 'creation of meaning', would entail a logical leap or a kind of philosophical suicide in order to find psychological comfort. But Camus wants to know if he can live with what logic and lucidity has uncovered – if one can build a foundation on what one knows and nothing more. Creation of meaning is not a viable alternative but a logical leap and an evasion of the problem. He gives examples of how others would seem to make this kind of leap. The alternative option, namely suicide, would entail another kind of leap, where one attempts to kill absurdity by destroying one of its terms (the human being). Camus points out, however, that there is no more meaning in death than there is in life, and that it simply evades the problem yet again. Camus concludes, that we must instead 'entertain' both death and the absurd, while never agreeing to their terms.
Although he considered himself an atheist, Camus later came to tout the idea that the absence of religious belief can simultaneously be accompanied by a longing for "salvation and meaning". This line of thinking presented an ostensible paradox and became a major thread in defining the idea of absurdism in Camus' writings.
In The Outsider, Albert Camus characterizes his justification of the absurd through the experiences of a protagonist who simply does not conform to the system. His inherent honesty disturbs the status quo; Meursault's inability to lie cannot seamlessly integrate him within society. This, in turn, threatens the simple fabric of human mannerisms expected in a structurally ordered society. Consequently, the punishment for his crime is not decided on the basis of murder, but rather for the startling indifference toward his mother's recent death. Even after a conflicting spiritual discussion with a pastor inciting Meursault to consider a possible path towards redemption, the latter still refuses to "accept" salvation and symbolizes his ultimatum by embracing the "gentle indifference of the world" – an act which only furthers his ostracism from a society incapable of realizing his seemingly inhumane behaviour.
Existentialism refers to a set of ideas about human existence. The term "existentialism" is used both for philosophical concepts and for literary works. The exact meaning depends on the particular writer, and some writers objected to the notion of being called "existentialists" as an attempt to restrict their ideas into a pre-defined category, including Albert Camus.
The early 19th century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, regarded as the father of existentialism, maintained that the individual has the sole responsibility for giving one's own life meaning and with living life passionately and sincerely, in spite of many obstacles and distractions including despair, angst, absurdity, choice, boredom, and death. Later existential philosophers retain the emphasis on the subjective individual, but differ, in varying degrees, on how one achieves a fulfilling life, what obstacles must be overcome, and what external and internal factors are involved, including the potential consequences of the existence or non-existence of God. Some existentialists considered the meaning of life to be based in faith, while others noted self-determined goals. Existentialism became fashionable after World War II, as a way to reassert the importance of human individuality and freedom. As such, many existential philosophers did not consider themselves existentialists as they did not want to be associated to or typecast with other philosophers' conception of existentialism.
In general, existentialism has been described as a set of ideas to categorize human existence, beyond the traditional ancient philosophies and scientific method.
Main Tenets : Existence Before Essence. We live, we experience, rather than just be. Every existence is unique; we have no universal humanity, but must create ourselves individually through experiencing the world. We are not human except through what we do. We are not human (essence) until we act (existence). Sartre distinguishes between “being for-itself” (pour soi—people with consciousness, action, and purpose) and “being in-itself” (en soi--the lumpy existence dependent upon others).
Absurdity. 1) Our ability to reason as humans is flawed, and 2) There are elements of the world which reason and logic cannot explain. We are often governed by emotion and desire, anxiety, guilt, and a will for power, for instance. D. H. Lawrence writes, “The soul of man is dark, vast forest, with wild life in it.”
Alienation. The elevation of reason (as in science) artificially separates us from the real world. We are alienated from 1) God (spiritual abandonment), 2) nature (technology builds walls), 3) other men (helplessness before an absurd society), and 4) our own selves (powerlessness to see a complete picture of our selves).
Angst / Fear and Trembling. We have a general dread of the future (“When will I blow up?) but also an anxiety in accepting responsibility for making moral choices (“the anguish of Abraham”). Sometimes we must make decisions which are exceptions to the general, universal, moral law, for we are unique individuals which cannot be held beneath them. Can we accept our separation from the world?
The Encounter with Nothingness. Separated from everything, we stand on a catastrophic precipice of emptiness, the Void. Kierkegaard calls this the “Sickness Unto Death.” There is nothing upon which we may ever rely, even accept.
