Introduction to the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus Existentialism Introduction to the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus

Quick Write 1 Is it better to live a life full of joy, pain, sorrow, happiness – highs & lows… OR …to live a life without emotions and purpose – no pain, no joy…

Quick Write 2 Agree or Disagree: There is no real meaning in life. People only make their own meaning so that they can exist each day with some sort of purpose. For example: One might say religion exists to give people meaning so that they can go on each day and feel their life is not pointless.

Quick Write 3 What would happen if someone… Doesn’t believe there is a purpose in life…there is no point Doesn’t believe in religion, god, or any higher power Doesn’t love, sees no beauty, and has no real emotions Doesn’t follow society’s norms Doesn’t worry about consequences Doesn’t think anything really matters

Existentialism Definition A philosophical movement that embraces diverse doctrines, BUT centers The idea that people are free but ultimately responsible for their choices without knowing if those choices are right/wrong, good/bad… dictionary.search.yahoo.com n. noun 1. A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.

An Attempt to Explain Existentialism, by Vincent Lui https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9XzoEiqSFw

Concepts of Existentialism The only certainty is death All “meaning” is man-made Karma does not exist The universe is meaningless and absurd Does not believe in abstract principles like love and beauty

More Existential CONCEPTS Truth is subjective; reality is subjective The universe is ruled by randomness Everything that happens is chance Free will exists; fate does not

KIERKEGAARD (1813-1855) Believed life was an impossible choice between two conflicting attitudes: Aesthetic-immediate experience Vs. Ethical-ideals  "...the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die" - Journals 1835

More Existential CONCEPTS No self-identity Individual shapes own destiny and gives meaning to his existence, not only for himself, but as it will be judged by others

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) Tragic pessimism defines life The individual will oppose itself to the moral conformity of the majority Proclaimed the death of God and rejected the entire Judeo- Christian moral tradition “In the consciousness of the truth he has perceived, man now sees everywhere only the awfulness or the absurdity of existence . . . and loathing seizes him.” --Friedrich Nietzsche

More Existential CONCEPTS Man is personally and solely responsible for what he does and what he is Every person has the power and the ability to change at ANY time in life Individual actions are unpredictable It doesn’t matter what you think… it only matters what you do

Martin Heidegger ( 1889-1976) Humanity lives in an incomprehensible, Indifferent/uncaring world Human beings will never understand why we are here Each individual must choose a goal and follow it with passionate conviction, aware of the certainty of death and the ultimate meaningless of life. “If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life - and only then will I be free to become myself.” - Heidegger

More Existential CONCEPTS Believed in taking a leap of faith into a Christian life. Believed this Christian faith would be the only thing to save an individual from despair.

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) Emphasize human freedom, choice and responsibility Humans require a rational basis for their lives but are unable to achieve this, thus life is a futile passion “To be is to do.” - Existential motto “There is no reality except in action.” – Sartre “In life man commits himself and draws his own portrait, outside of which there is nothing. No doubt this thought may seem harsh to someone who has not made a success of his life. But on the other hand, it helps people to understand that reality alone counts, and that dreams, expectations and hopes only serve to define a man as a broken dream, aborted hopes, and futile expectations.” - Sartre

More Existential CONCEPTS Free will allows individuals to change Even a refusal to choose is a choice Few decisions are without negative consequences Universe does NOT provide moral rules; they are constructed by humans and intended to promote responsibility for actions Therefore, NO ONE should attempt to impose rules of conduct on anyone!

Existentialists don’t believe in

The universe has no rational direction or scheme. THE Absurdist Theory The universe has no rational direction or scheme. It is meaningless and absurd. full meaning of The Stranger.

Given: Life is meaningless Given: Life is meaningless. Given: If we accept or acknowledge this, we risk falling into despair and depression.

Thus: We create meaning for ourselves throughout our lives.

But: We know this meaning we have created is meaningless, as we are the ones feeding ourselves on illusion, to keep from going insane at the reality of the meaninglessness of human existence.

Therefore: We live ABSURD existences as we have created false meaning for ourselves, knowing this, and fooling ourselves.

So: The trick is to accept the meaninglessness of life, but create meaning for us so life is NOT meaningless – and this is, in effect, absurd.

Existentialists cannot even agree on a definition of existentialism because it is an absurd idea. Irony

Wrap-Up Write at least one thing about existentialism that you agree with. Explain. Write at least two things that you disagree with. Explain.

Kids’ Existentialism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvz0CjtwH2k Steve Martin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFWA1A9XFi8