Existentialism and Human Emotions Essay Example for Free

Existentialism and Human Emotions Essay I SHOULD LIKE on this occasion to defend existentialism against some charges which have been brought against it. First, it has been charged with inviting people to remain in a kind of desperate quietism because, since no solutions are possible, we should have to consider action in this world as quite impossible. We should then end up in a philosophy of contemplation; and since contemplation is a luxury, we come in the end to a bourgeois philosophy. The communists in particular have made these charges. On the other hand, we have been charged with dwelling on human degradation, with pointing up everywhere the sordid, shady, and slimy, and neglecting the gracious and beautiful, the bright side of human nature; for example, according to Mlle. Mercier, a Catholic critic, with forgetting the smile of the child. Both sides charge us with having ignored human solidarity, with considering man as an isolated being. The communists say that the main reason for this is that we take pure subjectivity, the Cartesian I think, as our starting point; in other words, the moment in which man becomes fully aware of what it means to him to be an isolated being; as a result, we are unable to return to a state of solidarity with the men who are not ourselves, a state which we can never reach in the cogito. From the Christian standpoint, we are charged with denying the reality and seriousness of human undertakings, since, if we reject Gods commandments and the eternal verities, there no longer remains anything but pure caprice, with everyone permitted to do as he pleases and incapable, from his own point of view, of condemning the points of view and acts of others. I shall today try to answer these different charges. Many people are going to be surprised at what is said here about humanism. We shall try to see in what sense it is to be understood. In any case, what can be said from the very beginning is that by existentialism we mean a doctrine which makes human life possible and, in addition, declares that every truth and every action implies a human setting and a human subjectivity. As is generally known, the basic charge against us is that we put the emphasis on the dark side of human life. Someone recently told me of a lady who, when she let slip a vulgar word in a moment of irritation, excused herself by saying, I guess Im becoming an existentialist. Consequently, existentialism is regarded as something ugly; that is why we are said to be naturalists; and if we are, it is rather surprising that in this day and age we cause so much more alarm and scandal than does naturalism, properly so called. The kind of person who can take in his stride such a novel as Zolas The Earth is disgusted as soon as he starts reading an existentialist novel; the kind of person who is resigned to the wisdom of the ages-which is pretty sad-finds us even sadder. Yet, what can be more disillusioning than saying true charity begins at home or a scoundrel will always return evil for good? We know the commonplace remarks made when this subject comes up, remarks which always add up to the same thing: we shouldnt struggle against the powers that-be; we shouldnt resist authority; we shouldnt try to rise above our station; any action which doesnt conform to authority is romantic; any effort not based on past experience is doomed to failure; experience shows that mans bent is always toward trouble, that there must be a strong hand to hold him in check, if not, there will be anarchy. There are still people who go on mumbling these melancholy old saws, the people who say, Its only human! whenever a more or less repugnant act is pointed out to them, the people who glut themselves on chansons realistes; these are the people who accuse existentialism of being too gloomy, and to such an extent that I wonder whether they are complaining about it, not for its pessimism, but much rather its optimism. Can it be that what really scares them in the doctrine I shall try to present here is that it leaves to man a possibility of choice? To answer this question, we must re-examine it on a strictly philosophical plane. What is meant by the term existentialism? Most people who use the word would be rather embarrassed if they had to explain it, since, now that the word is all the rage, even the work of a musician or painter is being called existentialist. A gossip columnist in Clartes signs himself The Existentialist, so that by this time the word has been so stretched and has taken on so broad a meaning, that it no longer means anything at all. It seems that for want of an advanced-guard doctrine ,analogous to surrealism, the kind of people who are eager for scandal and flurry turn to this philosophy which in other respects does not at all serve their purposes in this sphere. Actually, it is the least scandalous, the most austere of doctrines. It is intended strictly for specialists and philosophers. Yet it can be defined easily. What complicates matters is that there are two kinds of existentialists; first, those who are Christian. among whom I would include Jaspers and Gabriel Marcel, both Catholic; and on the other hand the atheistic exi stentialists among whom I class Heidegger, and then the French existentialists and myself. What they have in common is that they think that existence precedes essence, or, if you prefer, that subjectivity must be the starting point. Just what does that mean? Let us consider some object that is manufactured, for example, a book or a papercutter: here is an object which has been made by an artisan whose inspiration came from a concept. He referred to the concept of what a paper-cutter is and likewise to a known method of production, which is part of the concept, something which is, by and large, a routine. Thus, the paper-cutter is at once an object produced in a certain way and, on the other hand, one leaving a specific use; and one can not postulate a man who produces a paper-cutter but does not know what it is used for. Therefore, let us say that, for the paper-cutter, essence-that is, the ensemble of both the production routines and the properties which enable it to be both produced and defined-precedes existence. Thus, the presence of the paper-cutter or book in front of me is determined. Therefore, we have here a technical view of the world whereby it can be said that production precedes existence. When we conceive God as the Creator, He is generally thought of as a superior sort of artisan. Whatever doctrine we may be considering, whether one like that of Descartes or that of Leibniz, we always grant that will more or less follows understanding or, at the very least, accompanies it, and that when God creates He knows exactly what he is creating. Thus, the concept of man in the mind of God is comparable to the concept of a paper-cutter in the mind of the manufacturer, and, following certain techniques and a conception, God produces man, just as the artisan, following a definition and a technique, makes a paper-cutter. Thus, the individual man is the realization of a certain concept in the divine intelligence. In the eighteenth century, the atheism of the philosophers discarded the idea of God, but not so much for the notion that essence precedes existence. To a certain extent, this idea is found everywhere; we find it in Diderot, in Voltaire, and even in Kant. Man has a human nature; this human nature, which is the concept of the human, is found in all men, which means that each man is a particular example of a universal concept, man. In Kant, the result of this universality is that the wild-man, the natural man, as well as the bourgeois, are circumscribed by the same definition and have the same basic qualities. Thus, here too the essence of man precedes the historical existence that we find in nature. Atheistic existentialism, which I represent, is more coherent. It states that if God does not exist, there is at least one being in whom existence precedes essence, a being who exists before he can be defined by any concept, and that this being is man, or, as Heidegger says, human reality. What is meant here by saying that existence precedes essence? It means that, first of all, man exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and, only afterwards, defines himself. If man, as the existentialist conceives him, is indefinable, it is because at first he is nothing. Only afterward will he be something, and he himself will have made what he will be. Thus, there is no human nature, since there is no God to conceive it. Not only is man what he conceives himself to be, but he is also only what he wills himself to be after this thrust toward existence. Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Such is the first principle of existentialism. It is also what is called subjectivity, the name we are labeled with when charges are brought against us. But what do we mean by this, if not that man has a greater dignity than a stone or table? For we mean that man first exists, that is, that man first of all is the being who hurls himself toward a future and who is conscious of imagining himself as being in the future. Man is at the start a plan which is aware of itself, rather than a patch of moss, a piece of garbage, or a cauliflower nothing exists prior to this plan; there is nothing in heaven; man will be what he will have planned to be. Not what he will want to be. Because by the word will we generally mean a conscious decision, which is subsequent to what we have already made of ourselves. I may want to belong to a political party, write a book, get married; but all that is only a manifestation of an earlier, more spontaneous choice that is called will. But if existence really does precede essence, man is responsible for what he is. Thus, existentialisms first move is to make every man aware of what he is and to make the full responsibility of his existence rest on him. And when we say that a man is responsible for himself, we do not only mean that he is responsible for his own individuality, but that he is responsible for all men. The word subjectivism has two meanings, and our opponents play on the two. Subjectivism means, on the one hand, that an individual chooses and makes himself; and, on the other, that it is impossible for man to transcend human subjectivity. The second of these is the essential meaning of existentialism. When we say that man chooses his own self, we mean that every one of us does likewise; but we also mean by that that in making this choice he also chooses all men. In fact, in creating the man that we want to be, there is not a single one of our acts which does not at the same time create an image of man as we think he ought to be. To choose to be this or that is to affirm at the same time the value of what we choose, because we can never choose evil. We always choose the good, and nothing can be good for us without b eing good for all. If, on the other hand, existence precedes essence, and if we grant that we exist and fashion our image at one and the same time, the image is valid for everybody and for our whole age. Thus, our responsibility is much greater than we might have supposed, because it involves all mankind. If I am a workingman and choose to join a Christian trade-union rather than be a communist, and if by being a member I want to show that the best thing for man is resignation, that the kingdom of man is not of this world, I am not only involving my own case-I want to be resigned for everyone. As a result, my action has involved all humanity. To take a more individual matter, if I want to marry, to have children; even if this marriage depends solely on my own circumstances or passion or wish, I am involving all humanity in monogamy and not merely myself. Therefore, I am responsible for myself and for everyone else. I am creating a certain image of man of my own choosing. In choosing myself, I choose ma n.

