Existential Lit Final Paper Essay

Part I 1. In Thomas Nagels The Absurd (1971), he begins by addressing the touchst unitaryised arguments for declaring disembodied spirit to be infatuated. The prototypic argument he points out is the vagary that no affaire domain doing in the present go a humanityagement thing in the dist ant rising, or as Nagel says, in a billion wide clip (Nagel 716). mint believe that what they do now wont numerate at ein truth abide(predicate) in a million eld, and that they argon fitting unmatched person sprightliness in the now that forget in brief be g atomic number 53 and lead thence non matter and assumet matter. Humans fritter away hold of this non mattering as a land wherefore behavior is wet, since if nonhing matters then the point of conduct is perplexityed.The mo standard argument Nagel nonions at is the fancy that manhood atomic number 18 picayune specks in the infinite vastness of the universe (Nagel 717). This persuasion focuses around lay and time, and how individual earthly concern exactly live for an extremely short gist of time in a trem prohibitously vast universe. People see this as a reason why feeling history is wild, waying at their lives as such(prenominal)(prenominal) short increments of time, especi every(prenominal)y on the large descale of the universe. Since human race atomic number 18 so sm every and take up such little time with their lives, this is seen as a reason bread and butter is pissed.The three argument Nagel looks at is about non universe able to equitableifying altogether of support storys activities, since mankind could die at any atomic number 42 and bequeath rasetually. People go through sequences in spiritedness, one thing leading to the next, to accomplish something each quantity of the way, and so it is stillified. However, sluicetually, life story must(prenominal)(prenominal) residuum, and the kitchen range of sequences pull up stakes be cu t attain in the middle of one of the activities, and therefore will end without middlingification. All of it is an elaborate expedition leading to nowhere (Nagel 717). These argon the three standard arguments for explaining why life is unreasonable that Nagel discusses.Nagel, still, disagrees with these arguments and finds each invalid for specific reasons. When looking at the mind that nonhing world do now will matter in a million years, Nagel objects this with the realization that it doesnt matter now whether or not what we do now in a million years will matter or not. Whether what valet do now will matter in a million years or not is not authorized, because either way it wouldnt change how population tactile sensation now.If their mattering now is not enough to accomplish that, how would it help if they mattered a million years from now? (Nagel 716). If now doesnt matter in the future, than the future must not matter now, and therefore this explanation of why life i s absurd is invalid. The second intellect, focusing on life be absurd because of how small and short lived humans lives ar, is contradicted by Nagels judgement that if humans were larger presents in the universe theyre lives would still be just as absurd and that if humans lived for longer, or forever, there lives would just be absurd for that much longer, or even infinitely absurd.This panorama of humans as living for such a short hail of time and world so tiny in the universe is distinctly not what makes life absurd, even if life is absurd. These facts, if anything, would make humans lives much(prenominal)(prenominal) absurd, if they were larger presents in the universe or lived forever then the absurd would be even larger or last for eternity. Therefore, this is not a valid argument in saying that life is absurd.Looking at the third argument, which focuses on last preventing the justification of human lives and its more sequences, Nagel shows that this idea is real false as life does not consist of these sequences that all engender purposes and continuous justification. Chains of justification come repeatedly to an end within life, and whether the process as a altogether keep be justified has no bearing on the finality of these end-points (Nagel 717). art objecty things we do in our daily lives are already reasonable and do not need throw out justification, such as fetching aspirin for a headache, Nagel points out.However, even if someone wanted to further justify any of lifes activities, this further justification would also realize to end somewhere, as all things must. If nothing butt joint justify unless it is justified in call of something distant itself, which is also justified, then an infinite regress results, and no chain of justification canful be complete (Nagel 717). All reasoning must end at some point and must be accepted as it is instead of looking at it as incomplete, because if it is looked at as incomplete then re asoning is impossible.With Nagels profound contradictions to these three arguments, he shows that these are not valid reasons to say that life is absurd. 2. Though Nagel discards the standard arguments for stating that life is absurd, he nonetheless says that life can be seen as absurd, just for different reasons than the previous ones discussed. He states that life is absurd because of the rubbing between humans tendency to take their lives so severely and the power of humans to motion these things which they take so seriously or experience them as arbitrary.Humans take their lives seriously, as seen through the idea that many things are necessities for living and that humans natural actions, such as making selects, are very important. However, humans also are opened of seeing things orthogonal of their lives, which then creates motion about the things that are taken so seriously. This idea that humans cannot live their live without this sincerity, to that extent can pr oduce a point of view foreign of their lives that makes this sincerity doubtful, is why life is absurd.It is absurd because we