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Exploring Nihilism, Existentialism, and Absurdism

Oct 17, 2024

Lecture Notes: Nihilism, Existentialism, and Absurdism

Introduction to Modernity and Nihilism

  • 19th and 20th centuries marked the fullness of modernity.
  • Emergence of Nihilism: a crisis of meaning as religious worldviews decline.
  • Philosophers renewed engagement with the question: What is the meaning of life?

Trends Emerging from Nihilism

  1. Nihilism: Realization of no objective meaning in life.
  2. Existentialism: Response to nihilism, creating personal meaning.
  3. Absurdism: Acknowledgment of the absurdity of seeking meaning in a meaningless universe.

Religious Worldviews

  • For religious individuals, life has objective meaning.
    • Judeo-Christian: Creation and Judgment Day (Heaven/Hell).
    • Eastern Religions:
      • Hinduism: Karma, cycle of rebirth, liberation (Moksha).
      • Buddhism: Liberation (Nirvana).
  • Modernity leads to the decline of these beliefs, resulting in a vacuum of meaning.

The Death of God

  • Nietzsche’s assertion: "God is dead" reflects the crisis of objective values.
  • Key works contributing to this shift:
    • David Strauss: Life of Jesus (1830s) - questioned biblical historicity.
    • Ludwig Feuerbach: The Essence of Christianity (1841) - God as a projection of humanity.
    • Charles Darwin: On the Origin of Species (1859) - undermined religious narratives.
  • Nietzsche’s Madman illustrates the societal shift and the implications of losing objective meaning.

Existentialism

  • Key Philosopher: Jean-Paul Sartre.
  • Core Principle: "Existence precedes essence."
    • Traditional view: essence defines a being before it exists.
    • Sartre’s view: individuals define their essence through their actions.
  • Quote: "Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself."
  • Existentialism posits that in a meaningless universe, we must create our own meaning through our choices.

Absurdism

  • Key Philosopher: Albert Camus.
  • The absurd: tension between humanity’s drive for meaning and an indifferent universe.
  • Camus’ response to nihilism as presented in The Myth of Sisyphus:
    1. Suicide: Rejects this as evasion of the problem.
    2. Leap of Faith: Acceptance of a belief system (philosophical suicide).
    3. Embrace the Absurd: Live with the tension of meaninglessness.
  • Camus emphasizes rebellion against meaninglessness and a life characterized by acute consciousness.

The Symbol of Sisyphus

  • Sisyphus embodies absurdism:
    1. Love of Life: Tricked death, returned to enjoy life.
    2. Eternal Punishment: Rolling a boulder up a hill repetitively symbolizes absurdity.
    3. Rebellion: Outwitting gods signifies defiance against fate.
  • Conclusion: "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
    • Affirmation of life despite its absurdity.

Summary

  • Nihilism: Recognition of no objective meaning.
  • Existentialism: Advocates for the creation of personal meaning through choices.
  • Absurdism: Encourages rebellion against meaninglessness without searching for false satisfaction.

Conclusion

  • Importance of acknowledging and engaging with these philosophies in light of the crisis of meaning.
  • Invitation for audience engagement and feedback.

Full transcript