Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy #16

What gives your life meaning? Whether it is religion, love, money, a career, or personal goals, the desire for meaning is universal. While exploring the philosophy of religion, we must confront how we understand our lives as meaningful. Existentialist philosophers argue that while various pursuits can give your life meaning, strictly speaking, none of them inherently do. This chapter explores the radical transition from viewing humans as creatures with a pre-determined essence to navigating a universe devoid of intrinsic purpose, where we are "condemned to be free."

1. The Historical Status Quo: Essentialism vs. Meaning

For millennia, humanity operated under the assumption that everything in the universe possesses a fundamental "essence."

• The Classical View (Plato and Aristotle): They asserted that everything has a essence—a set of core properties necessary for a thing to be what it is.
• The Knife Analogy: A knife can have a wooden handle or a metal handle, but if it lacks a blade, it is no longer a knife. The blade is its essential property because it defines its function.
• Human Essence: Plato and Aristotle believed humans also have an essence, existing before we are even born. Living a good life meant conforming to and fulfilling that pre-existing essence, which gave humans an innate purpose or destiny.
• Essentialism's Dominance: This framework, known as essentialism, dominated global thought until the late 19th century and remains popular today.

2. The Shift: The Rise of Nihilism and the Birth of Existentialism

In the late 1800s, thinkers began challenging the notion that humans possess a pre-determined essence or cosmic purpose.

• Friedrich Nietzsche: Embraced nihilism, the belief in the absolute meaninglessness of life.
• Jean-Paul Sartre: In the mid-20th century, the French philosopher inverted the ancient formula, asking: What if we exist first? What if we are born without any purpose, and it is up to us to create our own essence?
• Existence Precedes Essence: This foundational pillar of existentialism means our birth and physical existence happen first; after that, it is entirely up to each individual to define who they are. We have no pre-written script or cosmic path to follow.

Note: Existentialism is not synonymous with atheism. While many existentialists (like Sartre) were atheists, some were devout believers (like Søren Kierkegaard). What existentialists reject is teleology—the idea that God created the universe or humans for a pre-determined purpose.

3. Confronting "The Absurd"

Without a creator assigning a pre-existing purpose, humans are born into a universe that lacks intrinsic significance. This gives rise to a foundational existential concept: The Absurd.

• Definition of the Absurd: To existentialists, the absurd is not merely something silly or illogical; it is the condition of human beings searching for answers in a universe that has none to give.
• The Human Predicament: We are creatures who desperately need meaning, yet we have been dropped into a meaningless cosmos. As Sartre described it, we are like someone crying out in the wilderness with no answer coming back—yet we continue to cry out anyway.
• The Consequences of Teleology's Absence:
  • No absolute moral authority to obey.
  • No divine justice, cosmic order, or absolute laws.
  • The universe was not created for a reason.

4. Historical Catalyst: World War II and the Shock of Freedom

While existential roots trace back to 19th-century thinkers like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, existentialism exploded in popularity during and after World War II.

• The Trauma of the Holocaust: The horrors of the war caused many people to lose faith in an ordered, moral universe. Finding meaning became extraordinarily difficult under the shadow of totalitarianism and genocide.
• Sartre and Radical Freedom: Rather than hiding from this meaningless void, Sartre confronted it head-on, uncovering one of the most agonizing aspects of existentialism: the terrifying burden of freedom.
• Condemned to Be Free: While freedom sounds wonderful, Sartre argued that because there are no divine guidelines or cosmic rules for our actions, each of us is forced to design our own moral code.
• Famous Quote: "We are condemned to be free."

5. Rejecting False Authorities and Living "Authentically"

People often seek guidance from established authorities when facing life-altering decisions. Sartre argued that all such authorities are illusions.

• The Fallacy of External Authorities: Turning to parents, churches, governments, or teachers for ultimate answers is futile. These authorities are merely human beings just like you—flawed individuals who also lack cosmic answers and are trying to figure out how to live.
• Living Authentically: To live authentically means to fully embrace your freedom in the face of the absurd. You must recognize that any meaning your life possesses is the meaning you give it.
• Bad Faith (Mauvaise Foi): If you refuse to accept the absurd and instead blindly follow a path laid out by someone else (a professor, a government, or a rigid dogmatic institution), you are living in bad faith. You are burying your head in the sand, pretending that someone else holds the key to your life's meaning.

6. Thought Bubble: Sartre’s Dilemma of the Student

In one of his famous thought experiments, Sartre illustrated the weight of authentic decision-making through a student facing an agonizing moral crisis:

• The Conflict: The student felt a strong moral duty to both causes. Fighting meant contributing to a massive historical movement affecting millions, though his individual impact might be small. Staying home meant making an absolute, life-changing difference for one single person.
• The Existential Resolution: There is no objective, textbook answer. No moral theory or external advice can make the decision for him.
• The Burden of Choice: The student had to choose for himself. Whichever path he chose would be the "right" choice only if he owned it authentically, guided by the personal values he chose to adopt.

7. Crafting Meaning in a Meaningless World

Many critics view existentialism as bleak, depressing, or hopeless. French philosopher and novelist Albert Camus even quipped that the literal meaning of life is whatever keeps you from committing suicide. However, existentialists offer an empowering flip side to this coin:

• Self-Defined Purpose: If the universe inherently lacks a pre-determined purpose, you are free to paint it with whatever purpose you choose.
• Liberation from External Standards: You are no longer bound by societal benchmarks—such as having children, pursuing a lucrative career path, or fulfilling your parents' expectations. Your value is not judged on a global scale.
• Cosmic Construction: If values like justice, love, and order are to exist in the world, we must create them ourselves. If we do not construct them, they simply will not exist.

Summary and Key Takeaways

• Essentialism vs. Existentialism: Essentialism holds that human essence precedes existence (we are born with a pre-determined purpose); existentialism argues that existence precedes essence (we are born first, and we define our own purpose).
• The Absurd: Defined as the human condition of desperately needing and searching for meaning in a universe that is fundamentally silent and meaningless.
• The Historical Catalyst: Existentialism surged during and after World War II, fueled by the moral trauma of the Holocaust and the collapse of faith in a neatly ordered universe.
• Condemned to Be Free: Sartre’s famous insight that humans have no external guidebooks, forcing every individual to invent their own moral code and bear total responsibility for their choices.
• Rejection of False Authorities: Parents, churches, and governments cannot provide ultimate answers because they are merely flawed humans struggling with the same existential vacuum.
• Living Authentically: True authenticity requires accepting the absurd, acknowledging your radical freedom, and refusing to live in "bad faith" by blindly outsourcing your choices to others.
• The Power of Self-Definition: Because the universe has no built-in objective meaning, individuals possess the radical autonomy to assign their own meaning and values to their lives.