Essay/Term paper: Existentialist view of human condition

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Philosophy Essays

Existentialist View of Human Condition


Two of the main principles of Existentialist Human Condition are: That man
exists and then creates himself and what man chooses for himself he chooses for
everyone else as well. Lets examine the first principle: man exists and then
defines himself. What it means is that man is created on this earth and is
nothing but a body, blood and guts. What he chooses to do and to be is what
makes him a man. If a man comes into this world and chooses to steal, cheat,
kill and lie then that is what that man has made himself to be. While society
may see him as a "evil" person, that is what is right for him. Now on the other
hand if a person chooses to be generous, kind, honest and loving, society may
see him as a "good" person while it is still right for him. According to the
Existentialists, a person is placed on this earth with no predisposed "good" or
"evil" values, one man is not created with any more good or evil than the next.
By the decisions we make in life we create ourselves. Next the second view,
what man chooses for himself he chooses for everyone else. This is a view I
really believe in. Everything we do in life effects someone else, whether we no
it or not. Every time we drive our car. Every time we eat something, spend
money, go for a jog someone else is effected. For an example: a man goes to the
store and buys a stereo.

First of all the clerk the clerk is effected because they have to check you out,
so you have taken some of their time. The store is effected because they are
minus one radio from their store. The manufacturer now has to make one more to
replace the one that was bought from the store. The manufacturing employees are
effected because put the radio together, and so on. On the other hand a man who
chooses to steal that same stereo will effect even more people. If he get caught
the store, the manufacturer, the police, the courts, the jails and all the
people who are involved with those organizations. So now the question is raised
"what if everyone acted the same way that man did?" Well there could be nothing
but anarchy, no laws, or government. Basically we would revert to a type of
Neanderthal type state. This is why many classic philosophers have problems
with the Existentialist point of view, because of the "what if" questions.