Warriors of the Amazon :: Yanomami Tribe

In the Amazon between Venezuela and Brazil, there is a tribe of native people known as the Yanomami. The Yanomami are an ancient people who are relatively unaffected by the civilizations and technology of today. They are a culture of hunting and gathering. The men are warriors that help to defend the tribe from other tribes, hunt for meat, and attack opposing tribes. The women stay home and cook, raise the children. Many people stay in the shibono, or community complex. The children are raised for a rough life, to be warriors. They learn that every injury suffered must be repaid. Men are the powerful gender, with all the rights. The relationships created by having in-laws are the basis for their power. If a favor is granted, it must be returned. A person is always supposed to be loyal to their family connections. A shaman is appointed to be the head of the tribe. Spirituality is a very important, everyday thing. The tribe is constantly at war with demons. There are ritual hallucinogens that are used for contact with spirits and the spirit world. The spirits control events in life which the shaman attempt to harness. The shaman gains the powers of these spirits by going to the spirit world, and he uses these to put curses on enemy shamans and heal tribe members from the vices of demons. Diseases and illnesses are causes by the demons and as such can only be heal by spiritual power. When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an abomination to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their name or person is never to be mentioned again. Enemy tribes fight and put curses on each other. To become allies again they must trade and negotiate. Then, the tribes combine together with a large peace celebration. They conduct a dance in ceremonial dress and test each others strength.

