By Jean-Paul Sartre “Hell is other people.”

What in the hell is existentialism? Speaking of Hell… What in the hell is existentialism?

Existentialism is a philosophical and cultural movement that became well known and significant after WWII. Have you ever experienced or observed a situation that made you ask, Why is this happening? War Natural disasters (Japan) Cancer

The Corruption of Humanity It is estimated that 90,000–166,000 were killed in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 killed in Nagasaki. IN AN INSTANT. It is estimated that anywhere from 11-17 million people were killed in the Holocaust.

WWII 1939-1945 Awful moment in human and world history. The events of WWII lead to questions. How valuable is human life? How can we allow this to happen? Many looked to God for answers… “God is dead.” Friedrich Nietzsche Existentialism is born.

Existentialist Beliefs Existence precedes essence. Existence = existing here on earth Essence = your soul, spirit, the core of who you are Religion says we have a soul before and after we live on Earth. Existentialists don’t believe this. We exist and then we are gone. “A path is chosen for us” & “Everything happens for a reason” Existentialists disagree

Existentialist Beliefs There are no lasting values; we create them in the moment. The only value in your life is in the decision you make in that moment. This moment is always filled with anxiety and despair. “What would you do if….” Existentialist say “yeah right.” There is no “What if” there is only “This is”

Existentialist Beliefs We create our own human nature through free choices, but there is no way out of this. We are condemned to be free – we must choose, but we often screw up. People like to believe “things” happen because of “fate” or for “a reason” Existentialists say everything happens because of YOU. The individual is responsible. No higher power or reason is responsible for what occurs to each of us.  

Existentialist Beliefs We are a blip – insignificant “Gnats on a windshield” (as my dad put it) Isn’t it comforting to think otherwise?

Jean-Paul Sartre Born in Paris is 1905. Raised Catholic. Graduated first in his class with a degree in philosophy. He published his first novel, Nausea, in 1938. In it he expresses his belief that a person feels nauseated when exposed to a meaningless existence. In 1939 he was drafted into the French army. In 1944 No Exit was published, firmly establishing him as a playwright.

Sartre and Existentialism The term “existentialism” was coined in the mid 40’s and adopted by Sartre in 1945. Existentialism became "the first media craze of the postwar era.“ Existentialism emphasizes the individual. Individual existence, individual freedom, and individual choice. Existentialism denies the existence of moral standards. Rejects the idea that the universe offers any clues about how humanity should live. It is all about your individual decision in the moment.

Seriously…WHAT THE HELL?

Sisyphus’s Existential Hell