Existentialism

MODULE 5 ★ Existence precedes essence

★ Absurdity
○ We are grounded in a world
We are different from other beings because we
that has no reasons, we create
have free will.
the reason.
○ We are condemned to be free,
Liberation ur morality is made by
★ We are acting on our Free will ourselves.
★ We are free when we have options. ★ Live authentically
○ Determined by the values we
Cons: this challenges God’s omniscience. If chose to accept.
God knows everything then I do not have free ○ You can choose whatever
will. He is the one who decides what my reason you want for your
actions will be and this incudes my future, he world, nothing can give us an
has plans for us, and believing that I have free answer, I choose it cause only I
will, will make the Perfect God imperfect. can give it
★ Bad path
Pros: Diving foreknowledge is not ○ Letting others control your life.
incompatible with human freedom cause God
also renders justice. He has given us the
freedom to decide cause if there is not then his
punishment of the wrongdoers would not be
justified. He has given us options, which we
are responsible for, to sin or not to sin and we
are rightfully punished if we sin. Justice

Hard Determinism

★ Cause and Effect

★ Our free will is a by-product of the laws
of nature.
★ Our decisions may be affected by our
childhood and traumas.

Soft Determinism

★ Action is determined but there is a

moral responsibility MODULE 6
★ We are held accountable for our
actions. Intersubjectivity
★ Self-defense will not be held Main points
accountable for. ★ Have empathy
★ Care
★ Relate with other people
Marcel’s meaning of transcendence - we
have to live our lives worthy enough to be
called human persons.

Intersubjectivity

is a way of life lived in unconditional love for

others. We are each other’s keepers. We
cannot go away with the obligation to help
each other because we are ethical beings by
virtue of our intersubjective relationship with
one another.

Broken world

the world is broken because there is no more

human touch in almost everything we do now.

The more broken we become, the more

confused we are about our true identity.

The Urgent Need for Transcendence

2 types of dissatisfaction
★ non -satisfaction with possession of
power, transcendence is reached once
this power is attained.
★ Non-satisfaction from the innermost
being, a call directed outwards but
inwards (a call to create something
higher than one’s self.

I Am My Body