Existentialism, Absurdism, and Nihilism

Existentialism
Understanding existentialism is often difficult, often because its ideas conflict with
other major trends in the thought of western and eastern philosophies alike. Many
people consider existentialism to be a dark and pessimistic philosophy, void of hope.
However, the opinions of existentialist thinkers were often optimistic about the future of
human beings.

Existentialism can also be difficult to understand because it does not consist of a specific
dogma, or a set of metaphysical claims. Existentialism is not a definitive claim about the
world or the people in it. It is marked, instead, by a set of themes about the human
condition and the struggles and freedoms that humans must endure, or perhaps
embrace.

Despite the various and often conflicting views held by many existentialist philosophers,
there are several main concepts of existentialism that are present in virtually all their
works:

1. Thinking beings, especially humans, have free will.

2. Humans are responsible for the consequences of their decisions.
3. Extremely few, if any, decisions are void of negative consequence.
4. Even when part of a group, each person acts and decides as an individual, and is
accountable as such.
5. The world is indifferent towards humanity.

The definition of existentialism is often hard to pin down, as there are conflicting views
within existentialist thought, variations upon the ideas, and a number of so-called
existentialists who rejected the title. Albert Camus tends to reject the title
Existentialist and has had public disagreements with Jean-Paul Sarte, a
known existentialist, about his philosophical ideas.

Perhaps the central feature of existentialism that can be seen in these points is the
focus on the individual. Existentialists reject the idea that there is a fundamentally
true human nature. Instead, they point out that those who seek to understand human
nature undervalue the individual. The individual is free, as Sartre says, radically free.
The individual can shape its own life and defy its so-called nature. The individual makes
decisions and bears the responsibility for its actions alone.

Existentialism is a philosophy of the individual and its struggle through life a focus on
the subjective life that we all actually live, rather than a search for objective truths
external to us. (This makes us wonder if Siddhartha may have become somewhat of an
Existentialist at the end of the novel.)
Absurdism
The idea of the absurd is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in
Albert Camus. Camus considered himself more of an Absurdist than a true
Existentialist. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things. As Camus
explains it in The Myth of Sisyphus:

The absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the
unreasonable silence of the world.

This view, which is shared by Sarte, is that humanity must live in a world that is and will
forever be hostile or indifferent towards them. The universe will never truly care for
humanity the way we seem to want it to. The atheist view of this statement is that people
create stories, or gods, which in their minds transcend reality to fill this void and
attempt to satisfy their need.

The philosophy that encompasses the absurd is referred to as absurdism. While

absurdism may be considered a branch of existentialism, it is a specific idea
that is not necessary to an existentialist view.

It's easy to highlight the absurdity of the human quest for purpose. It's common to
assume that everything must have a purpose, a higher reason for existence. However, if
one thing has a higher purpose, what is the reason for that purpose? Each new height
must then be validated by a higher one. This evokes the common theological question: if
humankind was created by God, who or what created God? (And, if God answers to a
higher power, to what power does that answer?)

Sren Kierkegaard, although religious himself, declared faith in God to be absurd, since it
is impossible to know God, or to understand His purpose. In The Myth of Sisyphus,
Camus described suicide as the most appropriate and rational reaction to the absurd
but admitted that this is not a very rewarding or worthwhile reaction.

Critics of absurdism tend to focus on two areas of the philosophy. The first is the
proposition, as Camus described, that life's absence of meaning seems to remove any
reason for living. Camus answers this with methods of living with the absurd: through
coping or through revolt and by pointing out that this lack of purpose presents
humankind with true freedom. Others consider the theory itself to be arrogant, stating
that although the purpose of life may not be apparent, that does not confirm that it does
not exist.
Nihilism
Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or
communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism
that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and
no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy. While few philosophers would
claim to be nihilists, nihilism is most often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche who
argued that its corrosive effects would eventually destroy all moral, religious, and
metaphysical convictions and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history. In the
20th century, nihilistic themes religious failure, value destruction, and cosmic
purposelessnesshave preoccupied artists, social critics, and philosophers. Mid-century,
for example, the existentialists helped popularize tenets of nihilism in their attempts to
blunt its destructive potential. By the end of the century, existential despair as a
response to nihilism gave way to an attitude of indifference, often associated with
antifoundationalism. Although Nihilism is connected to Existentialism and Absurdism,
Albert Camus did not consider himself a Nihilist.