Existentialism Part 1

This paper is a book review and a synopsis of, “Existentialism for Dummies,” written by Christopher Panza and Gregory Gale.  It is also a partial essay on Existentialism.  The author strongly recommends the aforementioned book.


The book is available at Amazon here.

Part One

Introduction and Summary

The word “Existentialism” implies something about existence.  This is true.  It is about the unique way humans exist.  It also implies another aspect of humans: non-existence.  All humans will eventually stop existing; this non-existence is another aspect of engaging in the unique way of human existence. 

Some think Existentialism began with Nietzsche.  He is certainly one of the Fountainheads of the movement.  Others include Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Soren Kierkegaard, among others.    

Existentialism has many common themes often misunderstood by dilettantes.  “God is dead” is perhaps the most provocative theme, although, if taken literally, this statement is mistaken.  Absurdity is another theme as the writers deal with the infinite capacity of people to make sense of the world, with spectacular failure.  Authenticity and freedom, along with avoiding being swept away in the notions of the crowd, are some of the other themes. 

The philosophy encourages us to take a closer look at what it means to live in modernity without the guides to life that former generations had.  We are thrown into this volatile age, and then we have to deal with it with passion, meaning, and authenticity.

“God is dead,” and what this really means (It not to be taken at face value)

We hear about the Existentialists phrase, “God is dead.”  However this is not meant literally in many cases, because there are Christian Existentialists.  This is also not a cause for celebration; those who read or hear the phrase may take the meaning the wrong way.  This is rather an observation about the state of things.  This is reality as we experience it in this age.  More precisely, universal systems of thought are no longer functional or useful to humans.  The time when there was a broad consensus on the systems of religion, philosophy and thought is gone.  Society is fragmented on these systems.  Contrary to some, the God of reason is no substitute for the church, because men are inherently irrational, even when one claims reason as his primary tool of living.  Science is sometimes seen as a replacement for religion.  However, science does not deal with questions of value; it only deals with questions of physical fact.  Science cannot attach meaning to life, nor can it issue any useful guides to living one’s life. 

In losing universal systems of thought, such as religion, reason, or science, we must depend upon ourselves to determine what we will use as a replacement.  We are virtually free to choose any system of thought we wish.  We can determine our values and choose a system in congruence with those values.  Also, we are thrown into a world with no value system, and, thus, we are without compass.  We are no longer broadly instructed on the correct systems of thought.   Whatever we choose could turn out successfully, or it could turn out to be a serious mistake.   

Moods in an empty world

One way to determine how we interact with the world is through our moods.  Our moods reveal to us how we are engaging with the world at a particular moment, and also in general.  As we strive and thrust our way into the world, we experience anxiety.  We do not know if our decisions will be successful or not.  We can choose something at one point, and the consequences may not be what we expect.  We also face tough decisions in life, and these moments induce dread often because any choice has consequences that we would rather not deal with.  Angst is another mood flavor accompanying the general feeling that we do not have an overarching compass given to us at birth with which we can navigate our lives.  The idea that we are free, and that we have thousands of options and choices, can make us feel dizzy.  A life path predetermined with all the correct choices laid out neatly is comforting.  However, with free choice and no systems other than those of our own making to help us choose wisely, we can feel like we are not standing on solid ground; vertigo or dizziness is usually a consequence. 

Challenge: Absurdity and Authenticity

We are thrown into a world of choices and consequences.  Often, this world does not make sense to us.  The world is fundamentally irrational with regard to our engagement with the world.  Yes, there is logic, and something called a scientific method, but there is no encompassing rationality as to how we should live, what we are to choose as our values, and which values are more valuable than others.  Accidents are everywhere: innocent children die in senseless car accidents, people fall and become disabled for life, and people develop misunderstandings between one another on seemingly accidental events or actions.  We are inclined and often feel compelled to make sense of the world.  We are an order-imposing species.  When something senseless happens, such as the death of a child, we will often make up narratives like “it was meant to be” in order not to face the fact that it was completely senseless, and has no other meaning other than that which we give to it. 

