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Existentialism

Hello Friends, 

This blog is my response to the task assigned to us by our Prof. Dr. DilipSir on existentialism, so read, understand and enjoy. Happy Learning!

Below is the short summary of the ten videos on Existentialism and some interesting questions to ponder upon.

Video 1: What is Existentialism?

In this video, Existentialism is considered as a triangle with three sides 1. Individuality 2. Freedom 3. Passions. For Albert Camus, believing in God is considered philosophical suicide. To believe in God is an individual experience. Existentialism includes subjects like death, freedom, despair, emotions, anguish, angst, absurdity, passions, etc. which humans are struggling with at some point in life. After fully living in despair or realizing the absurdity of life that one can fully devote oneself to God and understand him.

Q1 from video 1, time 1:56

For Albert Camus, believing in God is considered philosophical suicide. How far is this statement correct?

Video 2: The Myth of Sisyphus: The Absurd Reasoning (Feeling of the Absurd)

Q2 from video2, time 1:30

"An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art." Is this statement an encouragement to suicide? Should one commit a suicide or not?

Albert Camus's answer to the absurdity of life isn't suicide. The absence of profound reason of living leads one to think of death and then suicide. In this video Camus explains why people are drawn towards suicide, reasons could be like an individual finds life meaningless, despair, they don't find life worth living, it's all mind garbage, wrong thinking leads to wrong actions. 

Should absurdity leads one towards suicide or hope?

Video3: The Myth of Sisyphus: the notion of philosophical suicide.

In this video, absurd means

1. A total absence of hope

2. A continual rejection 

3. Conscious dissatisfaction 

In this video, existentialists like Soren Kierkegard tells us that there are some things which have no logical, rational reasons so we need to have faith in God or some divine power that is superior to us, that's the best way to avoid absurdity in life, Camus doesn't believes in such faith so he's known as absurdist more rather than an existentialist. Absurdity is opposite to hope.

Q3 from video 3 time 4:24

"Like Suicides, God change with men. There are many ways of leaping, the essential being to leap." Explain. 

Video 4. Dadaism, Nihilism and Existentialism 

Dadaism is a theory, a reaction to world war I. It tells to question each and every values and to create our own values. Dadaism was the psychiatrist of the warriors. Dadaism is quest for change, for new values in culture and other aspects of life.

Q4 from video 4, time 1:57

If dadaism questions every values, can it be considered a pessimistic theory? It opposes the idea of universal understanding which comes when all souls put together.

Another question Q5 from video4, time 2:39

"I don't want values that other people have invented." Can one invent all values again by oneself? Don't the old values become stepping stones to new values?

Video 9: Why I like Existentialism? Eric Dodson

Q6 from video 9, time 3:16

"How we fall away from our deeper destinies" Explain. Is there something such as destiny? Can one fall away from it? Is it possible to challenge the destiny? 

Q7 from video 9, time 5:02

"The universe is attempting to become conscious of itself ... through us..." Is this statement true or false? Explain. 

Summary 

This video tells us that pain is not but enemy but our friend, it teaches us something which life can teach us no other way. Existentialism has two ways 1. It touches our mind 2. It touches our heart that is our emotions, it tells us to be more compassionate.  It tells us to participate in life and not to be mere spectators. Existentialism is not to understand things, but understand and feel to be more powerfully alive. Existentialism should help us to feel like -

1. A laughing child

2. A serious intellectual (well, not THAT serious)

3. A blossoming flower 

4. A storm on the horizon.

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