The Meaning of Life

Collated by Ms McIntosh Year 10 ReligionCabra Dominican College

Existentialism

“Our lives have only the value we give them”Free will- Choice- Responsibility

What is Existentialism?• A philosophy that developed

during and after World War II, as a response to the atrocities and upheaval experienced in the world at this time.

What do Existentialists believe?We Exist!

• Humans and all things exist but our existence has no meaning until WE act and give our lives meaning.

• You exist only, you have no personality or soul or essence until YOU define who you are through your actions.

• We are, therefore, the sum of our actions : what we do, how we act, what we say (not our emotions or thoughts or appearance)

What do Existentialists believe?Actions & Responsibility

• So we are ALL responsible for the consequences of our own actions. Few decisions are without negative consequences.

• “Responsibility is the dark side of freedom” Ivan Soll

• No-one can blame anyone else for what we do or say, we have total freedom in our choice of action.

What do Existentialists believe?Actions & Responsibility

• The Philosopher Sartre stated that we "are condemned to be free." Why condemned?

• Life is a series of choices that ultimately leads to stress, anguish, fear, uneasiness.

The story of Sisyphus

• In a GREEK myth, Sisyphus is condemned for eternity to roll a rock up a hill, but when he reaches the summit, the rock will roll to the bottom again. Camus, a French philosopher and writer, believes that this existence is pointless but that Sisyphus ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his task, simply by continually applying himself to it. Please note, there is also an element of the ABSURD in this.

What do Existentialists believe?Birth/Life/Death

• We are born (with no connection to an ‘inner self’) and amidst the chaos of the world we are expected to find our way through it.

• The universe offers no clues about how life should be lived.

• You must give life meaning while you exist/ are alive because life is all there is; nothing happens after life. Death = nothing.

What do Existentialists believe?Birth/Life/Death

What do Existentialists believe?Afterlife

• There is no God. We can only act on what we think is right or wrong, there are no ‘spiritual’ guides

• There is therefore no afterlife.• Some things are just absurd or irrational

without explanation.

What do Existentialists believe?Fate?

• Life has only EXTRINSIC value (what happens outside us, not internally, our actions)

• Life is therefore what you make it, it is not predetermined and therefore there is no such thing as FATE.

Existentialism: So what do you think?• No God? No Angels? No Afterlife?• No fate or destiny?• You are the sum of your actions?• You are not ‘born’ with any type of personality or

soul?• We are all individually responsible for our actions,

you cannot blame anyone else?• Almost all actions have negative consequences?• Life choices lead to anguish, fear and stress?• Some things can just never be explained?

Are you an Existentialist?

Sources used:• Ivan Soll, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin, Madison from World Book

Multimedia Encyclopedia. • www.english-ap-m-j.hanna.anderson5.net• Ms Samuel ‘Meaning of Life PowerPoint’ and various handouts• Ms Woodbridge Class notes• Images: www.cartoonstock.com.au, www.sangria.net, www.krishna.com.au