...humanity and turn into animals when there is a way to survive, or get the advantage for their own sake. There was a line in the movie that had the idea of “to pay a small amount of money to cheat death”, which meant the rich people have the upper hand at living because money is needed for health care and in the movie, the “insurance policies” which cost millions of dollars. A character that I find very interesting is Dr. Merrick because he was the starter of the insurance group. To Jean Paul Sartre, “Existence precedes essence”, and to me, that is the whole objective of Dr. Merrick and that is to try to give essence to the life of each “product”, but in the wrong way. He plays God in the movie and gives life, gives death and prolongs lives of other people who have the money to pay, of course. Clones are started off as full grown adults who have an actual mental age of a baby, like in real life if we apply Sartre’s ethics, the clone or “adult baby” would not have any essence in his life until his client needs something from them, but instead of telling them that their purpose is to become an extra pair of kidneys, each product has another clone, which they put into some sort of machine that gives them all dreams. Dreams that make them think that they have...
Words: 437 - Pages: 2
...condition” will include the topics of “existence precedes essence”, and absurdity. The paper will also discuss the existential relationship with others mostly described by Sartre’s literary work No Exit and analysis from Being and Nothingness. Components of Existential Philosophy This paper will firstly discuss the major existential principle of existence preceding essence. This notion is discussed by Sartre’s (1946) lecture “Existentialism is Humanism”. This central theme existence preceding essence is the backbone for most existential thought and that is why it is discussed and understood thoroughly from the beginning of this paper. This leads to the existential thought, absurdity of life. Life being absurd is a component of the existential human condition and this is discussed using The Myth of Sisyphus as a beacon of how absurdity applies to life and happiness. This was written and discussed by Camus in his work The Myth of Sisyphus. Lastly this paper will discuss how others impact the individual or human relationships, discussed by Sartre. His thesis regarding others interactions are that it is Hell. This is the central theme in his play No Exit, and unpacking this existential thought this paper will use his work Being and Nothingness. Human Condition Existence comes before essence; this is a main theme found in existential philosophy. Sartre (1946) states in his lecture “Existentialism is Humanism”, the theme existence precedes essence, is an ideal that all existential...
Words: 4034 - Pages: 17
...responsible for the choices that are made. With all the above in mind the philosophical term can be define as Existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that views the individual, the self, the individual’s experience and the uniqueness therein as the basis for understanding the nature of human existence. Existentialism is a highly diverse and wide-ranging philosophy. Even though it is so varied there are some common themes that can be found throughout it: Existence precedes Essence - In other words, you need existence to have essence. There is no predetermined “true thing”, it has to already exist in order to become what it is. Anxiety and Anguish - The fear or dread which is not directed at any specific object, it’s just there. Anguish is the dread of the nothingness of human existence, the meaningless of it. Absurdity - Granted, a man is his own existence, but this existence is absurd. Everybody is here, everybody exists, but there is no reason as to why. We’re just here, that’s it, no excuses. Nothingness - There is nothing that structures this world’s existence, Man’s existence, or even the existence of my computer. There is no essence that these things are drawn from,...
Words: 2544 - Pages: 11
...Jean-Paul Sartre claims that man is completely free. To understand what this statement means, this essay will look at Existentialist philosophy and evaluate the central concepts namely freedom, anguish, abandonment and despair. Through analysing Sartre’s lecture entitled ‘Existentialism and Humanism’ and his book, ‘Being and Nothingness’ this essay will explain what he meant by this statement and will argue that while man is free to a certain extent, he is not completely free. Sartre delivered his lecture in a time of guarded optimism and unrest. The truth about the Nazi power and Auschwitz had just become known and the first atomic bomb had been dropped. People were becoming aware of how evil others could be and were looking for answers. There was a need to re-examine life as they knew it and Sartre, through Existentialism, offered a new approach to life. While Sartre himself later repudiated parts of his lecture it still remains his most widely read writing. (Philosophynow.org, 2016) Sartre used the word, ‘freedom’ which would have appealed to the people of that epoch having just been freed from Nazi occupation, however he says man is condemned to be free as he believed freedom came with great responsibility. The main reason for Sartre’s lecture was to defend Existentialism against its critics who thought it would lead to ‘quietism of despair’. They thought it was contemplative and would discourage people from taking action. Due to the words he used, namely anguish, abandonment...
Words: 2709 - Pages: 11
...Meaning and Existentialism in My Life - Existentialism is a phiosophy which revolves around the central belief that we create ourselves. External factors are not important. It is the way that we let external factors affect us that determines who we are. As individuals we all have the freedom to choose our own path and that is what life is all about. Along with the freedom of choice comes the responsibilty of one's actions which can make some people anxious but give others meaning to their lives. To overcome this anxiousness and accept responsibilty is to meet the challenges of life and to truly live it.... [tags: Existentialism, ] 675 words (1.9 pages) $14.95 [preview] Understanding Existentialism - Do we matter. Do we seek personal happiness in life. These are questions from existentialism. The dictionary defines existentialism as an individual’s experience filled with isolation in a hostile universe where a human being attempts to find true self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Hamlet is an existentialist character who believes that he is forced to avenge his father’s death and the hatred builds in his heart because of the many betrayals which direct him towards a senseless life and constant thoughts about suicide; this ultimately leads to his demise and he is left with naught.... [tags: Existentialism] 872 words (2.5 pages) $14.95 [preview] Life Value vs. Existentialism in Grendel - A main theme in John Gardner’s Grendel...
Words: 3737 - Pages: 15
...ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. Idealists believe that reality exists independent of the human mind. Matter is characterized by instability; therefore it is not a reliable source of knowledge. Idealism is characterized as education that is highly intellectual in content and the standards of achievement are universal. This means that all students are held to the same standard of excellence. All ideas are deemed as enduring and the only true reality (Dunn, 2005). Idealism challenges the mind to consider the nature of reality and questions of “ought” and “why” directly addressing question of truth and meaning Plato views on idealism are contrasted with Aristotle realism and he believed that the external world have apparent absolute existence. Idealism provides meaning without verification, and realism provides verification without meaning (Brayley, 2003). Aristotle is referred to as the father of realism. Unlike Plato, Aristotle did not believe that reality existed independent of the human mind. He instead believed that reality consisted of both matter and form. He stated that each particle of matter has both universal and particular properties. Realists believe that reality exist independent of the human mind. Aristotle believes that the proper study of matter leads to the formation of better ideas, and ultimately true knowledge and understanding. Aristotle beliefs are apposite of Plato. He believed realism represented true nature of reality (Dunn, 2005). Pragmatism...
Words: 844 - Pages: 4
...Jean-Paul Sartre and Existentialism Jean-Paul Sartre . . . the name is one of the most popular in modern philosophy. But who was he? What did he write and what were his works about? What was his role with regard to Existentialism? What is Existentialism, really? What life influences affected the person as whom he became famous? How would Sartre assess various social topics that we face today? What are the problems with Sartre's view of Existentialism and existence in general? These are the questions addressed in the following pages of this brief dissertation.His life Upon reviewing several sources, it is apparent that Sartre was a very disorganized and inconsistent individual. Sartre was obsessed with his intellect to the point of abandon of all else in his life - personal hygiene, honesty, organization, thoroughness, and more. It seems that he felt he was of superior intelligence in comparison to all others who surrounded him. He was not necessarily a great and original thinker, but rather a superb media sensation of sorts. Rather than developing Existentialist thought, he merely promoted it to amazing popularity through his eccentric lifestyle. Although he is best known for his association with Existentialism, it is interesting to note that he denounced its principles later in life and adopted Marxism, which he also later denounced. Jean-Paul-Charles-Aymard Sartre was born in Paris on June 21, 1905, the only child of Anne-Marie Schweitzer Sartre and Jean-Baptiste Sartre. Anne-Marie...
Words: 2585 - Pages: 11
...ground to this assertion. To understand his claim that man is completely free, it will be necessary to look at what existentialism is and what it says about the notion of freedom. According to Sartre we are condemned to be free because we are ontological beings (Sartre, 1973 p.29-30) Sartre described humans as a being-for-itself because they have an awareness of themselves, their existence and are able to change by manipulating different factors and making decisions that suit them. He then went on to describe innate objects as a being-in-itself meaning they have no consciousness, and cannot change; they cannot manipulate the environment for better or worse (Bochensky, 1974, p.175) Sartre stated that existence precedes essence. By this he meant that we exist first and only after that occurs do we start making sense of the world and ourselves. This view is an atheistic approach to existentialism because he believed that God does not exist, but Christian existentialists like Kierkegaard and Heidegger would disagree with this approach. According to Sartre we are born tabular rasa and thrown into existence without our will. By arguing that we are born tabular rasa (blank slate); Sartre suggests that we have the freedom to give meaning to our lives by choosing what we want to be. For Sartre “Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world and defines himself (Sartre and Priest, 2001 p28), He will be what he makes himself.” Basically if God exists then man is not...
Words: 2339 - Pages: 10
...hopefully to determine the extent and nature of the change. He is overwhelmed with this feeling that he explains is called nausea. The nausea occurred internally and externally when he held a chestnut, a rock, and a wet paper on the street. When he held the objects he called it “nausea of the hands.” In order to take his mind off of nausea he decides to research more about Rollebon but begins to question his own existence. He concludes that all the research his done about Rollebon justified his existence, but it was the exact opposite he had been hiding from his existence. He abandoned his research on Rollebon and focused on objects but only transparency not the actually essence of the object. His nausea roots from his perception of an objects essence, where he tries look past its essence and focus on its existence. That’s when he starts to see objects and people masked. He believed he lost a complete connection with the external world because he lived a life of solidarity. His solidarity had him believe that he only exists. His conscious mind knew of existence but an existence is nothingness. He made a friend named Self-taught man in order to not be lonely although they argued a lot they spent much time together. He then...
Words: 1073 - Pages: 5
...Tanith Perridge 1 Keywords Glossary Philosophy Definition: Anguish Satre’s lecture on existentialism and humanism brings with it several emotional implications or responsibilities in which choice is connected. One of the emotional links is that of anguish. Satre states that anguish is an individual’s response to freedom …“we are responsible as we are free” .. (Flynn 2006 pg8) that individuals have to take sole responsibility for actions taken resulting in the feeling of anguish. Discussion As starte stated existence precedes essence, we are all a Tabula Rasa(blank slate) that we are all free in which to make the choices and decisions that shapes who we are. Anguish is almost an emotional response to the freedom that we have, that we are all free to choose own paths in life, we should be responsible for all of our actions, choices and decisions that we make. When choosing that decision we are choosing that decision for all. ..”When choosing for himself he chooses for all mankind..” (Cohen- solal 1996 pg, 67) Satre utilised Kierkegaards example of Abraham sacrificing his son as a result of a divine command in which to explain anguish more clearly. Stare sates that is it Abraham’s choice in which to interpret the command as divine or god like. To satre the freedom is the value of all values that we can experience aguish as a result of the responsibility of being truly free, however satre suggested that we are also condemned to be free, resulting in anguish felt at...
Words: 1299 - Pages: 6
...exist first before he can begin to question his essence. There would be no point in ascribing meaning to life or one's existence if one does not realize that acknowledging one's existence precedes every other meaningful quest in life (Descartes & Weissman, 1996, p. 3). The three modes of being also suggestively point to the fact that, amidst our increasingly controlled and regulated universe, there exist free will amongst each individual provided they acknowledge that their existence comes before their individual essence. This challenges earlier notions of viewing the human condition as a single entity in isolation of its social context. Sartre acknowledges that human existence is intertwined and embedded in social the contexts one happens to exist in. The three modes of being are thus used to explain this dynamic existence in a sense that Sartre establishes the foundations of existentialism from them. Being-in-itself and being-for-itself are the primary modes of being that describes human consciousness. Being-for-others is a dynamic dimension used to explain our acknowledgment that we exist in a world with others and describes our varied approaches towards how we choose to encounter the 'others' in the world. The primary modes of being and the interpersonal dimension of being together provide for the concept of radical dualism that Sartre uses to explore the dynamics of existence (Sartre, 1956, p. 330-333). The existence of others constantly bombards an individual both...
