First Exam Flashcards
What is Existentialism?
a philosophical theory which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free & responsible agent determining their own development through acts of will
What is Humanism?
A philosophical stance that emphasizes without theism or other supernatural beliefs, we still have the ability & responsibility to lead ethical lives of fulfillment
What are the 5 main themes of existentialism?
- Existence precedes essence
- Freedom & Responsibility
- Time (how it affects us)
- Humanism (existentialism questions arising from the human condition)
- Ethics (where do we find out what is good, what is bad etc)
What were the 2 criticisms of existentialism defended by Sartre?
- His philosophy was too pessimistic and often leads us to remain in a state of quietism and despair
- Passive philosophy
Who is Sartre and what does he believe?
He’s an atheist existentialist who believes that humans live in anguish because they have the burden of responsibility and have to make ‘choices’ which cause them great harm
What are some of Sartre’s other beliefs?
Existentialism is optimistic
Strongly believed that existence precedes essence
explains why we are responsible for the way we turn out
existentialism is humanism
disagrees that men should make excuses for their actions
In the Grand Inquisitor, what does Jesus kissing him at the end signify?
It meant that he forgives him for being ignorant
What are the 3 temptations in the Grand Inquisitor?
- Turns stones into bread(Jesus responds that he won’t give up his people’s freedoms)
- Jump off a tower(allow angels to save you if you are truly the son of God)
- The temptation to rule over all the kingdoms in the World
What does the grand Inquisitor believe Jesus should have done?
He should have given into this temptation (which are all the contradictions of the human condition)He said that if Jesus took over religiously then there would be no war or religious tensions. If Jesus took the offers we would suffer less. The Grand Inquisitor believes that Jesus was wrong. He did not take the offers because he wanted us to have free will. We were given the freedom to choose.
What is the purpose of the mountain and the lake?
Biblical references associated with the after-life
What does the water represent?
The water represents the bounties between life and heaven (which is the temptation of suicide for Don Manuel)
How is Don Manuel a hypocrite?
Because he’s unsure if he believes in the after-life but he preaches about it to his people
What is Don Manuel’s obsession?
He thinks about suicide but he keeps himself occupied to avoid thinking about it
In Camus what is the absurd condition?
What we need(purpose)vs what we can never get(predefined purpose)
a contradiction or paradox (which means they cannot coexist)
What are our 2 responses to the absurd?
- Physical suicide (getting rid of the human need for meaning)
- Philosophical suicide (which involves taking a leap of faith to claim knowledge that goes beyond the typical ‘rationale’)
