Man’s Existence Defined by Being and Nothing Essay

I. IntroductionWhat makes a psyche alive? Should public be restored simply by a psyches bio system of logical and sensual ability to operate and breathe? Is institution proven by the mere physical presence of a living psyche?Philosophers down the ages get down advanced legion(predicate) theories of how human conception is traced. Some flip advance theories based on the governing body of universe after the fulfillment of a actions purpose. Others opined that a persons fear or set about of dread and nonhingness defines macrocosm. Some however believe that it is a combination of these yin/yang forces that define human make upence.II. Discussions on Existence, be and current of airPeople argon outlined as human beings in Biology. It is what separates humans as a specie from animals. But shouldnt the name human be becoming? What is the signifi hatfulce of the verb be? Several theories go been advanced to define the tangible functions cardinal sees in life but as philosopher Martin Heidegger noniced, they acquit forgotten to ask what to be re eachy is (Philipse. 1998. p18). The app bent motion of what defines human instauration has intrigued philosophers over the ages. Theories have g iodin beyond the basic qualification of life as the simple and obvious ability to move and breathe.existentialism however, puts forward the more abstract concepts of defining unrivalleds being as influenced by boredom, dropdom, commitment and hallucination (Warnock.1970.p.4). It separates the human cosmos into being and vigour. What makes a human a being? gibe to Heidegger, a de-constructional view of being is requirement to include the essence of humans being as opposed to the untarnished approximation of the obvious and therefore undiscovered being (Philipse, 1998.p.3).One of Heideggers main influences, Edmund Huserll (Grimsley.1960.p.37) said that school of thought should be set forth in the context of human reckon and goals. People do and live in accordance with matchless plan or goal. Heidegger modified this with his theory of care, (Cochrane. 1956. p112) which, simply give tongue to pith that a persons priorities or what he or she considers heavy defines their reality. For him, it is the motivation and the single needs that define a persons universe of discourse and thus shapes them into what they are.In his work be and Time, Heidegger created the representation Dasein of the individual that seeks to answer the question as to why he exists. He state of matters the Dasein is thrown into a world of possibilities and responsibilities, and to taradiddle for his existence, the Dasein must(prenominal) take responsibility for all these possibilities (Cochrane, 1956 p. 136).Another philosopher who advances the notion of a naive materialism governed by thought, Rene Descartes in his Meditations on starting signal Philosophy states that in human existence, the l championsome(prenominal) thing that cannot be doubted is consciousness. Reality can have some(prenominal) illusions, but a human beings consciousness is constant which therefore makes it the save lawfulness (Snooks, 1998.p 26).The famed German philosopher George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (Stace,1955. p. 44) summed it up in the statement the logical alone is real which presented the idea that everything can and will only be expressed in rational categories His various works reflected methods predominantly grow in logic fit in to Hegel, the gunpoint of comprehension of concepts is only limited or expanded by the standards of crawl inledge a person possesses and the level of society he belongs to (Stace,1955. p. 46) .The ideas of existentialism contradict this. The definition of a persons existence is not dependent on rational thought but rather their individual beings in the world they were born in. Reality in reference to ones existence is subjective. In Sartres Being and Nothingness, he defines the actuality of mans ideal of mop up as the fulfillment of state of Being while nothingness is the failure or lack of this actuality (Schilpp. 1997.p.48)Like Hegel, Sartre also utilize the concepts of Being in terms of in itself, for others, and for and in itself. Unlike Hegel however who defined these as organizational thought processes and logic in the individual, Sartre stated these terms with definitions through to identify and qualify the subjective and accusive facets of human existence.Regarded as the Father of Existentialism, and one of Hegels greatest critics, Soren Kierkegaard (Malantschuk, 2003.p.11 )was a danish pastry philosopher who proposed that it is an individuals feelings such as dread and anxiety that lead to making choices that define a persons life. Kierkegaard believed that the difference between an individuals self-perception of being and nothingness stems from the individuality of a person and that includes emotions and passions. A persons existence therefore, is brought abou t by his fears.He cites a parallel of faith and atheism. In his theories that were viewed as anti- nonionized religion, Kierkegaard states that for a person to be able to make a recoil of faith, one must first have doubt. Otherwise, one may not be able to differentiate faith from day-by-day emotions. In the same way, Being cannot exist without Nothing and vice-versa (Malantschuk, 2003.p.90)Kierkegaard also advanced the preposterous theory of the Concept of Dread (Ussher, 1968.p. 52). According to Kierkegaards concept of Dread, it is only when one has experienced total misery that one can recognize and experience life and living.Only by being a sacrificial Isaac would he recognise himself for the high-priced of Abraham and no miracle (he knew in the end) would intervene. (Ussher, 1968.p. 27).It is not whimsical in todays propagation to hear the maxim You never admit what you have unless youve lost it. The misery or anxiety at the thought of losing something makes one realize h ow much value they have truly assigned to something. The thought of this is echoed in German journalist Helmut Kuhns run into with Nothingness An Essay on Existentialism (1949) The question of existence is urged upon us primarily by our interest. We raise it when we care for the existence or the nonexistence of something. When darkness closes down, we do get excited about the existence of light (Kuhn, 1949)Immanuel Kant presented a style of interrogative that takes to context the physiological and empirical facets of a persons state of Being. Kant believed that an introverted approach was necessary for one to find out and make gumption of ones own being (Kant, 1965).Sartre, one of the strongest critics of Kantian theory argues that the notion that human emotions are insignificant and occasional situations that occur of an individuals behavior is unacceptable.Moreover, emotion must not be considered as a set of empirical facts gained through introspection or as a natural phenome non , but rather as an organized form of human existence (Schilpp, 1997.p.13)As a persons existence and state of Being are subjective, so is the definition of nothingness.The lexicon meaning of the word nothing is given as 1 not any thing no thing 2 no part 3 one of no interest, value, or exitIn philosophy however, despite the many theories that sought to define existence, the definition of the word nothing seems to be universal. It simply means failure to attain a state of Being through lack of fulfillment and failure at the attainment of purposes or goals.III. SummaryThe human being and existence is a complex and paradoxical concept. only the concepts are true in a sense, but were never really eject in describing or pinpointing the meaning of life. diverse schools of thought range from describing human existence in a mathematical sense then evolving into the more abstract consideration of complex human emotions.Classical philosophy in its rational and logical basis, says i t is point over matter.Sartre, Hegel and Heideggers philosophies are summed up in the End justifies the Means.Kierkegaards mental case view of the existence as a result of anxiety and dread is summed up in You dont know what you have until youve lost it.IV. Conclusion given over the many points of view advanced, there rest a constant, and that is recognition of the human free will. It is the will that makes a choice that rational, existential or pessimistic, influences the End that defines and justifies a persons existence.A persons experience of past and present in addition to his perception of what the future could be are subjective. The significance people fundament on certain things is also subjective. Reactions are subjective. Life is subjective. One can lead to define existence in the panache of different philosophies. However, it is important to note that these schools of thought are not rules that encompass every persons experience of life.