Expressionism Flashcards
- Existence precedes essence:
we first exist and then define ourselves afterwards
- Human nature:
There is no question of a pre-existing human nature; man is the future of man; man is what he makes of himself; Sartre will always disdain any philosophies that base themselves on the idea of a single human nature.
- The absurd:
absurdity arises from the fact that we long for clear answers while at the same time we live in an irrational, incomprehensible world
- Freedom:
man is “condemned to be free;” it is wrong to talk of liberty in the abstract; we are always “en situation,” in a given situation and never free of attachment, which forces us to choose, but which also is the foundation of our liberty. There is no determinism; therefore, there are no excuses.
- Responsibility:
man is therefore responsible for all his acts
- Authenticity:
the “authentic act” is one by which man assumes his situation and surpasses it by acting; man recognizes his freedom to act, realizing fully the absurdity of life and without sure knowledge of whether the act is good or evil; we are forced to choose with the limitations we have and accept our acts for what they are
- Bad faith:
opposite of authenticity; refusal to accept responsibility for our actions; “good intentions” don’t count
- “Engagement”:
the existentialist rejects withdrawal from the world; he interacts with others to help them understand the nature of their existence and to make the world a better place.
- Angst:
caused by the dread of the nothingness of human existence–the abyss–and the incredible responsibility of free will
- Humanism?
Existentialism is the ultimate Humanism
- Organic Unity?
a
- Optimism: Is this outlook optimistic?
Optimistic toughness.
- Death:
the ultimate absurdity
- Motivations:
can an existentialist be happy? Can he be moral?
