EXISTENTIALISM
Interesting Quote
“ I stick my finger into existence - it smells of
nothing. Where am I? What is this thing
called the world? Who is it who has lured
me into the thing and now leaves me here?
Who am I? How did I come into the world?
Why was I not consulted?”
Kierkegaard
Existentialism
What is it about?
It is a philosophical movement
that focuses on individuality,
and the necessity of making
reasoned decisions for one’s
self.
Existentialists…
believe that it is impossible to know
anything in the world. (Editor: huh?!?)
concern themselves with the problems
humans face, and the place of “the
human” in the universe.
feel humans are what they mold
themselves to be.
Who are the major thinkers?
The three main philosophers behind
this school are:
• Soren Kierkegaard
• Martin Heidegger
• Jean-Paul Sartre.
Soren Kierkegaard believed …
 people must move beyond judging their actions
according to reason or the standards of society and
become responsible only to the judgments of God.
 that it is through their choices people to come to
know who they really are and what they value.
 that works of art are not real; they are meaningless
and lack purpose.
Martin Heidegger …
built on Kierkegaard’s ideas but rejected his
religious beliefs and focus.
believed that your ‘being’ is always in
question; it doesn’t come ready-made.
authenticity (being true to one’s self when
making moral choices) is the only virtue
worth striving for in existentialist theory.
Jean-Paul Sartre believed that…
people can never be certain that they have
made the right choices.
people are free and alone. They are alone
because God does not exist.
human nature can by summed up in this
three word sentence - Existence precedes
essence.
Sartre also believed that…
human beings have no particular purpose in
living.
there is no divine master plan; therefore
nothing makes sense, all events are random,
and life is absurd.
Metaphysics
“Existence precedes essence” basically
describes what an existentialist believes about
metaphysics.
They believe there is no human nature: people
exist, and each creates his/her own essence.
A person’s behaviour cannot be compared to
someone else’s. Each individual is unique.
Epistemology
Existentialists believe that knowledge is
mainly gained through experience in our
everyday lives.
 They feel that too much intellectual analysis
interferes with and active participation in life.
Ethics
 Existentialists are ones which pick and choose
their own values and morals. To them, choice is
everything.
 Each person lives according to different choices
and morals which each person alone defines.
 They do no believe in actual ‘right’ or ‘wrong’
choices because they believe that, for every choice
made, one can assume the person has chosen what
they felt was ‘right’ for them.
Weaknesses
 Causes anxiety for a person because it can be too
much responsibility for an individual to take on
themselves
 Do people even know what freedom really is? How
can a person be free if our bodies, abilities, and
environment are pre-determined for us?
 How can a person give meaning to their life if we
haven’t yet determined what actually gives you
meaning in life?
Strengths
 You could look at freedom as a good opportunity to
express yourself and develop “your own values” in
life as opposed to having to follow you parent’s
teachings for example.
 Existentialism allows a person to see beyond your
circumstances and move forth in trying to change
your reality.
 Kierkegaard’s view on making choices based on
what you think is best for you and not what society
urges you to do.
THE END