Existentialism

[NAD]

Whoa, just noticed this forum here. Neat idea, hope it works.

Been reading lots of existentialist writings lately, honestly without realizing it (I have tons and tons of unread books that I just sorta grab and go through). Sartre is my favorite so far, although I thought Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five kicked all kinds of ass.

So where do I go from here? Oh nevermind, I guess I'll go wherever it is I go.

 

[Rvnning Wild]

Have you read anything by Søren Kierkegaard? I find his philosophy a LOT more interesting than Sartre's.

I've been a big believer in existentialism for a while. Although I could be considered kind of a wussy existentialist.. because I still support altruism to a degree.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

I'm not all too familar with existential teahcings. How does the philosophy preach against altruism?

 

[Rvnning Wild]

It's a really vague philosophy that's open to interpretation, but the extreme idea is that individual subjectivity and choice is all that matters in life. So it's the exact opposite of altruism.

Sartre is on that extreme side. Personally, I think his logic was a little clouded by bitterness, but that's arguable....

My beliefs are more similar to Christian beliefs. I think personal subjectivity is the ultimate reason for living, but things like selfless love and respect are essential for preserving individuality.

 

[Cythraul]

You might want to try out some fictional existentialism such as the short stories and novels of Franz Kafka, probably my favorite writer. Many of his stories deal with existential themes. Sartre took a lot of ideas from Martin Heidegger so read some of his stuff, but I'm warning you in advance: much of Heidegger's output is CONFUSING; take your time with it. Anyway, I guess I've always been an existentialist at heart, although I hate to put a label on myself.

 

[LDGuy]

I don't know, but existentialism seems a little miserable to me. It kinda strips any kind of collective identity to the human race, which I don't really like, plus I think a lot of the values it holds are a little impractical in modern society, depending on how you interpret them I suppose.

I can't seem to see how being an altruist can stop you from holding exitentialist views - just because you feel a separation from the rest of the world doesn't mean you have to be unkind.

 

[Intoxicator]

I just bought "The Antichrist" by Nietzsche the other day. I haven't started reading it yet but I've been interested in Nietzsche's philosophy for a while. Anyone else read this or any of his other works?

 

[Demiurge]

I just bought "The Antichrist" by Nietzsche the other day. I haven't started reading it yet but I've been interested in Nietzsche's philosophy for a while. Anyone else read this or any of his other works?

Yes, you want to start with Thus Spake Zarathustra or Beyond Good and Evil. The latter lays out the groundwork in a more straighforward manner.

 

[Intoxicator]

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[unknown]

http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/

I love existentialism, and that is a great place to get you started.

 

[Life Sucks]

I suggest reading some Schopenhauer. I actually read some of his work in the original language of German. He has was one of the most important existentialist/nihilist thinkers.

 

[Krilons Resa]

Albert Camus - The Myth of Sisyphus

 

[unknown]

one must imagine sisyphus happy

 

[speed]

Excellent Recommendation Doomcifer.

First, I wouldnt call Nietszche or Schopenhauer existentialists. They are somewhat similar, but not existentialists.

I'd add the first work of Existentialism--and one of my favorite works ever--Dostoevski's Notes from the Underground. It is amazing how well he cpveres the entirety of the subject in such a literary form.

Kierkegaards Either/Or

Camus--the stranger, the fall.

Kafka's The Trial, The Castle.

 

[JColtrane]

I find existentialism to be one the most interesting philosophies to study. It is in its essence very practical, as in that it applys to your life, and that's what makes it so interesting to read. I would say that out of all existential philosophy I find Kierkegaard to be the most interesting, at least philisophically. Dostoevsky is certainly the most interesting to read, with his vivid portrayals of how nihilism distorts life, and how human free will is actually a problem in respect to there being evil and a God. Although I passionately disagree with him, I also find Nietzsche to be a very intelligent man and with very enlightening insights in regard to human nature and honesty. All in all, I think it's a great philosophy to study, especially in regards to how much it has impacted our world today.

 

[marduk1507]

I fell in love with existentialism during my uni studies. Martin Heidegger is the most important philosopher of existence (or Being, that is) imo. Ive read a whole bunch of his books, but as Cythraul said, his style is really difficult. He is redefining the whole process of asking the very first philosophical questions and he does so by inventing a new "language" of his own. But once you manage to understand a little bit of this ogreish system, you are taken. I have tried to free myself from this obsession for some time and I think that, with a big help from Emanuel Levinas, Im making some progress.

 

[Intoxicator]

I'm about to check out a book that contains Hegel's The Philosophy of Right and The Philosophy of History, Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, and Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil.

 

[marduk1507]

If Hegel, then the Phenomenology of the Spirit would be a better choice imo. His PoR and PoH are interesting, but PoS is the real thing!

 

[Lord Foul]

To the fiction with existentialist themes or leanings already mentioned above, I would add the works of Herman Hesse, Thomas Mann, and their spiritual predecessor, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe