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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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I. 1. What tenet is held by both Christian and atheistic existentialists?
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Existence precedes essence
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I. 2. What do existentialists mean by their doctrine that, in the case of human beings, existence precedes essence?
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We are free to create our own essence
Our bodies are not free, but our minds are. |
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I. 3. What is the first principle of existentialism?
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Life does not have meaning, but you can create one
Man is nothing else but that which he makes himself |
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I. 4. In what sense is each of us responsible for all human beings?
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By doing something, you define human nature as that which you did.
In fashioning yourself, you are fashioning man. (By going to college, you are saying humans ought to learn) |
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II. A. 1. What does Sartre mean by “anguish”?
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The heavy burden of knowing that when you choose, all eyes are on you.
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II. A. 2. Why are all human beings in anguish, even those who show no anxiety?
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It is part of human nature; if you are not feeling it, you are denying it
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II. B. 1. What does Sartre mean by “abandonment”?
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Our culture is based upon biblical values, but with no foundation (no God). No God, we are abandoned because we need to form our values without God.
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II. B. 2. Why does Sartre reject the secular morality of radicalism?
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(secular=non-religious)It cannot be grounded; it has no foundation
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II. B. 3. Why is “everything permitted” in atheistic existentialism?
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There is no basis for morality; no one/nothing to say what is right or wrong
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II. B. 4. How does Sartre’s example of the pupil who came to him for advice illustrate abandonment?
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The pupil had to choose between two important things to him, but there is no good answer until you choose it.
God did not help choose because there was no basis. |
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II. C. 1. What does Sartre mean by “despair”?
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No hope
You can only trust yourself, and if you are truthful to yourself, there is no hope. |
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II. C. 2. How does the notion of despair apply to joining a political movement?
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You can't rely on the party or the actions of the party's people, or the party as a whole; you can only rely on yourself.
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III. 1. Why is existentialism the opposite of quietism?
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Quietism is the view that you should sit back and do nothing, because it doesn't matter what you do...it's the opposite because existentialism makes whatever you DO important.
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IV. 1. In what sense is existentialism an optimistic philosophy?
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The fact that whatever you choose is good make it optimistic.
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V. 1. What is the ultimate significance of the actions of persons of good faith?
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Their acts embody freedom
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V. 2. Why must an existentialist value the freedom of others?
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Our freedom depends on the freedom of others.
-By being a Nazi, killing a Jew is treating them like an object, saying human beings are objects. The Nazi then becomes an object. An object has no freedom, so you are using your freedom to not have any freedom. |
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What is the difference between the objective meaning of life and the subjective meaning of life? What is Sartre's position on each?
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Objective: Task or function that is set for you: a right meaning (vocation)
Subjective: Decide what to devote your life to (freedom) Sartre believes in the subjective meaning of life because there is no God to set what is right. |
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What is Camus's notion of Sisyphus as the "absurd hero"?
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Sisyphus was forced to push a rock up a hill for eternity, only to have it fall when it got near the top. He conquered life by thinking subjectively.
By realizing life is absurd, Sisyphus detached himself from physical life, saying he was superior to it and that it was stupid. |
