Existentialism 2 Essay, Research Paper
Existentialism
Existentialism is one of the fastest growing worldviews in the world. Its new age ideas and down to earth thinking makes it very easy to follow, but as with all world views there are obvious flaws which cannot be hidden. Christianity expresses extremely different views to those of Existentialism. I find, and most of my peers also would find, that Existentialism is a very pessimistic worldview, and gives nothing for people to hope for and look forward to.
First of all one of the main problems with this view is that nothing really matters. With the constant changing of attitudes of people, technology and fashion trends, which existentialists tend to follow, one must ask, what is the point of doing all this, living that is, if nothing matters, if it goes nowhere.
In existentialism it is said that the traditional distinction between soul and body is completely eliminated; thus the body is a lived-through experience that is an integral part of man’s existence in its relationship with the world. Therefore consciences do not exist, existentialists counter this by renouncing the use of the term consciences, preferring the term Dasein, which is more appropriate for designating human reality in its totality. For the same reasons, the traditional opposition between subject and object, or between the self and the nonself, loses all sense. Dasein is always particular and individual. It is always a self; but it is also always a project of the world that includes the self, determining or conditioning its modes of being.
This worldview is very different from a Christian worldview. Virtually ever aspect it differs from the views displayed by the Christian religion. First of all, in the Christian religion God is the greatest, he made everything and is our father, he has ultimate power over us but has taken the position of a teacher to guide us out of sin. But in Existentialism the world and the universe are the greatest, although this view does not address the fact of how we got here or where we go next, they say that everything just flows like a river and we should be a leaf and just go with it.
The aspect of what we are is also addressed differently by both, in existentialism we are just freaks of evolution who are waiting to evolve again, there is no purpose to life. In Christianity we have been made in the image of God and are here for a purpose, although we may not know what the meaning is, we must all strive to live like God teaches. How do we know anything? This is addressed by existentialism in the idea that everything has been proved scientifically, Christianity on the other hand says that the human mind has determined and learned things. How do we know right and wrong? This is described in Existentialism that we decide this ourselves individually our right and wrongs. In Christianity God determines right and wrong in the rules he lays down for us in the bible. What happens to us at death? In Existentialism they say that we just simply decompose and get eaten by worms and just add to the cycle of life. In Christianity they say that when we die we go to heaven because Jesus has died for our sins and then live there in bliss.
My reaction to this Worldview is that it is not very good, in my opinion it would bring on depression from the ideas that we are nothing, we have no purpose and we are not going to go anywhere. These factors all mean a lot to me because I like to know where I am going and how I am getting there. This seems important because I like to set goals for myself and I am not easily swayed from the decisions that I make. I also like the idea that we have a purpose and I like the idea that people have followed this religion for many years and that many people believe it. I dislike the thought that there is no point of human history because I like to know where I have been to determine where I want to go.