Exploring Existentialism: Meaning and Purpose

• Existentialism asserts that life lacks inherent meaning, requiring individuals to create their own purpose
• It emerged as a response to Nihilism, seeking to transcend its meaninglessness by declaring life can be made meaningful

Two Types of Existentialism

• Atheistic Existentialism posits life has no pre-set meaning, thus individuals must define it through their choices and actions
• Theistic Existentialism, similar to its atheistic counterpart, acknowledges God, emphasizing the personal discovery of purpose

Rise in Popularity

• Existentialism gained traction in the 1930s and 1940s, following the Great Depression and World War II
• The suffering caused by these events led people to question traditional beliefs, seeking new reasons to believe in human dignity and purpose

Existentialist Perspective on Reality

• Existentialists divide reality into two parts, objective and subjective

• Objective Reality encompasses the external world measurable by science, operating on cause and effect, and studied through observations and theories

• Subjective Reality is the internal world of thoughts, feelings, creativity, and freedom

• Existentialists prioritize the subjective over the objective world

Core Assumptions of Existentialism

• Humans are born without a pre-set identity or purpose

• Existence precedes essence which dictates that individuals first exist, then define themselves

• Jean-Paul Sartre stated, "Man exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and only afterwards defines himself"

The Absurdity of Existence

• Existentialists view the world as random and without inherent sense, leading to a sense of absurdity
• The universe's vastness compared to human insignificance, its indifference to human concerns, and the inevitability of death contribute to this feeling
• The ultimate absurdity lies in humanity's desire for meaning in a universe that provides none; existentialists advocate rebelling against this by creating individual meaning

Ethics in Existentialism

• In the absence of universal right and wrong, good actions align with living authentically, while evil actions reflect inauthenticity imposed by societal control
• Individuals define their own standards of good and bad

Core Commitment

• Atheistic existentialists commit to themselves, self-governed and free from universal rules or higher authority

The Human Condition

• Life is seen as both beautiful and tragic, defined by the love of life within the certainty of death

Problems With Existentialism

• The philosophy leads to contractions if everyone decides their own meaning, what happens when two people's meanings clash?
• It struggles with external reality because the real world doesn't always care about your subjective experience

Theistic Existentialism

• Theistic existentialists integrate belief in God with existentialist ideals, asserting humans are personal beings created by God
• The world has meaning that must be discovered through experience, with ethics stemming from faith and personal choice

Key Differences From Christianity

• Existentialist believers view faith as personal and subjective rather than absolute truth
• Some interpret the resurrection of Jesus metaphorically rather than literally

Quick Recap

• Life has no meaning, create your own
• Two types: atheistic and theistic
• Subjective world is valued over the objective
• Life is absurd because we seek meaning, but the universe gives nothing
• Be true to yourself
• It leads to contradictions and struggles with reality