Many people criticise philosophy as being disconnected from our daily existence, however, this critique is not new, it is in fact as old as philosophy itself. In the ancient Greek fable, “The Astrologer who Fell into a Well”, Thales of Miletus, considered as the first philosopher, is said to have been so lost in thoughtContinue reading “The Philosophy of Existential Despair”
Tag Archives: existentialism
What is the Meaning of Suffering?
“The fact that there was no answer to the question he screamed, “Why do I suffer?” Man, the bravest animal and most prone to suffer, does not deny suffering as such: he wills it, he even seeks it out, provided he is shown a meaning for it, a purpose of suffering. The meaninglessness of suffering,Continue reading “What is the Meaning of Suffering?”
Book Review: No Exit – Jean Paul Sartre
No Exit is one of Jean Paul Sartre’s most interesting existentialist short stories. It is a one-act play that was widely praised when it was first performed in 1944, shortly after the Liberation of France. The original title “Huis Clos” refers to a private discussion behind closed doors. It tells the story of three charactersContinue reading “Book Review: No Exit – Jean Paul Sartre”
Book Review: Nausea – Jean Paul Sartre
Jean Paul Sartre’s first novel, Nausea, gave a name for existential angst. He considered it as one of his best works. It is a philosophical novel with existentialist vibes, that delves into the pure absurdity of the world with Sartre’s wild imagination and explores the randomness and superfluity of the world. Everything that we takeContinue reading “Book Review: Nausea – Jean Paul Sartre”
Book Review: Fear and Trembling – Kierkegaard
Fear and Trembling is a book by Søren Kierkegaard written under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio. Kierkegaard is famous for having multiple pseudonyms. The purpose of this is not to confuse the reader, but rather to make him come up with his own conclusions. The subtitle of the book is Dialectical Lyric. That is toContinue reading “Book Review: Fear and Trembling – Kierkegaard”
Introduction to Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger is known as one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. Born in Germany in 1889, he is best known for his work in existentialism and phenomenology. Heidegger was influenced at an early age by the Greeks. Aristotle’s Metaphysics which talks about what it is that unites all possible modes ofContinue reading “Introduction to Martin Heidegger”
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche – Giants of Existentialism
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche provided the basic foundations of 19th century Existentialism. It is a philosophy that emphasises the existence of the individual as a free and responsible agent determining their own development. We all suffer and enjoy the same condition, the human condition, and have done so since time immemorial. Kierkegaard is commonly regarded asContinue reading “Kierkegaard and Nietzsche – Giants of Existentialism”
Lovecraftian Cosmicism – Existentialism, Absurdism and Nihilism
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer of weird and horror fiction, who is known for his creation of what became the Cthulhu Mythos and the creator of the literary philosophy known as Cosmicism, emphasising the cosmic horror of the unknown. “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongestContinue reading “Lovecraftian Cosmicism – Existentialism, Absurdism and Nihilism”
Book Review: The Sickness unto Death – Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard wrote one of the most remarkable theistic existentialist works of the 19th century, The Sickness unto Death is famed for the depth and acuity of its psychological insights. Writing under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard explores the concept of ‘despair’. Despair is a deeper expression for anxiety which is a not-wanting-to-be-oneself. It is aContinue reading “Book Review: The Sickness unto Death – Kierkegaard”
(mis)Understanding Nihilism
What exactly is Nihilism? It is often associated to extreme pessimism and believed that it is an active negation of life, or thinks of it as empty of inherent meaning. In other words, that there is no such thing as “meaning” or “value”, no meaning in the universe, no meaning in the search of meaningContinue reading “(mis)Understanding Nihilism”