John Killinger's Existentialism Is Not A Religion

There has been a time period in history where people questioned their faith in God. During World War Two, the Nazi regime ruled and slaughtered many innocent people. People were looking to God for answers due to this injustice. However, the killing continued and people slowly lost confidence in God. Therefore, people devoted themselves to the idea of Existentialism. John Killinger, an expert of Existentialism states, “...existentialism is not a philosophy, but a corrective; and, as a corrective, it speaks to all philosophies. It sits in judgement upon any system that loses man from its center and loses sight of the peculiar freedom of man as its goal” (Killinger 26). Existentialism is not a religion. It is a way of self-identifying and a way …show more content…
Acceptance emphasizes decision and freedom as crucial since it is a way to rise above the absurd condition. According to Existential ideas, “Freedom is the acceptance of responsibility for choice and a commitment to one’s choice” (Bigelow 23). Existentialists believe that no matter the actions, the consequences should be accepted fully and willingly. The severity of a consequence should not be taken into consideration when making a decision. Also, when people commit to a decision, they must fulfill their duty, no matter the difficulty. If people are able to handle the consequences of their actions then they are able to live freely as they are able to express meaning in the decisions they make. Likewise, Cooper accepts the responsibility of leaving his family to find another planet and accepts the fact that he may never see them again. He does not regret it and commits himself to completing his goal, which will benefit all of humanity. This is shown as Cooper’s father-in-law says, “But you’ll have to make it right with [your daughter] Murph” and Cooper responds with “I will” (Nolan). This shows how Cooper accepts to face the consequences of the decision he is making. As he may not see his family again after attempting to find a habitable planet, he comes to accept that he is risking spending time with his family in order to save …show more content…
The actions of the protagonist, Cooper, who willingly decides to leave his family and help save humanity when it may not even be possible, reflect many themes of Existentialism. Also, Cooper’s father-in-law who continues to work in a time where his work does not even make a difference further strengthens shows absurdity. This shows that even though people may not be existentialists, they may have existential qualities. Examples include a common day student who may not be learning to actually succeed or to achieve something. Rather to do it without purpose and find meaning in that