Existentialism In The Early 19th Century :: essays research papers

existentialism in the Early 19th CenturyMajor ThemesBecause of the diversity of positions associated with existentialism, the destinationis impossible to define precisely. Certain prows common to virtually all existentialist writers can, however, be identified. The term itself suggests onemajor theme the stress on concrete private existence and, consequently, onsubjectivity, individual freedom, and extract.Moral laissez faireMost philosophers since Plato occupy held that the highest ethical good is thesame for everyone insofar as one approaches moral perfection, one resembles early(a) morally perfect individuals. The 19th-century danish philosopher SrenKierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself existential, reactedagainst this tradition by insistency that the highest good for the individual isto find his or her let unique vocation. As he wrote in his journal, I must finda rightfulness that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die. otherwiseexis tentialist writers stupefy echoed Kierkegaards belief that one must chooseones own way without the aid of universal, objective standards. Against thetraditional view that moral choice involves an objective judgment of right andwrong, existentialists have argued that no objective, rational hindquarters can befound for moral decisions. The 19th-century German philosopher FriedrichNietzsche further contended that the individual must decide which situations areto count asmoral situations.SubjectivityAll existentialists have followed Kierkegaard in stressing the importance ofpassionate individual action in deciding questions of both morality and truth.They have insisted, accordingly, that personal experience and acting on onesown convictions are essential in arriving at the truth. Thus, the understandingof a situation by someone involved in that situation is ranking(a) to that of adetached, objective observer. This emphasis on the perspective of the individual operator has also made e xistentialists suspicious of systematic reasoning.Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and other existentialist writers have been deliberatelyunsystematic in the exposition of their philosophies, preferring to expressthemselves in aphorisms, dialogues, parables, and other literary forms. Despitetheir antirationalist position, however, more or less existentialists cannot be said tobe irrationalists in the sense of denying all validity to rational thought. Theyhave held that rational uncloudedness is desirable wherever possible, but that themost important questions in livelihood are not accessible to reason or science.Furthermore, they have argued that til now science is not as rational as iscommonly supposed. Nietzsche, for instance, maintain that the scientificassumption of an orderly universe is for the most part a useful fiction.Choice and CommitmentPerhaps the most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice.Humanitys primary distinction, in the view of most existentialis ts, is thefreedom to choose.