Existentialism/Nihilism

Gel Gibson

Contents

• Existentialism

• Nihilism

• Differences

• Crime and Punishment

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Origin of Existentialism

• Arose in 19th century Europe

• Founding fathers• Soren Kierkegaard• Friedrich Nietzsche• Fyodor Dostoyevsky• Jean-Paul Sartre

• Became prominent after WWII• Franz Kafka• Martin Heidegger

Existentialism

• Existence precedes essence

• Classified as movement

• Tries to solve problem of life

• Questions human condition

• Tough to define

• Reject large systems

Rejection of Large Systems

• Appealing because they provide purpose

• Unauthentic and bound

• Inhuman perspective

• No recognition of morality

www.worldofsychiatry.com

Existence Precedes Essence

• Essence• Nature of object• Actualization of essence

• Humans choose to act on essence

• Cannot create essence (Aristotle)

• Free choices creates unique essence (Sartre)

“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.”

-Jean-Paul Sartre

www.rschindler.com

Nihilism

• Mid 19th century

• “Fathers and Sons”• Ivan Turgenev

• Political Nihilism

• No meaning/purpose

• “Why” finds no answerwww.listverse.com

Nihilism (continued)

• 4 types• Moral• Epistemological• Cosmic• Existential

• Doesn’t bow down to authority

• Relationship with science

• Necessary stage for truth

http://artsone-open.arts.ubc.ca/plato-gorgias/

“Nothing exists; even if something exists, nothing can be known about it; and even if something can be known about it, knowledge about it can't be communicated to others.”

-Gorgias

Existentialism vs. Nihilism

• Purpose/no purpose

• Nihilism is not necessary characteristic

• Nietsche viewed Nihilism as disease

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Crime and Punishment

• Fyodor Dostoyevsky

• Human choice

• Religion

• Suicide

• Raskolnikov

• “Without God, all is permitted”

Bibiliography

Burnham, Douglas, and George Papandreopoulos. "Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Existentialism []. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 17 June 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Crowell, Steven. "Existentialism." Stanford University. Stanford University, 23 Aug. 2004. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Palmieri, Aurelio. "Nihilism." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 18 Feb. 2014

Phil. "Existentialism." Existentialism. N.p., 20 Sept. 2006. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Ross, Kelley L. "Existentialism." Existentialism. K12, 3 Apr. 2002. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.