Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism - Explained and Compared
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- Опубліковано 13 тра 2024
- What is the difference between Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism? The common ground they share is that they are all responses to philosophy’s timeless clichéd question “what is the meaning of life?” Nihilism came into full bloom in the 19th century as the full implications of modernism came to fruition. Existentialism and Absurdism are two ways of responding to the crisis of Nihilism.
So what is Nihilism? It’s the belief that there is no objective meaning, no purpose outside the illusions humanity has created for itself. As science developed and the religious narratives were found to be ineffective and hollow, the religious account of reality was consigned to the trash heap of history but with it went the grounding of our morality and meaning. This is what Nietzsche’s madman is decrying in The Gay Science when he proclaims that God is Dead.
Among the ways of facing this crisis, Existentialism vs Absurdism are two promising alternatives. Existentialism says there is no objective/inherent value but there is a potential for a created value. For Jean-Paul Sartre Existentialism is the realisation that existence precedes essence which means that humans have a radical freedom to create our own meaning through how we live our lives, through the acts of our will.
The Absurd was first talked about by Kierkegaard but was fully developed by Albert Camus into the philosophy of Absurdism in his book The Myth of Sisyphus. The Absurd is the collision between the inherent human hunger for meaning and the impossibility of satisfying this drive in a meaningless world. Camus says we have three options in facing the Absurd: commit suicide, take a leap of faith and believe in some meaning (like Christianity, Buddhism, Marxism, existentialism) something Camus calls philosophical suicide. The third option is Absurdism. Absurdism is the rebellion against the Absurd. It is to refuse to give in and create a meaning. For Camus Absurdism means holding the space of the absurd, staring into its face and rebelling against it and out of this rebellion flows our freedom and passion.
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📚 Further Reading:
Primary:
Camus, A., 2013. The Myth of Sisyphus. Penguin UK.
Camus, A., 2013. The Outsider. Penguin UK.
Sartre, J., 1960 Existentialism is a Humanism
Secondary:
Aronson, R,. 2017. “Albert Camus”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = (plato.stanford.edu/archives/s....
Crowell, S,. 2020. “Existentialism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = (plato.stanford.edu/archives/s....
Foley, J., 2014. Albert Camus: From the absurd to revolt. Routledge.
Hassall, D,. 2017. “Finding Meaning in the Lack Thereof: An Analysis of Nietzsche's and Sartre's Responses to the Problem of Existential Nihilism” Honors Theses. 493. URL = (encompass.eku.edu/cgi/viewcon...)
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⌛ Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:48 Nihilism: Meaning and Origins
5:15 Existentialism: Definition and its Solution
8:25 Absurdism
9:24 Camus’s Three Responses to the Absurd
11:45 Why Sisyphus is Camus’s Ideal
13:31 Summary and Conclusion
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#nihilism #existentialism #absurdism #thelivingphilosophy #camus #philosophy #sartre
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⌛ Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:48 Nihilism: Meaning and Origins
5:15 Existentialism: Definition and its Solution
8:25 Absurdism
9:24 Camus’s Three Responses to the Absurd
11:45 Why Sisyphus is Camus’s Ideal
13:31 Summary and Conclusion
Kindly repeat that in ENGLISH, Miss.☝️
I always noted how absurd everything is you can't help but notice
Sisyphus is the embodiment of the slave....that frames every narrative discuss...there "are" gods there "are" slaves. The very thing Nietzsche destroyed in his writings. In a sea of references the frame is the control.
A N8
Brilliant work my friend
So basically:
Nihilism: There is no meaning granted to us by this world
Existentialism: Man is capable of making his own meaning
Absurdism: Man is capable of living a worthwhile life, even without greater meaning
Absurdism sounds like the most fun
If we agree on all 3 of those definitions they aren't mutually exclusive. You could hold all 3 of those to be true.
Isnt this exactly the point of nihilism
that nothing matters frees us to become super human
Awesome summary
im more of a itiswhatitisism guy
I think eastern philosophy explores the idea you're talking about.
@@cncm2253nah don't be a stoic, stoics are cucks
"It is what it is" is a tautology. You're a Tautologist! Congrats
You are more on an autism guy
Stoicism fr
My nihilism was worsening by the week and I was contemplating suicide.
I looked up nihilism on UA-cam and found "Nihilism Vs. Existentialism Vs. Absurdism" and watched it. I immediately downloaded The Myth Of Sisyphus. After just a couple pages of philosophical theory and a couple days of processing all that information, I was already on the upswing! Now I still have bad days, but I know that suicide is not an option I'm willing to pursue, and my life has become rejuvenated with color and life. Thank you so much for introducing me to this!!
Numbers on a screen never show you how much you've impacted people, so I want to tell you directly that you've helped save a life.
Holy smokes man that is mind boggling you are very very right that numbers could never convey something like that it is humbling to think that these explorations could have this sort of impact I hope that philosophy proves to be the raft in the storm for you as it has been for me and the beginning of a whole new exciting journey
Hey - suicide ideation sucks. I'm sorry you've been suffering from it. Philosophy can help give you the strength to get through some tough stuff, and that's great, but seeking a support system and/or therapy might be a decent idea. Remember to take it seriously and care about yourself.
So happy for you! ❤
Come to Christ, just like Camus did.
You will find objective meaning in Christ, I promise. I was having a similar problem with suicide, but if you look at the evidence with an open mind it will convince you and you will see there is much more to this life than you think.