ignore the doubts that we receipt cannot be settled, continuing to live with nearing undiminished seriousness in appal of them (Nagel 719). There is a collide between what people think is happening in life and what is truly happening, and because humans are able to turn in a point of view outside of their confess life, they can see what is truly happening and therefore rick doubtful of what they think is happening. However, they draw out on with what they think is happening, or with this seriousness of life, even with the doubts from seeing what is truly happening.These two viewpoints, one within our have got lives and one outside our lives, are both unavoidable yet collision with one other, and this, according to Nagel, is why life is absurd. Nagel states that humans take their lives seriously whether they live in a serious manor or not, and c areless(predicate) of what their primary concerns in life are. Human life is estimable phase of the moon of effort, plans, calculation, triumph and failure we pursue our lives, with varying degrees of sloth and energy (Nagel 719).Humans can reflect, make choices, question things, and decide what to peruse and what to avoid and who they want to be or become. This alone is signified, but when it clanges with humans efficacy to think outside themselves and survey this seriousness, it creates fatuousness. Yet humans extradite the special capacity to tincture masking and survey themselves, and the lives to which they are committed, with that detached amazement which comes from watching an ant struggle up a head of sand (Nagel 720).This ability to step back creates these doubts and questions about this seriousness life is taken with, doubts and questions about things that bet so sure before stepping back. Nagel explains We step back to find that the whole dodge of justificatio n and criticism, which controls our choices and supports our claims to rationality, rests on response and habits that we never question, that we should not know how to defend without circularity, and to which we shall continue to adhere even after they are called into question (Nagel 720).According to Nagel, life is absurd not because humans are capable of this stepping back and reflecting on the seriousness of life, but because they then continue with their lives and taking them so serious even after doubts about the seriousness have been identified. 3. Nagel focuses on the idea that humans live absurd lives because of their consciousness, and therefore their ability to see themselves as humans and create this clash between seriousness and reality. With this, it can be said that immortal, all-knowing and self- aware(p), also lives an absurd life.The purloin Nagel refers to cannot have an absurd life because he is not self-aware, so he does not know he is a mouse and does not ha ve the ability to reflect on this and create doubts about it. God, however, knows he is God and therefore has the ability to step back and have doubts. Being self-aware substance that you doubt, and that every justification is doubted. This substance that God, self-aware, doubts justifications, just analogous humans, and has an absurd life with the clash between these. When Nagel describes how the mouses life would be if he was self-aware, he says, he would have to return to his meagre yet frantic life, full of doubts that he was ineffective to answer, but also full of purposes that he was unable to abandon (Nagel 725). This sentence is applicable to Gods life being absurd, as God has a life full of doubts without answers due to his self-consciousness, but also has great purposes that he is unable to abandon, since he is the high power that humans rely on. Also, like humans, God cannot deny this consciousness, because to refuse it would mean he is aware of it, and it therefore he would already be self-aware.Since God cannot escape this self-consciousness, he is trapped, like humans, in this clash between his self-awareness and the seriousness that is taken with it and the doubt that comes with self-awareness where he reflects and doubts all justifications. This makes Gods life absurd, just like humans lives, as he too experiences the clash between self and reality. 4. Nagel stresses that absurdity is one of the most significant things that makes humans humans, and that it is essentially incurable. With this idea in mind, it can be seen that religion cannot bring to the feeling of absurdity, and religious people live absurd lives just as all humans do.Humans lives are absurd because they have life goals and strive for things, which is the nerve of taking life seriously, but they also can step back and reflect on things and this causes doubts, which happens conson-keyless of religion. What makes doubt unavoidable with regard to the limited aims of indi vidual life also makes it inescapable with regard to any larger purpose that furthers the sense that life is kernelful (Nagel 721). believe in something larger does not allow escaping to occur, as it can be doubted in the resembling way that individual life can be.People use a higher being for comfort and to give their lives sum and justification, however, as pointed out before, justifications end and humans no longer look any further. Moreover, religious people still have the human-centredic qualities that all humans do that eventually lead to musing and doubt. Another way of portraying religious peoples life as absurd just as nonreligious lives is to look at the idea of being self-conscious leading to absurdity and that this is a natural berth of being human.The only when way to avoid the relevant self-consciousness would be either never to attain it or to forget itneither of which can be achieved by the will (Nagel 725). Religion does not change this unavoidable self-cons ciousness, and therefore life it still absurd with religion. The idea of religion is to provide meaning to life, however, if all humans are prone to this inevitable doubt, than this meaning will