1. First Principle of Existentialism
“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself” (3).
There is no human nature
Human beings are projects that propel themselves toward a future that they help create
A human being is responsible for the entirety of his or her existence

2. Living Authentically – Positivity in a Sea of Seeming Depression
A focus of existentialist literature
Well, not all existentialist literature
Most focuses on the despair and anguish experienced by humans
More positive in nature and tone
The ability of humans to create own meaning
Claim meaning in an absurd world
Consciousness
Freedom!

3. Albert Camus 1913-1960 French novelist, journalist, and playwright
Born in Algiers (North Africa)
Part of the French Resistance
Wrote The Stranger and The Plague
Absurdity of man’s life
Meaninglessness of death
Fight against evil, suffering, and death

4. Won Nobel Prize for Literature
Wasn’t crazy about it, but didn’t pass it up
Highest honor in the world in writing
Killed in car accident
Height of his literary career

5. Camus believed that we should realize that life is meaningless and nevertheless keep living. If we are able to do this, we may be considered “absurd heroes.”
Absurd heroes see life as a constant struggle, without hope.
If happiness is real, we must find it without hope, faith, or anything besides immediate experience.

6. The Scream – Edvard Munch
Which idea of existentialism might this famous painting represent?

7. “I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”
-Munch’s inspiration for the painting as expressed in his diary headed Nice

8. Monk by the Sea – Caspar David Friedrich
How can you relate this painting to existentialist ideas?