Existentialism Part 1

 
  There is No single definition of existentialism nor nihilism. Existentialism is an Idea that only ones who have studied the thinkers of it could truly understand everything about it. To explain it is a task that I cannot do justice to. However I can give a base foundation on what it meens to be an existentialist and more so a nihilist.


Context:
 In short Existentialism Is the philosophy that life has no set meaning. There is no purpose; This means that there is no god (atheists), that there is no set goal for humanity.
Existentialism challenges everyone who understands this to create their own purpose and world. That we have to give are lives meaning.

Nihilism is the over arching Brand. Existentialism is a sub category of Nihilism.
Nihilism is the idea that nothing in life has any kind of intrinsic value. It's sometimes understood in the belief that nothing matters.

Why I put the two together is to highlight the stance of no intrinsic value. That it is my duty to make my life matter and to be moral; nothing can make my life matter except for what I want to make it matter. Things happen to me but I am only the actor and pick how to react to the things that happen to me. I give events meaning, not the other way around.

The thinkers:
            Philosophies history pegs the idea of existentialism start wit:

Søren Kierkegaard (Danish). He made the argument that we cannot halt the individual from his freedom to do as he/she will. He didn't talk or name the idea of existentialism but he did set the ground works.

            Arthur Schopenhauer would be the next. He did not coin the idea nor even talk about the ideas of existentialism. However he did set the world for latter thinkers to create the idea and build on it.

            Friedrich Nietzsche is the most known thinker for existentialism and created the true ground work of thinking for one's self and being one's own thinker.

            Jean-Paul Sartre Is the last and most current thinker (he died in 1980) and is the most know thinkers on this idea to date. He fully filled out what existentialism is and how one lives a life like this.


Livening morally:
Some make the argument that if nothing matters then were do morals come from. This is where I like to highlight Existentialism not the nihilism. Sartre did a very good work on this called "existentialism is a humanism" he argued that it is our goal to live moral lives as to understand what is right and wrong based on values. For instance it is wrong to kill because I harm the life and liberty of that person to be them self's and to live there life as they want. Just as I don't want to die nor do others. Society could have been created differently and different morals would have rooted them self's in are life.
Morality is in effect a social thing. We act based on are ego and the relationships to law and others worlds. But the existentialist denies changing ones self for others. To change for others or to change based on social norms is an abomination. One simply should change ones acts as to live in a sociaty but not to change their ideas or minds.

AS I SAID, ONE MUST READ THE WORKS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING.

This is just the basics of what it means to be an existential nihilist.