be doubted in the same way that life without meaning is doubted, or may even be doubted even more and therefore this creates a more significant contradiction, and may mean that religion makes life even more absurd.The gap between seriousness and reality is even larger in a life with religion because life is taken more serious, as there is this idea of more meaning, but still has the contradiction with reflection and doubt, hence a life with religion abets absurdity. Nagels main focus about religion is that it does not cure the feelings of absurdity because, regardless of being religious or not, humans cannot avoid this inevitable doubt of their seriousness, and therefore creating this clash which makes life absurd. There does not appear to be any conceivable world (containing us) about whic h unsettlable doubts could not arise (Nagel 722).Nagels idea about facing this absurdity is, rather than believing in something higher that gives life a certain meaning that does nothing but encourage absurdity, view life as ironic. He says to approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair (Nagel 727). Heroism, as seen in religion, means to value life too much, whereas despair, seen in the depressed or suicidal, means to not value life enough or at all. However, to look at the absurdity of life with irony allows humans to live this contradicting life, aware of this contradiction, but continue to live it without denial, torment, or resentment.In Samuel Becketts delay for Godot (1953), this concept of absurdity seen from continuing seriousness even after inquisitive it is portrayed. Vladimir and Estragon have chosen enslavement to an authoritative figure, Godot, and though they have yet to see Godot or even get confirmation that he will eventually come, they stil l continue to detention for him. This is the same idea that religion brings to humans, as they can live their lives without signs from God or sure meaning from religion, yet they still believe because it gives them a sense of purpose.However, this creates absurdity because, for religious people, they also doubt all of this purpose and meaning they are time lag for, and for Vladimir and Estragon, they doubt Godot will ever come. Towards the end of the play, it is clear that Vladimir has doubt about Godot and has a realization that he has been waiting for a long time and will continue to wait, possibly for eternity. He has this realization and doubt about his seriousness for waiting, yet continues to wait. This clash is what makes Vladimir and Estragons lives absurd, and is the same clash that is seen in religious lives as well.5. According to Nagel, atheistic existential philosophers, such as Sartre and Camus, dwell on and blame the fact that God doesnt exist as the reason life is absurd. They believe that without God, our lives lack the meaning which they demand, and without this meaning our lives are meaningless, and therefore absurd. However, Nagel has already pointed out that this is not why life is absurd and that whether our lives have meaning or not does not change this clash between the seriousness which we take our lives and the reality that causes us to doubt the seriousness that is the true creator of absurdity.These atheistic existentialists view absurdity of humans lives as a caper, as something that needs a solvent or to be fixed. Camus advice on dealing with this problem of absurdity is defiance. Nagel looks at Camus proposal, and says, We can salvage our dignity, he appears to believe, by shaking a fist at the world which is deaf to our please, and continuing to live in spite of it (Nagel 726). This, of course, will not rid our lives of absurdity, as this is not possible as long as we are self-aware and able to reflect, but Camus believes it will give humans at least a more fulfill life.Nagel disagrees with these ideas, and says that the absurdity of human lives isnt even a problem at all. He falls back on his idea that absurdity is one of the most significant things that makes us human, and humans lives are only absurd because they posses the ability of a kind of discernment that other species do not. If a sense of the absurd is a way of perceiving our true situation (even though the situation is not absurd until the perception arises) then what reason can we have to resent or escape it? (Nagel, 727). Nagel says that it is important that humans are aware of this absurdity, yet do not try to avoid it as it is not possible to do such a thing and one will only dwell on this attempt their entire life. Instead, as mentioned before, Nagel suggests the only way going about absurdity is to approach it with irony. It is important to not let this absurdity become torturous, but is also crucial to not allow it to force an a voidance or attempt to lead the absurdity.The acknowledgment of the clash between seriousness and reality is important in acceptance and living life in between heroism and despair. If humans can look at their absurd lives with irony, the absurdity will be acknowledged, but will not effect their lives as to cause anything actually problematic from happening. Nagel also states that this absurdity is important because it exposes our human limitations and allows humans to check these, so there is no reason to try to escape this. Nagels argument helps make sense of these atheistic existentialists works.For example, in Camus The Stranger (1942), the expiry is very clear because Camus didnt believe in the idea of come up absurdity with irony, so he did not end his book like this, and instead ended it with Maurseult approaching the absurdity with the dramatic feeling that Nagel discourages. Maurseult is unable to find irony in his absurd life, and blames Gods nobody for his inability t o justify honorables. It is clear that this happens because these are Camus beliefs, and Nagel portrays these as making a problem out of absurdity that shouldnt be a problem at all.Jean-Paul Sartre, also an atheistic existentialist