Existentialism is a philosophy that deals with what it means to exist as a human being in the world.
Key terms and concepts:
authenticity (see “inauthenticity”)
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acknowledging our potentials, recognizing our opportunities and then making choices based on our future rather than on our past.
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Authenticity leads to existential angst (discomfort) because we must take the risks, set out on our own, and embrace our freedom and the responsibility for that freedom.
bad faith
Acting based on our facticity or historicity. Acting in a way that we have always acted before. Acting without faith, or with “bad faith,” in our potentials―what we could be.
dasein: “being (sien) there (da)”, being in the world)
- The sense of existing in the world at the most basic level, below personality, ego or sense of self. It is the “I” that has a self, the “I” that exists, the “I” that cannot know itself.
- Dasein (or “being”) has a circular, hermeneutic nature: action/engagement ―> feedback ―> reflection ―> understanding ―> new action/engagement ―> new understanding
existential angst
The discomfort we feel when we decide to act authentically, to take the risk of trying something new rather than holding to the security of acting how we always have acted. It is the angst we feel when we set out on our own and embrace our freedom and the responsibility for that freedom.
existential guilt
The guilt we feel when we have not acted in our own best interests; when we act based on how we have acted or how others expected us to act rather than based on what we could do, what our potentials are.
facticity
fallenness
freedom
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We are free to find or build meaning. We must “take hold” of our lives through passionate commitment to things we care about or love (bliss).
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We always have the freedom to choose (within the context of our world), and we always have the responsibility for the results of our choices.
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We cannot always control what happens in our lives, but we are always free to choose how to interpret what happens, what meaning we’re going to give to experience.
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We are always influenced by both our historicity and our facticity; however,
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We always have the power to transcend our historicity and facticity, that is to act in ways that are new or unique in our lives.
historicity
Inauthenticity (see “authenticity,” “fallenness,” and “das mann”)
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making choices based on what we have done or experienced in the past rather than what our potentials are right now; choosing to act based on how we have always done things rather than on how we could do things (to realize our potentials).
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Making choices based only on what others do rather than what we could do. (There are times when doing what others are doing can be authentic. It is when we follow others because we are unwilling or unable to choose for ourselves that is inauthentic.
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Inauthenticity carries danger of submersion in the world, of losing our sense of self or being and becoming one of the crowd (das Mann);
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Acting inauthentically can lead to existential guilt, the guilt we feel when we have not acted in our own best interests.
thrownness
There is no external basis for meaning. We are “thrown” into situations (absurdly) and must deal with them and create our own meaning from them.
transcendence
Existentialism
Existentialism is a philosophy that deals with what it means to exist as a human being in the world.
Key terms and concepts:
authenticity (see “inauthenticity”)
acknowledging our potentials, recognizing our opportunities and then making choices based on our future rather than on our past.
Authenticity leads to existential angst (discomfort) because we must take the risks, set out on our own, and embrace our freedom and the responsibility for that freedom.
bad faith
Acting based on our facticity or historicity. Acting in a way that we have always acted before. Acting without faith, or with “bad faith,” in our potentials―what we could be.
dasein: “being (sien) there (da)”, being in the world)
existential angst
The discomfort we feel when we decide to act authentically, to take the risk of trying something new rather than holding to the security of acting how we always have acted. It is the angst we feel when we set out on our own and embrace our freedom and the responsibility for that freedom.
existential guilt
The guilt we feel when we have not acted in our own best interests; when we act based on how we have acted or how others expected us to act rather than based on what we could do, what our potentials are.
facticity
fallenness
freedom
We are free to find or build meaning. We must “take hold” of our lives through passionate commitment to things we care about or love (bliss).
We always have the freedom to choose (within the context of our world), and we always have the responsibility for the results of our choices.
We cannot always control what happens in our lives, but we are always free to choose how to interpret what happens, what meaning we’re going to give to experience.
We are always influenced by both our historicity and our facticity; however,
We always have the power to transcend our historicity and facticity, that is to act in ways that are new or unique in our lives.
historicity
Inauthenticity (see “authenticity,” “fallenness,” and “das mann”)
making choices based on what we have done or experienced in the past rather than what our potentials are right now; choosing to act based on how we have always done things rather than on how we could do things (to realize our potentials).
Making choices based only on what others do rather than what we could do. (There are times when doing what others are doing can be authentic. It is when we follow others because we are unwilling or unable to choose for ourselves that is inauthentic.
Inauthenticity carries danger of submersion in the world, of losing our sense of self or being and becoming one of the crowd (das Mann);
Acting inauthentically can lead to existential guilt, the guilt we feel when we have not acted in our own best interests.
thrownness
There is no external basis for meaning. We are “thrown” into situations (absurdly) and must deal with them and create our own meaning from them.
transcendence