How can we be genuine?  How can we live life as we choose to live and how do we determine how to live it?  How do we become authentic when there are so many things out there fighting us from being who we wish to be and preventing us or slowing us down from making the choices that we wish to make?  Authentic people are in control of themselves.  They are in control of their value system, and make choices in congruence with their values.  These are genuine people.  Worldly authenticity involves surveying the fashions of the day, and then conforming one’s choices to the herd or the crowd, or perhaps confirming to the group one just happens to be a part of.  To allow a group or a crowd to determine one’s values is not living life authentically. 

What kind of being are we?  We are different from inanimate physical objects because we have life; however, a dog has life, and we are also different from dogs.  We have the ability to think about the past and the future, and to create new objects and ideas with our imagination; it is unlikely that dogs or any other animals have this ability.  We have an interior world.  We are not just an object, but we are a subject.  Our interior life is what is most important to us.  It is where our values are, and it is the point of view whereby we interact with the exterior world. 

Being a subject also implies that science cannot help us figure out the meaning of life.  The scientific method always deals with objects.  Even when psychologists make claims about people, they are still observing the person as an object.  The interior subject is not accessible through the scientific method.  Only the subject may access his interior, and perhaps choose to communicate the contents of this interior only as he is able and as he wishes.  The interior is not an object for observation from anyone except the subject – the person.  

There is much absurdity to humanity.  Humans have the capacity for reason, but in practice, this is not always the case.  Perhaps it is rare for humans to be reasonable or rational.  Every state has a need for a criminal justice system to punish the wicked.  Wars break out between civilized nations with unbelievable carnage.  Women cheat on their husbands, and then get killed by a jealous man.  Bar fights break out after too much drinking.  Teenagers have to test their mettle by getting into trouble.  People get bored, and begin to make trouble in various ways.  Even though humans have the capability of reason, it seems that nature also hardwires our behavior toward destruction, crime, and violence.  We go to work with the purpose of producing a product or service with the cooperation of our fellow employees.  However, inevitably, disagreements break out, misunderstandings happen, people get angry and people get fired, only to be replaced by another set of people who begin the cycle again.  Even seemingly good people have no choice but to get involved in these skirmishes and fights.  Strife is everywhere, and rationality is rarely the rule. 

To choose the path of least resistance is to pander to the crowd, avoid fights and conflicts, and to please everyone as much as possible.  However, if we do this, we lose a lot.  We lose our authenticity by following the crowd, and pleasing others at the expense of our values.  The path of least resistance is easy.  Being an authentic individual is hard.  Engaging in the world to create and obtain our values is not easy, and one cannot obtain their values using the path of least resistance.  Following the crowd is not living life authentically.  Seeking the approval of others is not the path to authenticity. 

Perhaps the easiest path that avoids all the strife required to obtain our values is suicide.  Then again, this is not the path to pursuing our values, because suicide destroys all our values.  Perhaps the cowardly suicide is the path of least resistance par excellence. 

If life is continuous strife and striving in the process of the pursuit of our values, how can we make sense of this?  What is the point?  There is the legend of Sisyphus.  King Sisyphus was condemned to roll a bolder up a hill, and just before this bolder went over the hill, it would roll back down the hill, forcing the King to push the rock up again and again.  This was punishment for the King for thinking that he was cleverer than Zeus.  Sisyphus is a symbol for pointless work and effort.  Existentialist writers use this symbology and often speculate that Sisyphus has a smirk on his face.  The smirk implies that the King embraces the absurdity of his situation.  Camus speculates that there is no fate that cannot be overcome by scorn, and he even recommends an attitude of revolt toward the world.  Perhaps if we face the absurdity of life with a smirk and scorn, we can be free to accept the situation as it is, and continue to press on as we can toward our values, even if we do not obtain them, and even if we face absurd situations in the process. 

Continue reading Part 2 here.  

Freddy Martini