according to Nagel, falls back on the idea that existence proceeds essence, and in that way humans achieve absolute independence. However, this idea is contradicted by Nagel when he says that humans are born into absurdity and there is no escaping it, as it would have to have been never attained or forgotten, which is impossible to do if its part of humans from the start.Nagels ideas about absurdity, such that it is unavoidable yet not necessarily a problem, contradict these atheistic existentialists ideas, and he ends with he belief that reverse to what these existentialists say, humans must approach their absurd lives with irony, because if nothing matters, than it wouldnt matter to do anything other than this. Part II a. Existentialism Is a secula r humanism, by Jean-Paul Sartre (1946), focuses on license as the bases of morality. Sartre defends existentialist philosophy as being a moral philosophy by contradicting arguments against this idea with his own eyeshots.The scratch idea that Sartre rejects is that which claims existentialism allows people to dwell in the quietism of despair (Sartre 1). In his argument against this he focuses on the concept that existence proceeds essence, where humans first exist before anything else, such as defining themselves. Man simply is. Not that he is simply what he conceives himself to be, but he is what he wills, and as he conceives himself after already animatedas he wills to be after that leap towards existence (Sartre 2). This is what Sartre refers to as the first principle of existentialism.The next idea Sartre argues against is that existentialism is a pessimistic view, however, he says that existentialism actually reflects severe optimism. He gives the example of the way an exi stentialist looks at a coward and sees him as personally responsible for being a coward, as something he take ins and commits to, which is an optimist way of looking at such a thing. Sartre then looks at the idea of subjectivity, which is argued as a negative aspect of existentialism as it is seen as living a solitude and therefore inconsiderate or egotistical life, and lifts two meanings for subjectivism.One meaning he points out is the freedom of an individual, and the other meaning refers to man unable to further himself beyond human subjectivity. This is a further look at existence proceeding essence, as it shows that humans do not choose being human but they do choose their actions after becoming humans, and by choosing for ones self, one chooses for all humans. This shows, therefore, that existentialists view humans as not individuals whom are egoistic, but rather that their actions speak for all humans. The last argument Sartre rejects is that existentialism denies realit y and the seriousness of humanity.However, according to Sartre, existentialism is humanist when looking at a fundamental definition of the word. Man is all the time outside of himself it is in projecting and losing himself beyond himself that he makes man to exist and, on the other hand, it is by pursuing transcendent aims that he himself is able to exist (Sartre 13). Existentialists believe that there is no human action that doesnt have an explanation, and if an action has an explanation it is human. These ideas portray Sartes commit that existentialism is a moral philosophy and that it is a humanism.However, his ideas are not enough to make this statement. He focuses deeply on the idea of freedom and that because humans are free as seen by existentialists, existentialism is a moral philosophy. For existentialism to be completely moral, however, it would have to compliment Sartes idea of freedom with other values, such as charity, kindness, and serving our responsibility to the w orld and others, as this is what is truly moral and humanitarian. Complimenting freedom with something else though would take some freedom away and therefore his idea of the moral outline being based on freedom is invalid.One example Sartre provides to talk this idea of freedom being the basis for existentialism, and the reason it is moral, is about a man facing a moral dilemma. He must choose between either staying with his mother, whom has been abanthroughd by everyone else in her life and only has this one son left, or leaving her, alone and empty, to go join the Free French Forces. He looks at this as a moral dilemma, however, this is not a moral dilemma because both choices are good. A moral dilemma is one where an individual is faced with two options and picks the one which is good and leaves the other which is not good.However, whether this man stays with his mother or goes to fight for a cause, he is choosing between two goods and therefore is not making a moral decision. Sartre also looks at the idea that existentialism leaves you uncertain and that all moral decisions operate with a degree of perplexity. This, to an extent, is true, and it is not wise to base decisions on certainty of the future. However, there are actions that are possible, and should be, taken based on their consequences. For example, the question of whether one should push another individual off an enormous cliff seems very certain.It is true that life is uncertain, but there is quite a high chance that that individual, if pushed off the cliff, will fall and die. The immediate and certain consequences seen in life are not mentioned and are ignored in Sartres moral system of existentialism, and therefore is not enough to make this claim. Sartre focuses on this idea that freedom is what makes existentialism a moral philosophy, however, true morality limits freedom, and there is so much more to morality than what Sartre mentions. b.Ivan Ilytch and Meursault both experience an epip hany at the end of their lives, and therefore die as happy men. Both men lived selfish lives, unaware of what life truly was about. They both lived under an idea of what they thought was the right way to live, with Ivan attempting to live a normal life, fitting into society, and