Page 228 - DENG402_HISTORY_OF_ENGLISH_LITERATURE

Unit 30: Existentialism

translates as “come into being”; the other definition presented here allows for a slanted view and Notes
false implications as seen in the following passage.) Humans exist in a state of distance from the
world that they nonetheless remain in the midst of. This distance is what enables humans to
project meaning into the disinterested world of in-itselfs. This projected meaning remains fragile,
constantly facing breakdown for any reason — from a tragedy to a particularly insightful moment.
In such a breakdown, humans are put face to face with the naked meaninglessness of the world,
and the results can be devastating.
It is in relation to the concept of the devastating awareness of meaninglessness that Albert
Camus claimed that “there is only one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide”
in his The Myth of Sisyphus. Although “prescriptions” against the possibly deleterious
consequences of these kinds of encounters vary, from Kierkegaard’s religious “stage” to Camus’
insistence on persevering in spite of absurdity, the concern with helping people avoid living
their lives in ways that put them in the perpetual danger of having everything meaningful break
down is common to most existentialist philosophers. The possibility of having everything
meaningful breaks down poses a threat of quietism, which is inherently against the existentialist
philosophy. It has been said that the possibility of suicide makes all humans existentialists.

30.4.2 Existence Precedes Essence

A central proposition of existentialism is that existence precedes essence, which means that the
actual life of the individual is what constitutes what could be called his or her “essence” instead
of there being a predetermined essence that defines what it is to be a human. Thus, the human
being – through their own consciousness – creates their own values and determines a meaning to
their life.

Notes Existentialism was Sartre who explicitly coined the phrase, similar notions can be
found in the thought of many existentialist philosophers, from Mulla Sadra, to
Kierkegaard, to Heidegger.

Existentialism is often claimed in this context that a person defines him or herself, which is often
perceived as stating that they can “wish” to be something — anything, a bird, for instance — and
then be it. According to most existentialist philosophers, however, this would constitute an
inauthentic existence. Instead, the phrase should be taken to say that the person is (1) defined
only insofar as he or she acts and (2) that he or she is responsible for his or her actions. For
example, someone who acts cruelly towards other people is, by that act, defined as a cruel
person. Furthermore, by this action of cruelty such persons are themselves responsible for their
new identity (a cruel person). This is as opposed to their genes, or ‘human nature’, bearing the
blame.
As Sartre puts it in his Existentialism is Humanism: “man first of all exists, encounters himself,
surges up in the world – and defines himself afterwards.” Of course, the more positive, therapeutic
aspect of this is also implied: A person can choose to act in a different way, and to be a good
person instead of a cruel person. Here it is also clear that since humans can choose to be either
cruel or good, they are, in fact, neither of these things essentially.

30.4.3 Angst
“Existential” Angst, sometimes called dread, anxiety or even anguish is a term that is common to
many existentialist thinkers. It is generally held to be a negative feeling arising from the
experience of human freedom and responsibility. The archetypal example is the experience one
has when standing on a cliff where one not only fears falling off it, but also dreads the possibility
of throwing oneself off. In this experience that “nothing is holding me back”, one senses the lack

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 221