Intro to Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

1. Surprise! (Quiz)

2. The Test: Tips for Improvement 

1. Read Ami's tips for test-taking.
2. Read each question carefully and follow the instructions.
1. Tip: Divide your answer into 3 clear sections.
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4. Bad news: Too many people didn't get a high score on Question 1.
5. Hand-writing...
6. Essay question: Let's go over the answer. 

Existentialism: Camus and Kierkegaard

3. (a). What is the most important philosophical question one could ask? (Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus, p. 3-4)

(b). Discuss Camus' answer. Do you agree or disagree? 

4. (a) What does suicide entail? What consequences does it imply? (b) Read Camus, p. 5.

(c) Discuss Camus's answer. 

4. (a) Interpret the following passage from Kierkegaard. How is it relevant to Camus concern?: 

An old proverb fetched from the outward and visible world says: "Only the man the works gets the bread." Strangely enough this proverb does not aptly apply in the world to which it expressly belongs. For the outward world is subjected to the law of imperfection, and again and again the experience is repeated that he too who does not work gets the bread, and the he who sleeps gets it more abundantly than the man who works. In the outward world everything is made payable to the bearer, this world is in bondage to the law of indifference, and to him who has the ring, the spirit of the ring is obedient, whether he be Noureddin or Aladdin, and he who has the world's treasure, has it, however he got it.  (Philistines, Knights of Infinite Resignation and Knights of Faith)

(b) Come up with at least two examples from your own life that illustrate the law of indifference. 

5. (a) For Camus, how do existential thoughts begin? (p. 12)
(b) Camus says "we live on the future". What does he mean? (p. 12)

6. Suppose Camus and Kierkegaard are right. Life is fundamentally absurd, unjust, and without intrinsic meaning. What follows from this?

7. (a) Read 32-35 + 35-37, Victor Frankl. 

(b) Why do you think some prisoners committed suicide while others didn't? Does this tell us anything about how to respond to the absurd?

(c) What gives your life meaning? 

(d) Suppose the law of indifference removed these things from you. How do you think you would you respond? Why?