Nihilism
What is the famous quote from Nietzsche's The Parable of a Madman that functions as the primary belief of Nihilism?
"GOD IS DEAD"
Sartre wrote his essay "Existentialism Is a Humanism" in rebuttal to criticisms about existentialism as a philosophy. What were some of those criticism wielded against Sartre and his ilk?
Many people believe that existentialism was far too pessimistic and that it encouraged apathy and inaction. Communists claimed that it focused too much on the individual rather than the collective. Others (mostly Christians) argued that without God, morals would crumble.
Why was Sisyphus punished by the Gods?
Sisyphus betrayed Zeus, by revealing to Aesop where the God of Thunder had hidden his kidnapped daughter. He then trapped Death and escaped from Hades.
Nietzche feared nihilism. Why?
He thought that without God and religion, human morality (which was founded upon a belief in God) would crumble away.
What do existentialists believe about "human nature"? What do they believe about "essence" and "existence"? Which comes before the other?
What does Camus mean when he refers to the "Absurd"?
The Absurd is the fundamental conflict between humanity’s innate search for meaning, purpose, and order, and the "unreasonable silence" or indifference of the universe. Rather than a quality of the world alone, it is a relationship (a paradox) arising from this collision.
Some people argue that Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Ozymandias is, at its heart, a nihilistic work. Why?
The poem suggests that all human works, however great (like the works of the Pharaoh Ozymandias), will never last.
What does Sartre mean when he says that choosing for oneself means choosing for "all men."
Every choice implies an image of what a human being ought to be, and thus carries universal weight.
What does Camus mean when he refers to "lucidity"?
Lucidity is the clear-eyed, conscious recognition of the absurd. It is a persistent awareness that rejects comforting illusions (like religion or hope) and embraces the reality of existence without false hope, enabling authentic living.
Nietzsche envisioned a figure who could move through nihilism, achieve a sense of moral (on their own terms), and a sense of purpose, all without a belief in a higher power. What did he call this imagined figure?
Ubermensch ("Overman" or "Superman")
What does Sartre mean when he says man is "condemned to be free"?
Humans did not choose to exist, yet they cannot escape the burden of making choices that define them.
Why does Camus imagine Sisyphus happy?
Because he accepts the absurdity of his futile, eternal struggle, turning his suffering into a defiant victory. By acknowledging the hopelessness of his situation, Sisyphus becomes superior to it, finding personal meaning in the effort alone and achieving a state of conscious, scornful contentment.
Was Dr. Louise Banks (the protagonist of the movie "Arrival") a nihilist?
No. Louise discovers that her daughter will die of a rare disease years before her daughter is born. Rather than succumbing to despair, she embraces the absurdity of her situation, and finds joy in the little time she has with her child. In that sense, Louise becomes an Ubermensch.
In his essay "Existentialism Is a Humanism," Sartre describes a student he once had who came to him for advice. The student wanted guidance as to whether or not he should leave his mother (who he knew would struggle to survive without him) to enlist in the army and fight for his country. What did Sartre believe is the OBJECTIVELY right answer?
This was a little bit of a trick question. Sartre believed their was no OBJECTIVE answer. Rather that both choices can be authentic and valid, not because of their content, but because each is made in the name of freedom rather than self-deception.
What is the term that refers to situations where punishments for the dead are fitting, either resembling or contrasting with their sins
Contrapasso