pppeta Flashcards
Jean-Paul Sartre claimed that “Existence precedes essence.” Explain this statement in relation to the existentialist notion of freedom.
The phrase “Existence precedes essence” claims that we as human beings, are born into this world without an inherent essence and that our essence is defined by the choices we make throughout our lives. This is in parallel with the existentialist notion of freedom, seeing as how the viewpoint of freedom in that sense is that life has no determinate meaning and we determine the kind of life we live and create.
Martin Heidegger claimed that the human person is a Being-In-The-World. Seeing yourself as a human person, explain the concept of Being-In-The-World.
The concept of Being-In-The-World essentially means that even though we are thrown into this world and there are things that cannot be controlled by our free will, we, as humans, are able to connect and relate to the world around us and live an existence decided by us. For example, even though we are thrown into the world without the ability to choose our parents, it is ultimately up to us if we choose to love them or not.
Emmanuel Levinas asserts that the recognition of “The Face” of the Other is not merely
based on physical features. Elaborate this.
For Levinas, “The Face” of the Other does not merely describe the physical face of the person. Levinas described The Face as impossible to reduce into mere characteristics because it is the other’s whole being. Moreover, The Face of the other orders and ordains us to be responsible for the other person as we are exposed to the vulnerability of the other through the face.
In Buddhist Philosophy, the human life is regarded as a suffering. Can the human person be free from this suffering? How?
The human life is considered as suffering because we are forever trapped in “Samsara”; the cycle of life, birth and death. We are able to be free from samsara and achieve what is known as “Nirvana” or enlightenment if we lead a life abstaining from the desires of the flesh.
Correlate the ideas of Moral Agency and Moral Virtue.
Moral Agency refers to an individual’s capacity to create moral decisions and be morally responsible based on their own morality, while moral virtue is a good set of moral qualities and character traits that enables an individual to act morally and virtuously. Moral Agency and Virtue are interconnected seeing as how the former is the capacity to have morality and the latter is the observable output of morality. Moreover, they both grow in conjunction with one another, as our actions define who we are and our character defines our actions.
The Face of the Other proponent
Emmanuel Levinas
“Existence precedes essence”
Jean-Paul Sartre
Being-In-The-World / Dasein proponent
Martin Heidegger
Why is human life suffering according to Buddhist philosophy
If we live life based on the desires of the flesh, we create unrealistic expectations and live in a world of illusion.
Existentialism
life has no inherent meaning
Samsara
cycle of life, birth, and death
Nirvana
enlightenment
Moral Agency
capacity to create moral decisions and be morally responsible based on your own morality
Moral Virtue
set of good moral characteristics that enable you to act morally and virtuously
Can we characterize the face?
no, the face looks at the entirety of the person
