Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism 🤔

Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism 🤔

The birth of Modernity’s Meaning Crisis and two responses to it 🌌

In the 19th and 20th centuries, as modernity blossomed 🌸, the religious worldview 🙏 began to fade, unveiling a crisis of meaning known as Nihilism. This crisis led philosophers 🎓 to revisit the age-old question: what is the meaning of life? From this exploration, three philosophical trends emerged: Nihilism, Existentialism, and Absurdism.

Nihilism 🚫: The realization that there’s no objective meaning to our lives.

Existentialism 🧠: Spearheaded by Jean-Paul Sartre, it suggests that humans must create their own meaning through their actions. Sartre’s famous phrase “existence precedes essence” encapsulates this idea. In a world without God or objective meaning, humans define their essence through their existence and actions.

Absurdism 🌀: Developed by Albert Camus in his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus,” Absurdism is about embracing the tension between our desire for meaning and the universe’s inherent meaninglessness. Instead of seeking meaning or turning to religion, the Absurdist confronts the absurdity of life head-on, rebelling against it and affirming life for what it is.

Camus uses the Greek myth of Sisyphus to illustrate Absurdism. Sisyphus, punished to eternally roll a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down, embodies the Absurdist’s rebellion against meaninglessness. Despite the endless, futile task, Camus concludes, “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” 😊

In summary, while Nihilism acknowledges the lack of objective meaning, Existentialism and Absurdism offer two distinct responses: creating one’s own meaning through action 🎭 and embracing the absurdity of life 🎪, respectively.

Thought-Provoking Questions 🤯:

1. How do modern societal values align with the philosophies of Nihilism, Existentialism, and Absurdism? 🌍

2. Can one truly live an Absurdist life, constantly rebelling against meaninglessness, without seeking some form of solace or meaning? 💭

3. How do contemporary events and challenges influence our collective search for meaning and purpose? 🌟

Recommended Reads 📚:

• The Essence of Christianity

• Karl Marx’s perspective on Ludwig Feuerbach

• Existentialism Is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre