...Subjective Response to Absurdity Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a great Danish philosopher who attempted to understand what motivates a person to make the decisions they do throughout their life. His work was based on the idea that the human condition is objectively “absurd”, and that “truth is not to be found in objectivity, but in subjectivity, or passionate commitment to an idea” (236). Human nature seeks for meaning of existence, but objectively this is impossible to comprehend become of the complex and immeasurable answer to such a contemplation. Kierkegaard believed that meaning could only be found through one’s personal development and search for a uniquely subjective meaning of existence. He categorized three types of subjective responses to this absurd condition, being aesthetic, ethical, and religious. These three responses represent stages of life that a person must go through to reach a point where they are most connected with their true identity, represented with a connection with a higher power in the religious stage. Before a person can reach this point, they must go through the other stages in succession to build and develop their subjective meaning of life out of the innately absurd condition. The first stage of life that a person goes through is the aesthetic phase, defined by an overwhelming desire to fulfill one’s own self interests. In the aesthetic phase, Kierkegaard describes the decision-making process being based on the immediate, positive repercussions...
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...earth, know that they will one day live in heaven. But it also tells us that they are insulted, persecuted and punished as if they were criminals. Christians however, following the teachings of Christ, loved his pursuers. There are reasons why Christians were prosecuted: - They refused to do military service. -They not involved in the terrible circus shows. -No worshiped the emperor and saw this as an affront to God. -Many people see Christians as strange beings who performed clandestine meetings of questionable content. -They were accused of infanticide (killing young children), of cannibalism (ie cannibalism) and grave moral disorder. -They were accused of going against atheists and Roman customs, because the Romans were polytheistic and monotheistic Christians. -They were accused of many things that did not as the famous fire of Rome in 64 d. C. -The intellectuals of the time accused Christianity of being an absurd doctrine that was unthinkable at the time. It seemed absurd that God became man, it seemed absurd that God died on the cross. It seemed more absurd the idea of resurrection because they believed in the immortality of the soul but not in the resurrection. How is it that after so many persecutions against Christians, they, instead of decreasing the...
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...Kierkegaard felt that subjective reflection was more crucial to the individual life than objective reflection, because subjective reflection focuses on passion and human existence rather than logic and impersonal truth. The objective world is the world of facts and truth, independent of the perceptions of humans. Objective reflection focuses on what actually is, in the real world. Objective reflection centers on the things and ideas in the world that give meaning to life. The subjective world is the world of human thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. It focuses on the relationship between people and their thoughts, feelings and perceptions, in respect to their lives. It centers on how meaning in life is viewed subjectively, or how humans find meaning in their lives. To Kierkegaard, subjective reflection is the relationship to what a person values in life. One major difference I noticed in the reading, between the objective and subjective realms, is in regards to 'being' versus 'becoming'. Kierkegaard stated, “the objective world is as it is: being”. The subjective world is always 'becoming' something else through internal conflicts and struggle. However, the latter difference then creates a chain, as another difference arises between the two realms. The objective world is based in reason, while the subjective world is based in passion. Kierkegaard believed that subjective reflection is the key understanding meaning in life. In a sense, he complains about the...
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...THEATRE OF THE ABSURD OR A THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED? It has been over 40 years since we achieved our independence, and I personally always bragged on how far we have come economically, socially, culturally and more so politically. One never ceases to wonder what transpires [d] during elections. At some point there exists plenty of room for speculation. Over the past few elections there have been experiences of tribal clashes or, if you may, ethnic cleansing as our learned friends would purport. In the same regard we’ve witnessed families being left homeless while others are rendered widows, widowers, and to a greater extent orphans. It doesn’t surprise me that some Kenyans have also been rendered refugees in their own country while others seek refuge to the neighbouring countries. Tension and fears of being attacked clouds the hearts of many as others are left with the quest to revenge. This really makes me wonder ‘Is Kenya a theatre of the absurd or a theatre of the oppressed?’ Theatre of Absurdity: It really struck me with great absurdity that after the elections such acrimony and hatred brewed. So many lives were lost while on the other hand property worth millions of shillings destroyed, and most people have been rendered jobless, while others homeless. It is so absurd that communities that have co-existed for 10 and above years could turn against each other and heartlessly butcher and dismember one another mercilessly. Friends it is indeed very absurd that this...