Meursault living a life in effort to embody the universe. Both of these life styles were structured and allowed the men to just follow guidelines which they believed was the right thing to do.However, this was selfish as it led to them ignoring the rest of the world, such as their families and other aspects of true happiness. Meursault went through life seeing it as meaningless and therefore claims he believes in nothing. However, the fact that he in so deeply inclined to this meaningless shows that he believes in this meaninglessness. This becomes clear when Meursault is talking to the priest and realizes that his uncertainty was just as strong as the priests certainty about everything, and when he says th at the priest was living like a dead man he realizes that it was really him who was doing such a thing.Meursault comes to terms with the fact the he so deeply believes that nothing matters and life is meaningless, and in doing so he looses his botheration and becomes emotional and passionate about something for once in his life. This same insight about realizing that life is not so structured and that it is about existing and having fulfillment is seen in Ivan when, as he is laying on his death bed, he becomes aware that there is no goal in life.He spent his whole life chasing something, but at last realizes that this is not what life is about, as he already had things in his life that could have disposed him fulfillment, such as his family. As he looks at his son and is bounce back by this realization, he is finally happy. Meursault also was pursing something in life, that of embodying the universe, but he too sees that this is not what life is about. Soon before he dies, he re ally sees the world for the first time in his life, the smells and sounds that it holds, and is happy. He even thinks about his mother and shows a side, lacking selfishness, that he had never shown before.With this thoughtfulness, as well as recognizing that nothing matters and there is no meaning, he finally gives himself the fulfillment that life is truly about and feels happiness. c. In Samuel Becketts time lag for Godot (1953), two men wait for an authoritative figure to appear and convey a message, telling them what to do and what to live for. This is a constant part of society, where humans continue waiting and spend their entire lives hoping the universe will tell them something. The play symbolizes this human waiting and longing for something more in many ways throughout it.Estragon cannot take his shoes off, symbolizing that he is stuck on earth and nothing can be done as he cannot escape. Vladimir looks at his hat, as if to find something in it that tells him something or gives some word form of sign, but finds nothing and continues to gaze at the horizon, which holds expect and something more than this life theyre stuck in. However, as trapped and unhappy as they are, as they even considered suicide, they do not give up hope. In fact, they decide against suicide because they must wait for Godot to come and see what he offers, and then they will decide what to do from there.Vladimir and Estragon cannot stop their lacking(p) to live as they want to live for something, so they are hoping that Godot will give them something to live for, even though he already is just from the hope that he might come. They have lost track of time and are unsure of whether they were here yesterday, as waiting tends to make people recur track of time since it is just what humans do and is constitutive(a) in our human condition. In metaphysical time, it is always just now, and waiting is eternal. When two new characters enter the scene, Pozzo and gilded, the main cha racters become puzzled.Lucky, who is seemingly not so lucky, carries Pozzos bags for him, but he never puts them down, and he obeys Pozzos every command. Vladimir and Estragon wonder why this is, and why Lucky even puts up with Pozzo. Lucky, however, is not much different from Vladimir and Estragon, as he just seeks authority. He wants this enslavement, where he is told what to do and think and how to live. Vladimir and Estragon have their own symbolic bags that they too refuse to put down, as seen through their choice to continue to wait for Godot, with no one telling them they must wait but it being their own decision to do so and continue to do so.When Vladimir and Estragon find themselves worried that Pozzo wants to get rid of Lucky and leave him idler, it symbolizes that they too are worried of being left behind by Godot. This constant desire for authority is something seen in this play as well as in society, as humans are very frightful of being alone or without someone to te ll them what to do or how to live. Though Vladimir and Estragons decision to wait is questionable, it does however give them something to do and comes from a command from authority.As mentioned before, though Godot isnt there, Godot is still ruling over them and gives them the authority that is so desperately seek for. This enslavement to Godot seen in Vladimir and Estragon is actually rather admirable, as it shows their obedience and commitment. The patience seen in their servitude conveys their faith and religious spirit. It brings them hope and a sort of comfort to continue this faith and commitment. When the boy comes the second time to hold Godots message, Vladimir seems to know that the same thing happened yesterday, and that it will continue to happen, but he still continues to wait.The boy does not tell Vladimir that he will convey his message to Godot and does not give Vladimir his desired recognition that this is real, and Godot has not shown up, yet Vladimir and Estrag on still continues to wait and do not lose hope. This idea that they are not just existing as humans but are devoting themselves to this higher authority shows that their existential journey leads beyond existentialism, as they continue to wait by choice but are being controlled by the idea of something more.