Existentialism - Essay Example

Instruction: Task: Existentialism Existentialism is a broad field that covers several topics that explore life, existence and its consequential effects upon humanity. This also means the concepts of existentialism are infused into the culture of human life through systems checked by morals, ethics and responsibilities. There are also aspects of faith that play a fundamental role in questioning of beliefs and responsibility of humanity (Earnshaw 170). Additionally, death and its accompanying effects on the living are paramount in shaping the opinions of individuals on the meaning of life. Furthermore, the essence of incorporating the concepts of existentialism has adverse effects in life especially when there is less understanding of the mitigating beliefs of deaths. Moreover, it should be noted that the use of concepts helps in understanding the goals and aspirations of people and the state to attain happiness. There are several interesting issues pertaining to existentialism in the context of ethics and morality. Therefore, ethics in the view of existentialism includes the recommendation of concepts of wrong conduct and its succeeding concepts. On that account, there are different operational areas of ethics in the way that they apply in existentialism. This is in the form of the individual choices that people make especially in their conducts and rights in life. Morality on the other hand deals with the differentiation of actions, decisions and actions that determine whether something is either right or wrong. Similarly, it also reflects on the ethics of doing well in society that has varied choices in life (Earnshaw 177). Therefore, existentialism as noted by Jean Sartre on responsibility is based on the concepts such as the absurd, facticity and authenticity among others. This means that people are expected to live in accordance with the individual self without compromising on others rights and freedoms. Furthermore, there is also the aspect of the absurd that deals with deriving meaning from the structures of life especially in the maintenance of morality and ethics. There is also the perspective nihilism that explores the philosophical doctrines of life’s meanings and its objective meaning. On that account, there is existential nihilism that makes attempts at deducing meaning of life in terms of purpose, intrinsic value and meaning. Additionally, there is also the voice of moral nihilists who affirm the absence of morality in the realms of existence. They also insist that knowledge of what is wrong and right remains with the moral decisions of the individual especially on the given conditions of life. Therefore, according to Nietzsche, nihilism is the complete definition of emptying the world in order to find its meaning, essential value and comprehensible value (Earnshaw 174). By saying God is Dead; Nietzsche meant that there was over-reliance on religion to gain a moral understanding for the western world. On that account, in relation to absurdity as described by Camus, life is devoid of meaning and is defined by meaninglessness. Camus believes that life is characterized by absurdity that should not be defined by an over-reliance on God. However, there is also authenticity that pertains with discovering the self and living to those standards. This means people should avoid the acts of imitation in going about their duties on the grounds of finding a purpose in life. However, it differs from sincerity and honesty in the sense that there is no compatibility of goals in life. In other words, these two goals highlight the case of finding for an authentic life that is closer to self-freedom. Freedom in this sense is defined in context of determining a uniqueness that is paramount in existing with others. Alternatively, it is not crucial to be a crowd-follower as espoused by Heidegger in the quest for a strong individuality. Instead, one should create his own path that is not controlled by the conventions of life such as normal morals and ethics (Earnshaw 173). Additionally, authenticity also has a link to goals that help individuals in finding their purpose and objective. On the other hand, there is also the issue of bad faith that Sartre has equated with in authenticity. According to the views of Sartre, bad faith plays a fundamental role in the definition of freedom especially in its acceptance. In the same context, bad faith means a lack of belief that helps individuals in determining their existence and eventual death. Alternatively, Heidegger asserted that there was a level of in authenticity in people’s lives especially when bad faith defined those lives (Earnshaw 175). Furthermore, there is an element of constriction in people’s lives that deceives humanity on the essence of freedom, death and direction of their lives. Moreover, this self-deception seeps to the motive of life that has an attachment in the concept of authenticity that explores the meaning of life. In other words, it also has an attachment to determinism that makes people to act on their faiths on pertinent matters such as life and death. Therefore, this can also be linked to freedom that affects both human freedom and responsibility as assessed by Jean Sartre. In the existentialistic perspective, Sartre asserted that responsibility comes with making choices in life to perform certain roles and responsibilities. For example, the concepts of existentialism have expectations of deviant behaviors such heterosexuality, stage-fright and loneliness that define their personalities. Additionally, the views of human beings on matters that affect their individual freedom are critical if there is an accompanying responsibility (Earnshaw 182). It is also critical to maintain the essence of freedom on the identification of the individuality and the conception of choice. This is in making judgment about choices of life and death when defining the values, ethics and morality of existence. Moreover, it also helps in evaluating the price of freedom and its inherent connection to responsibility. On the other hand, there is also the effect of faith in shaping people’s beliefs especially in meeting the goals and objectives of life. This begins with exploring the angles of truth in the context of objectivity and subjectivity especially in meeting life’s meaning. Additionally, according to the concepts of existentialism, the possession of faith affects the beliefs, morals and ethics of humanity especially in their search for the meaning of life (Earnshaw 182). However, the context of infusing Kierkegaard’s ideologies such as absurdity and angst helps in shaping the truth without compromising on its objectivity and subjectivity in judgments. Death is also a fundamental aspect of defining life and the accomplishment of goals and objectives of life. Therefore, death makes life useless in accordance with existentialism’s concept of authenticity that question of the meaning of life. Additionally, death also symbolizes the confusion of existence in the context of comprehending the objectives of life. This is prevalent in the non relational issues that are manifested in the depths of existentialistic concepts. Alternatively, death is also tied to concept of despair in existentialism that helps in the definition of an individual’s identity and self (Earnshaw 188). This is because of despair is tied to something akin to universal human condition that is both perpetual and repetitive. Another significant issue deals with the external conditions that lead people to their deaths such as unhappiness and angst against the forces of life. On that account, people prefer the moment of death because it helps in determining their internal meanings that are affected by external conditions. However, there are also the superseding ramifications of reason, knowledge and certainty in an existentialistic context. This pertains to the knowledge and understanding of life and the predisposition of dangers that may occur in a place devoid of morality and ethics. In the same view, existentialism also accords the answers to life through fundamental questions that need both reason and knowledge fused with certainty. There is also the aspect of using science to understanding the essence of human life and the significant effects upon the human race on the context of reason. This justification may take the form of limiting the propagation of knowledge and its accompanying certainty to use reason in the mode of existence. Alternatively, other people search for their meanings and attachments to things such as goals, objectives and ambitions in life that are remotely connected to certainty of life. In that view, it is imperative to always comprehend the existentialistic concepts and their direct relation to life’s morality and ethics. This will bring with it several merits that have direct repercussions in the human condition. There should also be the understanding of new ways of assessing the ramifications of faith and responsibility in different personalities. On the same view, there is also the use of existentialism concepts to assess the value of life and its effect on nature (Earnshaw 190). This will support the views held by both Camus and Sartre on the productivity of enhancing responsibility. It will also be reflected in the accommodation of opposing thoughts that border on nihilistic tendencies such as those held by Nietzsche. Moreover, it will also boost the fundamental goals of connecting between values and ambitions especially on the noteworthy concepts of angst, despair, absurdity, authenticity and facticity among others. This should also be reflected in the long term projection of life and its consequences. Work Cited Earnshaw, Steven. Existentialism: A Guide for the Perplexed. New York, NY: SAGE. 2007. Read More