Words: 1645 - Pages: 7
...TITLE:- “THE ESSENCE/SUBSTANCE OF MAN” BY FACULTY: SCIENCE DEPARTMENT: MICROBIOLOGY COURSE TITLE: PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC COURSE CODE: GST 205 CONTENT * Introduction * What is man * Philosophically * Scientifically * The essence and substance of man * What constitute man * Man as a dualist * Man as a monad * Man as a socialist * Man as a spiritual entity * Man as a physical entity * Intrinsic characteristics that man have in common * Illustration of the mental essence(when man is abnormal is he still half or full) INTRODUCTION The essence of man is the constituent of man which goes beyond his body alone but extends to his mind, soul, spirit and other attributes of man. But we cannot talk about the essence of man without the existence of man because without an existence of man, man’s essence is of no use and nothing to talk about. This brings about the proposition ‘existence precedes essence’. The proposition that existence precedes essence is a central claim of existentialism, which reverses the traditional philosophical view that the essence (the nature) of a thing is more fundamental and immutable than its existence (the mere fact of its being). To existentialists, human beings—through their consciousness—create their own values and determine a meaning for their life because the human being does not possess any inherent identity or value. By posing the acts that constitute him or her, he or she makes his or her existence more significant...
Words: 3943 - Pages: 16
...reader into a very complicated argument over the meaning of Existentialism. He says that the word has lost its meaning and needs to be redefined, “…by this time the word has been so stretched and has taken on so broad a meaning, it no longer means anything at all” (343). Sartre begins clarifying existentialism by focusing on the individual. He says, “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself” (345). Here Sartre explains how human beings have no pre-determined destiny but are in charge of their own fate, and ultimately choose who they are going to be. Sartre, as an atheist, doesn’t believe there exists a divine being laying out rules for humans to follow. He says, ““…if God does not exist, there is at least one being in whom existence precedes essence, a being who exists before he can be defined by any concept, and that this...
Words: 1376 - Pages: 6
...The type of philosophy Sartre’s existential metaphysics focus on includes 1st order ethical issues and focuses on analytic ethics, contrasted with analytic philosophy. This is important because when we do existential metaphysics, we don’t treat metaphysical questions as purely theoretical ones. We’re actually interested in getting a proper understanding of what we, and the world we inhabit, are like. The 1st order ethical question asks what to do or be in a certain kind of situation- Sartre uses his answer to give a picture of Human Nature. The cosmic question states: “how can one bring into one’s individual life a recognition of one’s relation to the universe as a whole, whatever that relation is?” Sartre answers this by saying that the cosmic question has no answer, but his sense is that the absence of an answer, even if we aren’t aware of that, is something palpable in our lives and needs to be addressed and we need to cope with it. His idea of human nature is really an exploration of how we should deal with the fact that there is no answer to this cosmic question. For Sartre, to understand the structure of this world as a whole, one has to understand the place consciousness has in the world. He continues to emphasize that our consciousness is what makes us distinct, makes us human. Intentionality, self consciousness, self-determination, and their interconnectedness. Firstly, let me iterate that “intentionality” is being used in a sense NOT related to one of its meanings...
Words: 1967 - Pages: 8
...In the following essay I will examine the arguments for and against the idea that there is such a thing as a fixed and essential human nature. This is a debate which goes back to antiquity, to the time of Socrates and to his idea that a person must endeavor to know oneself. Thus founding the first philosophy, which was the study of man and of human nature. Firstly I will examine the argument for a fixed human nature in the form of the theory of argument from design and also determinism. Then I will proceed to examine the argument against a fixed human nature, in the theory of existentialism. Lastly I intend to show the evidence, as to why I conclude that there is no such thing as a fixed human nature, and that the theory of existentialism is the plausible argument. I will examine now, the idea that all humans have a fixed human nature. Plato and Aristotle were the first to concur on metaphysics as the first point of study. They differed to each other in so far as Plato had a dualistic approach and believed in a world outside of the changeable physical world, that we exist in. He thought this world, was just a world of appearances' another world known as the world of ideals or forms. Plato thought the only way we come to know the world of forms was through the intellect. Aristotle however was concerned only with the material world and what he could learn about through his senses. He rejected Plato's idea of an immaterial reality and was concerned only with this world as the...
Words: 2330 - Pages: 10
