DE Weekly: Schrödinger’s Cat, Nausea, & Reality
Across philosophy and other mediums such as science, people have invented and relied on thought experiments to explain certain concepts and demonstrate different layers to a problem.
In quantum mechanics, one such thought experiment is “Schrödinger’s cat”.
DE Weekly: Ozymandias, Breaking Bad, & Illusion
The great existential question has always been “What is the meaning of life?” The consensus vote of the existentialists was, more or less, “Life has no inherent meaning.” If that’s the case, then it’s up to us to create our own meaning.
That’s all well and good. But we’re still left without a solution. So, we have to ask ourselves, What do I do if life has no meaning? Furthermore, how do I find my purpose?
DE Weekly: Phenomenology, Experience, & Seinfeld
Each week over the past few months, I’ve written about the “big questions” posed by the existentialists. These questions concern our existence, the essence of what makes us human, why our lives have meaning, and why these questions cause us a great deal of anxiety.
But, downstream of all these questions is what I consider “the big one”: How do we live each and every day in accordance with living a life of meaning?
DE Weekly: Peterson, Kierkegaard, & Anxiety
The crux of existentialism is its contention with the human condition. We are born into this world without our choosing, we must contend with the totality of our freedom, and we are forced to make a series of choices that define the meaning of our life.
I’ve written about the human condition before–what the existentialists thought about it, what their suggestions were to face it…
DE Weekly: Hancock, Mortality, & Mystery
The old adage goes, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” That phrase was written by American founding father Benjamin Franklin.
I view only half of these certainties as truly legitimate, and that is death.
DE Weekly: George Bailey, Sacrifice, & Meaning
“Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?”
This quote was said by Clarence Odbody, the guardian angel from the film It’s a Wonderful Life.
DE Weekly: Aristotle, Existence, & Essence
I’ve written in the past how existentialism is an all-encompassing philosophy–even though it was born of twentieth century thinking, its ideas are timeless ones.
What I haven’t written much about before is why existentialism is so unique, and such a novel view of things…
DE Weekly: Choices, Freedom, & Authenticity
“You will never be able to experience everything. So, please, do poetical justice to your soul and simply experience yourself.”
This is a quote from Albert Camus. Like much of what Camus writes, I like it because of its simplicity. Its meaning is also twofold.
DE Weekly: Negativity, Uncertainty, & Hope
Fear and negativity are in abundance today. Uncertainty is everywhere. It seems like it’s just one thing after another. Right? That’s what we’re led to believe, at least.
Take one minute to scroll through social media, flip on the news, pick up the local paper at the newsstand (do they still have those?), and, yes, you’d think the sky is going to come crashing down tomorrow.
DE Weekly: Dylan Thomas, Interstellar, & Death
”Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” These lines from Dylan Thomas are instantly recognizable.
They’re the final lines to his poem “Do not go gentle into that good night”, a poem Thomas wrote about his father, who was dying.