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...Abraham, led by faith, was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Along the way he experiences despair, but he quickly renounces it so that he is able to make the movement of infinite resignation. Throughout his journey, he exudes the traits of a wise man through his powerlessness thereby regaining his happiness tenfold. Arjuna, struggles with his own path in searching for the meaning of life in his battles. Filled with despair, he looks to God to show him the way to transcendence. Both men have similar motives, but two very different paths in discovering their fate. In both Arjuna’s and Abraham’s path towards transcendence, there are similarities that contribute to the choices they make. First, both of the men have to make sacrifices; Arjuna is faced with making the decision to kill the enemy in order to have the luxuries in life, while Abraham faces what many would say is the worst thing that could happen, the loss of a child. They are both in the midst of a transition in their lives and they are looking to God for assistance. Although two very different tasks, both men are being tempted by God and it is in the response that decides their virtue, and thus transcendence. Both are striving toward the meaning of the eternal being, Abraham reaching for the infinite and Arjuna reaching for the Self; although different terms in the stories, they have the same meaning. Both of their lives at one point are filled with despair, which is crucial to experience in life in order to...
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...жуткая лапа неизвестного зверя 8)Like a wireless operator-как связистка Allusion 1)Faun-фавн Is a rustic forest god or goddess (genii) of Roman mythology often associated with enchanted woods and the Greek god Pan. The faun is a half human - half goat (from the head to the waist being the human half, but with the addition of goat horns) manifestation of forest and animal spirits which would help or hinder humans at whim. 2)Satyr-is one of a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus. He has goat-like features. Fauns and satyrs were originally quite different creatures: whereas fauns are half-man and half-goat, satyrs originally were depicted as stocky, hairy, ugly dwarfs or woodwoses with the ears and tails of horses or asses. Satyrs also were more woman-loving than fauns, and fauns were rather foolish where satyrs had more knowledge. 3)Nymph –нимфа In Greek mythology is a minor female nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. There are 5 different types of nymphs, Celestial Nymphs, Sea Nymphs, Land Nymphs, Wood Nymphs and Underworld Nymphs. 4)Book of Job-Книга Иовы Сommonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. 5)Hampstead- Хэмпстед Commonly known as Hampstead Village, is an affluent area of London, England Synecdoche ...
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...perspectives. Various theatre styles reflect and address the contextual issues of their times, thus providing evidence to my thesis. Theatre is involved in many aspects of our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. It is present in politics, in religion, in the way we participate in the rituals of daily life. It was in Ancient Greece that the first theatre originated – drama had its roots in religious ritual and celebration, particularly in the worship of Dionysus, the god of festivity. Festivals were serious religious occasions in Ancient Greek times. Tragedies were the main types of plays performed during these festivals – these plays always told the stories of Greek heroes and gods, and showed how good and evil were always in conflict. Citizens of Ancient Greece valued the teachings and values Ancient Greek theatre presented to them, and it affected what they believed in and the way they lived their lives. As the Ancient Greek plays idolised the gods, people were highly religious and worshipped the gods and dare not offend them – this is proof of theatre directly affecting how people lived their lives. Highly religious values were also the main theme presented in medieval drama. During this context, The Christian Church had dispersed popular entertainment and theatre activities. Ironically, it was the Church that helped revive...
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...top. While these two scenarios may seem to be completely unrelated, they are in fact only separated by one distinct difference: consciousness towards their situation. In “The Myth of Sisyphus”, Albert Camus asks us the fundamental question of whether or not life is worth living once man discovers that life is absurd. Camus defines absurdity as a futile search for the meaning of our existence. It seems to me, that there are only two ways of handling life once one has come to the realization that life is absurd: We can act like the man stuck in a monotonous daily routine, believing that there is no reason for living, bringing him one step closer to suicide, or we can act like Sisyphus, a man Camus describes as an absurd hero, a man who despite being condemned to an absurd task, redeems himself by making the choice to revolt rather than kill himself. (http://thecynicalgirl.com/the-myth-of-sisyphus/ ). I believe that to survive in this absurd and meaningless world, one must act like Sisyphus, one must own their fate, stay determined, and never ask the question of “why?” Camus states in the “Myth of Sisyphus” that he is intrigued by Sisyphus’ ability to continue with his absurd task. He says, “It is during that return, that pause, that Sisyphus interests me. A face that toils so close to stones is already stone itself! I see that man going back down with a heavy yet measured step toward the torment of which he will never know the end. That hour like a breathing-space which returns as...
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...It must constantly be kept in mind that the subjective problem is not about some other subject matter but simply about subjectivity itself” (947). This is talking about in a deep personal knowing of God, that we have an inwardness to the experience of the subject. “When subjectivity is truth, subjectivity’s definition must include an expression for an opposition to objectivity, a reminder of the fork in the road, and this expression must also convey the tension of inwardness…The objective uncertainty, held fast in an appropriation process of the most passionate inwardness is the truth, the highest truth available for an existing person” (950). His definition of God is, Is God is an object in that he is the biggest object. I cannot know God if he is an object, and this goes back to Moses and the burning bush with the, “who are you” question. But he does not see that it is not the bush talking to Moses, but it is God talking and not a thing talking. This definition caused him a lot of trouble. Kierkegaard then goes on to explain truth as a paradox, that it is objectively defined as subjectivity. This inwardness that he speaks of for the individual, is that he may find eternal happiness. He ends with, “what is the absurd? The absurd is that the eternal truth...
