Existentialism refers to a philosophical thought proposed by the philosophers of 1900 A. D and 2000 A. D that placed emphasis on the existence conditions of individuals, their thoughts, responsibilities, actions and emotions. Friedrich Nietzsche and Kierkegaard are regarded as the founding furthers of existentialism . the two philosophers have a lot of similarities on their works, though they also display pronounced differences on certain issues.
KIERKEGAAD’S AND NIETZSCHE’S SIMILAR IDEAS ON EXISTENTIALISM
Both of them placed more emphasis on subjective personal than they did on objective truths of science and mathematics which they saw as detached and distinct from each other. Their works also express people’s struggle to lead a meaningful life and the usage of diversion to avoid boredom . they also emphasized on the individual’s to make a choice from available alternatives especially regarding fundamental beliefs and values, and how such freedom can change the identity and nature of an individual.
They also criticized systematic structures, rational and idealistic nature of philosophy. They veered off from this trend by writing on self –affirmation of beliefs and persona values. They further condemned negative impacts of Christianity on population. They rebuked the churches that strayed away from the teachings of Jesus Christ. UNCERTAINITIES OR CONFUSIONS ARISING FROM MY RESEARCH These confusions are based on various conflicting views of the two philosophers that also seem to contrast my knowledge on existentialism.
The Term Paper on Existentialism
... anticipate the major concerns of modern existentialism was the 17th-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal. Pascal rejected the rigorous ... perfection, one resembles other morally perfect individuals. The 19th-century Danish philosopher Sren Kierkegaard, who was the first ... observer. This emphasis on the perspective of the individual agent has also made existentialists suspicious of systematic ...
This contrast is pronounced on their views about the truth and the role of religion on an individual’s life. Soren Kierkegaard for instance had a strong notion that a person can ultimately define himself depending on his believes about the truth. This means that individuals internalize some belief systems that determine how they react to truth. For example it is a fact that the universe exists, but a theist may hold a completely different view about the origin of the universe as opposed to a Christian who strongly believes that it was created by God as taught by the Christianity faith.
Nietzsche on the other hand had a harder-edged view to the truth. This is because he wanted to move to roots of the truth and eliminate any material that can obstruct truth. For example he criticizes moral lessons learnt from playwrights as inherently false because they only create a world of perceived morals which may not be a reality in the real world. My opinion about the truth is that they should be based on verifiable scientific facts.
Kierkegaard’s and Nietzsche’s existentialism work also differs on their views on whether religion plays an important role on human life. Kierkegaard argued that Christianity and faith are personal experiences characterized by joy and dread and not comfort ability of Christendom’s social gathering. Nietzsche argues that Christians are strongly attached to their religion as a compensation for their personal weaknesses. On my opinion I feel that religion is very important because it takes care of the soul and the mind.
CONCLUSION Existentialism is a literary and a philosophical tendency that dismisses abstract theories which disguises the untidiness of human lives and concentrates on the subjective realities about personal existence, freedom, and choice. Kierkegaard and Nietzsche works concentrated on how people can lead their own lives, making informed personal choices and personal liberty. Reference: Soccio D. J. (2006).
Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy, 6th ed. London: Wadsworth Publishing.
