Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism — Explained and Compared | Summary and Q&A

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May 30, 2021
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The Living Philosophy
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Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism — Explained and Compared

TL;DR

Nihilism represents the crisis of meaning due to the absence of objective meaning; existentialism suggests creating our own meaning through our actions, while absurdism encourages rebellion against meaninglessness.

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Key Insights

  • 🌍 The crisis of meaning known as Nihilism emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries as the religious worldview began to fade.
  • 🙏 Traditional religions offered objective meaning to life, but as modernity took hold, objective meaning began to dissolve.
  • ⚖️ Existentialism, a response to Nihilism, suggests that individuals have the power to create their own meaning through their actions.
  • 😶 Absurdism, another response to Nihilism, acknowledges the tension between humanity's hunger for meaning and the meaningless universe we live in.
  • 💔 Absurdism rejects the options of suicide or philosophical suicide, instead embracing the absurdity of existence and rebelling against it.
  • 🕊️ Albert Camus's figure of Sisyphus represents the Absurdist perspective, finding pleasure in life's struggles despite the ultimate meaningless of it all.
  • ⛰️ The struggle itself, according to Absurdism, is enough to fill one's heart and affirm the value of life.
  • 🔑 Nihilism raises the crisis of meaning, while Existentialism and Absurdism provide different responses to this crisis.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How does Nihilism challenge the notion of objective meaning?

Nihilism challenges the notion of objective meaning by highlighting the absence of any higher purpose or greater significance in life. It suggests that all attempts to find meaning are futile and ultimately meaningless.

Q: What is the core belief of existentialism?

The core belief of existentialism is that individuals have the freedom and responsibility to create their own meaning in life. Existentialists argue that objective meaning does not exist, and it is up to each person to determine their purpose through their actions and choices.

Q: How does absurdism differ from existentialism?

While existentialism emphasizes the individual's ability to create meaning, absurdism takes a different approach. Absurdism rejects the search for meaning altogether and encourages individuals to rebel against the inherent meaninglessness of life. By embracing the tension between the human need for meaning and the meaningless reality, absurdists find fulfillment in the struggle itself.

Q: What is the significance of Sisyphus in Albert Camus's philosophy of Absurdism?

Sisyphus symbolizes the absurdity and futility of life in Camus's philosophy. Sisyphus's punishment of rolling a rock up a hill only to see it roll back down represents the eternal cycle of meaninglessness. However, Camus sees Sisyphus as a rebel who defies the gods and finds meaning in the struggle itself, ultimately imagining him as happy.

Summary & Key Takeaways

  • Nihilism is the realization that there is no objective meaning to life, leading to a crisis of meaning.

  • Existentialism offers a response by asserting that individuals can create their own meaning through their choices and actions.

  • Absurdism, on the other hand, suggests embracing the absurdity of life and rebelling against the demand for meaning.

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