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...absurdity of happiness, this is apparent in the following sentence “But when he had seen again, the face of this world, enjoyed water and sun, warm stones and the sea,” (Albert Camus). Sisyphus is a hedonist, he takes great joy from the world and enjoys all the earthly pleasures of the warm sun, and the calm sea, he loves to live his life full of pleasure. However, the gods are determined to punish Sisyphus for not staying in the underworld after he had died. Consequently, he is taken by Mercury back to the underworld, were his rock is there ready for him....
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...In the Singletons case David stated, “A law that asks doctors to make people well so that the government can kill them is an absurd law” the premise here would be ‘A law that asks doctors to make people well’ followed by the conclusion ‘ So that the government can kill them is an absurd law’. Here we see that “So” is the adverb leading to the conclusion. The validity of this argument is demonstrated by inductive reasoning. This is an invalid argument because according to our book “The premises of good inductive arguments don’t demonstrate their conclusions; they support them”(Parker...
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...L’Étranger the original name of the book “The Stranger” explores the French novelist, Albert Camus, own philosophy on the absurdity of life. In other words, an absurd word is devoid of rational meaning. The protagonist, Meursault, is created, as an existentialist character showing us how Camus see’s the world, even if he later swore he wasn’t an existentialist. The themes of the novel are mostly based on the everyday life such as religion, the natural world, isolation, mortality, and the absurd life we live on. This plot is aligned with many events that occur by the cause of Meursault’s character to pursue the nonsensical things. The conclusion of this book is based on the fact that the world’s absurdity leads us to find out that there is no...
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...part of an ordered social structure and who live in an intelligible universe. This kind of notion emerged as a result of the horrors of World Wars. Earlier, in the Victorian age there was a conflict between religion and science. People were in oscillation between these two systems. In the twentieth century, they lost hope in both systems as God didn’t come to help them and science, in fact, caused a mass destruction. At this juncture, gradually the reality started gripping the consciousness of the people. Though the foundational stones of western culture – Religion and Science dwindled, modern man is not in a position to accept this reality. He always attempts to search for a unified, logical and eternal reality. In other words, he tries to bring back the order of the society and make himself a part of it. According to the post-world war absurd writers, this kind of attempt of man is futile and more importantly, there is no such thing as unified, logical and eternal reality. In fact, this futile attempt of the modern man makes their existence anguished and absurd. In this connection, it is worthy to quote Albert Camus’ explanation of the absurd condition of man in The Myth of Sisyphus: A world that can be explained by reasoning, however, faulty, is a familiar world. But in a universe that is suddenly deprived of...
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...In his final peace, his acceptance and revelation of his life and anticipated death is heightened into him actualizing the Absurd. From his carefully chosen first words to his last the narrative of Meursault ends. As Ellison emplores and elaborates upon, Meursault’s journey leading up to actualizing the absurd was the design of his indifferent attitude and outlook on the world conflicting with theirs, on an emotional and judiciary standpoint. “The notion of the absurd as developed in The Stranger depends upon a confrontational relation between the misunderstood and mistreated individual and a society whose rules and laws hover in an abstract realm beyond his control and comprehension”. The development in terms of Meursault laying "[his] heart open to the benign indifference of the universe" and ultimate happiness is interested primarily in the condemnation of Meursault from his incomprehension to consciously recognize or perceive the norms of his society....
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...Imagine, if you will, that there is nothing. There is no god; maybe he has gone away, or perhaps he was never there to begin with. There are no reasons, no master plan, no explanations. Just you, and me, and your family, and my family, and all the people we know, and all the people they know, and all the rest. Just people. If somebody gets sick and dies, they get sick and die, and that's that. If someone wants to hurt someone else, they do it. At the same time, though, we can't forget that if somebody wants to help someone, then they don't need a rationalization for that action, either. They just do it. Everyone is responsible for 'just doing things', accountable for the things that they choose to do. This world is, at its heart, chaotic and unpredictable. This is the world of the existentialist. They ask those big life questions. The ones we all want to know and are all trying to find out. If you went into almost any philosophy class today you might hear the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Nothing makes humans more curious than to determine what their purpose is. This is something humans begin contemplating at a very young age. Children are asked what they want to be when they grow up; they play dress up and use their imaginations to create themselves a purpose in life. It is a natural human instinct to want a purpose in life. Most humans see it unnatural to reject the path that is safe and familiar. People who live alternative lifestyles are often looked down upon...
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