Mr. Price

Place your cursor on the area where you wish to enter Information. The box will turn black; begin typing. Title: Content Area: Publisher: Hardware Required: courseware Functions: check all that apply by â€Å"left† mouse clicking In the square. Drill and practice Simulation Instructional gaming Problem solving Tutorial Other Many characteristics should be considered when selecting courseware for use in one's classroom or lab, but the following should be considered essential qualities for ny instructional product on the computer.If courseware does not meet these criteria, It should not be considered for purchase. For each item, check (left mouse click), all that are appropriate for the courseware under review. l. Instructional Design and Pedagogical Soundness Teaching strategy appropriate for student level and based on best-known methods. Presentation on screen contains nothing that misleads or confuses students. Readability and difficulty at an appropriate level for students w ho will use it Comments to students not abusive or insulting Graphics fulfill important purpose (motivation, information) and are not distracting to learners.Criteria specific to drill and practice functions High degree of control over presentation rate (unless the method is timed review). Appropriate feedback for correct answers (none, if timed; not elaborate or time- consuming) Feedback more reinforcing for correct than for incorrect responses. Criteria specific to tutorials High degree of interactivity (not just reading information). High degree of user control (forward and backward movement, branching upon request). omprehensive teaching sequence so Instruction Is self-contained and stand-alone.Adequate answer-judging capabilities for student-constructed answers to questions Criteria specific to simulations Appropriate degree of fidelity (accurate depiction of system being modeled) Good documentation available on how program works. Criteria specific to instructional games: Low q uotient of violence or combat-type activities 1 OF2 Amount 0T pnyslcal aexterlty requlrea approprlate to students Content No grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors on screen. and current No racial, ethnic, or gender stereotypes. no wlll use It. II.All content accurate Sensitive treatment of moral and/or social issues (e. g. , perspectives on war or capital punishment) Ill. User Flexibility User normally has some control of movement within the program (e. g. , can go from screen to screen at desired rate; can read text at desired rate; can exit program when desired). Can turn off sound, if desired ‘V. Technical Soundness Program loads consistently, without error. Program does not break, no matter what the student enters. the screen says it should do. Decision Recommended for purchase Not recommended Comments: Program does what

Whats Inside a Sand Dollar

Have you ever walked along the beach and found a sand dollar shell? This shell is called a  test and is the endoskeleton of a sand dollar, a burrowing sea urchin. The shell is left behind when the sand dollar dies and its velvety spines fall off to reveal a smooth case underneath. The test may be white or grayish in color and has a distinct star-shaped marking in its center. If you pick up the test and shake it gently, you may hear rattling inside. This is because the sand dollars amazing eating apparatus is dried and loose within the shell. A sand dollars body has five jaw sections, 50 calcified skeletal elements, and 60 muscles. A sand dollar extrudes these mouthparts to scrape and chew algae from rocks and other surfaces to eat, then retracts them back into its body. The dried-up bits that you hear when you shake the test are most likely remnants of the jaws. Aristotles Lantern and the Doves The sand dollar has been the object of much attention spiritually, scientifically, and philosophically. The mouth of a sand dollar and other urchins is called Aristotles lantern because the Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle thought that it resembled a horn lantern, a five-sided lantern made of thin pieces of horn. The jaws, muscles, connective tissue, and teeth-like calcium plates of the skeleton make up Aristotles lantern. When a dead sand dollar is broken open, five v-shaped pieces are released, one from each section of the mouth. During a sand dollars life, these parts function as teeth by allowing sand dollars to grind and chew their prey. When a sand dollar dies and dries up, its teeth become detached and closely resemble small, white birds that are often referred to as doves. Many people have come to associate both the sand dollar itself and its doves as symbols of peace, which is why the doves are sometimes called Doves of Peace. It is often said that releasing a sand dollars doves releases peace into the world. The Legend of the Sand Dollar Shell shops often sell sand dollar tests with poems or plaques attached that tell the  Legend of the Sand Dollar. The original author of the poem is unknown but the legend has been passed on for many years. Below is an excerpt of what is thought to be the original poem. Now break the centre openAnd here you will release,The five white doves awaitingTo spread Good Will and Peace. Christian authors have written many variations of this poem, likening sand dollar markings to the Easter lily, Star of Bethlehem, poinsettia, and the five wounds of the crucifixion. For some, discovering a sand dollar shell on the beach can lead to deep religious reflection. Sources Encyclopedia of the Aquatic World. Vol. 11, Marshall Cavendish, 2004.â€Å"Introduction to the Echinoidea.† Berkeley University of California UC Museum of Paleontology.  M., Chris. â€Å"Sand Dollars ARE Sea Urchins. Please Make a Note of It!†Ã‚  Sand Dollars ARE Sea Urchins. Please Make a Note of It!, 1 Jan. 1970.â€Å"The Echinoid Directory. Natural History Museum.