Freedom / Human Will. For the atheist existentialists, we are condemned to freedom—we are nothing more than what we do, and we individually are the only ones who can demonstrate our existence. We are creatures of will. For those of faith, the commitment of choice is to surpass the alienation from God — faith is a commitment to sacrifice one’s own will and being to God’s will.
Absurdism
The idea of the absurd is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in Camus. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things.
Camus explains it in The Myth of Sisyphus: the absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.
This view, which is shared by Jean-Paul Sartre, is that humanity must live in a world that is and will forever be hostile or indifferent towards them. The universe will never truly care for humanity the way we seem to want it to. The atheist view of this statement is that people create stories, or gods, which in their minds transcend reality to fill this void and attempt to satisfy their need.
The philosophy that encompasses the absurd is referred to as absurdism. While absurdism may be considered a branch of existentialism, it is a specific idea that is not necessary to an existentialist view.
It is easy to highlight the absurdity of the human quest for purpose. It is common to assume that everything must have a purpose, a higher reason for existence. However, if one thing has a higher purpose, what is the reason for that purpose? Each new height must then be validated by a higher one. This evokes the common theological question: if humankind was created by God, who or what created God? (And, if God answers to a higher power, to what power does that answer to?).
Søren Kierkegaard, although religious himself, declared faith in God to be absurd, since it is impossible to know God, or to understand His purpose. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus described suicide as the most appropriate and rational reaction to the absurd — but admitted that this is not a very rewarding or worthwhile reaction.
Critics of absurdism tend to focus on two areas of the philosophy. The first is the proposition, as Camus described, that life's absence of meaning seems to remove any reason for living. Camus answers this with methods of living with the absurd: through coping or through revolt — and by pointing out that this lack of purpose presents humankind with true freedom. Others consider the theory itself to be arrogant, stating that although the purpose of life may not be apparent, that does not confirm that it does not exist.
Many writers have addressed the Absurd, each with varying interpretations of what the Absurd is and what comprises its importance. For example, Sartre recognizes the absurdity of individual experience, while Kierkegaard explains that the absurdity of certain religious truths prevent us from reaching God rationally. Camus regretted the continued reference to himself as a "philosopher of the absurd".
Camus believed that happiness is fleeting and that the human condition is one of mortality. He did this not to be morbid, but to reflect a greater appreciation for life and happiness. We value our lives and existence so greatly, but at the same time we know we will eventually die, and ultimately all our efforts are meaningless. Camus was interested in how we experience the Absurd and how we live with it. Our life must have meaning for us to value it. If we accept that life has no meaning and therefore no value, should we kill ourselves?
Camus suggested that 'creation of meaning', would entail a logical leap or a kind of philosophical suicide in order to find psychological comfort. But Camus wants to know if he can live with what logic and lucidity has uncovered – if one can build a foundation on what one knows and nothing more. Creation of meaning is not a viable alternative but a logical leap and an evasion of the problem. He gives examples of how others would seem to make this kind of leap. The alternative option, namely suicide, would entail another kind of leap, where one attempts to kill absurdity by destroying one of its terms (the human being). Camus points out, however, that there is no more meaning in death than there is in life, and that it simply evades the problem yet again. Camus concludes, that we must instead 'entertain' both death and the absurd, while never agreeing to their terms.
Although he considered himself an atheist, Camus later came to tout the idea that the absence of religious belief can simultaneously be accompanied by a longing for "salvation and meaning". This line of thinking presented an ostensible paradox and became a major thread in defining the idea of absurdism in Camus' writings.
In The Outsider, Albert Camus characterizes his justification of the absurd through the experiences of a protagonist who simply does not conform to the system. His inherent honesty disturbs the status quo; Meursault's inability to lie cannot seamlessly integrate him within society. This, in turn, threatens the simple fabric of human mannerisms expected in a structurally ordered society. Consequently, the punishment for his crime is not decided on the basis of murder, but rather for the startling indifference toward his mother's recent death. Even after a conflicting spiritual discussion with a pastor inciting Meursault to consider a possible path towards redemption, the latter still refuses to "accept" salvation and symbolizes his ultimatum by embracing the "gentle indifference of the world" – an act which only furthers his ostracism from a society incapable of realizing his seemingly inhumane behaviour.