I think I adore the concept of absurdism. I haven’t heard much about it until this video. Over the years I have thought about life and why I/we exist, but I’ve always had the question- does there have to be a meaning? We know how we exist. Science explains it well via objective evidence. We know the laws of our reality. So I feel like we do just exist, and objectively there is no meaning. Because defining what it means to live is subjective. If one is desperate to find meaning then they can. I don’t feel pessimistic about it either. I’ve just accepted it and live my best life. I reject having to care about what it means to live. Is that absurdist?
I think so?!? The question I have been coming to more and more is “does it matter” and more often than not the answer is no. I have spent so much time struggling to quantify, control and even justify my own life, existence and choices rather than living, enjoying (or not) where and who I am in an attempt to shape the future in my own vision when I could just as easiky enjoy the journey and (hopefully) not be an idiot (and if I am thats ok too).
I am not sure if this will help you but this is a very peaceful place to live for me. I am also very much still learning how to walk this path. The commonality between this path and absurdism to me is the abandoning of the need to be in control.
Hedonist!
i think yes, because you rebel to both remarks of life is meaningless, there is nothing about it and also that we have to search meaning. Your rejection is the absurdist rebel Camus talking about, you choosing that rejection after considerations and existence of choices to approach life, is Camus's 'notion of absolutely free'
The laws of our reality are our own invention. "There are no 'laws' that phenomena 'obey'!" --Nietzsche
Yes
"one must imagine Sisyphus happy" is still one of the most impactful sentences I've ever read after that essay
i played the Game Hades and they made him look happy about his punishment
@@robinottmann8301 Good 😎 F*ck them gods
I don't see why.
@Nick exactly. You can't run from a internalized lie forever. Not unless you know there is truly something greater beyond oneself.
@@robertortiz-wilson1588 i think this is really the fundamental difference between absurdism and nihilism. Sisyphus didn't have any meaning to his life in the end, and he had no need for it after all.
You not only explained each philosophy but you did so in a way that makes them both easily comparable and digestible. Downright masterful.
True. This was an excellent presentation.
Exactly. There is no way of understanding something deeply if we can't compare it to its closest resemblance. Nuances will get you not only to understand but also to ingrain it in your head.
Naaa
An excellent way to see how thoroughly one understands a given subject: can they explain it simply
BS
It's all just dumb word play by pseudo philosopher-poets----it is neither meaningful or meaningless
Kierkegaard's "life is not a problem to solve, but an experience to live" and Camus's interpretation of the myth of Sisyphus truly are little gems that philosophy gave to humanity - which I would wager most living people today know almost nothing about.
I worry it's worse, that people know these gems, but are twisted to conform to the dominant ideology. How many people would identify with existentialism in that there is no external meaning creator therefore we must create our own, but then instead of using that to liberate others as Sartre and de Beauvoir advocated for, and instead use it for their own selfish desire. How many people hear Will to Power and then only imagine it in so far as power over others?
Which is worse, that people don't know of these writers, or that people only know what is convenient?
“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.” - Jean-Paul Sartre
“The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” - Albert Camus
Leaving the part about Sisyphus out, it seems Camus and Sartre are expressing the same idea.
I think the key difference is, one is not accepting a meaning (for absurdism) and the other is to make your own meaning(for existentialism).
My personal philosophies are closer to these than other, more “theistic” or even goal oriented philosophies. However I find it hard to accept an absurdists view since in it self it’s “accepting what has been given to you”. That being no meaning and struggle. Struggle without success is just as meaningless as a successful one. (to be frank and quick, I prefer an existential point of view)
@@anthonydeltoro- Thank you.
Every philosopher is talking about the same thing
@@squidontheside5496 over and over again. Just using the different words. This thing is called reality.
@@matusknurovsky2090 Yes
This was the best summary of absurdist philosophy I've heard. Thank you.
Thanks Drew I'm glad you thought so! It can be hard to tell when I'm in the trees making the video whether I'm actually doing a good job and painting the forest or whether I've missed the insight that made it clear to me so this is appreciated
@@TheLivingPhilosophy Haha, that sounds familiar - I find it hard to determine how many aspects and details the vivid imagery needs to be understood but not misleading. There comes the point where it functions no longer as a tool to render the subject, but merge into an ever growing collection of possibilities.
@@flywielubitz2852 Haha I know right! It's so hard to pick a route to go when there's so many possibilities. It makes perfectionism an inevitable unattainable. Oh well
@@TheLivingPhilosophy I feel like the chance of classifying relevant information as obvious increases with knowledge and costs most of my energy until I lose scope.
@@flywielubitz2852 Haha yeah I can relate to this. Brings to mind the Dunning-Kruger effect - those who know are confused; those who are confused think they know
The key to understanding absurdism over against existentialism is that instead of claiming that there is no objective meaning to life and the universe, absurdism claims that life and the universe are objectively meaningless. There is a subtle, but important difference between these two positions.
What is that difference?
@@romanski5811 absurdism sees life solely as objectively meaningless, whereas existentialism supports the validity of subjective meaning.
@@kaboomgaming4255 I thought it was the opposite. Absurdism being that while the universe was objectively meaningless, you could still apply subjective meaning to things.
@@kaboomgaming4255 Does the original comment not suggest it is Absurdism that supports subjective meaning? I follow Absurdism a lot and this subjectivity to life is a core value
@@silversalmon9909 if I had to go by what the video and Camus have said, absurdism suggests life is objectively meaningless
Camus literally changed my life. My first university class almost 50 years ago was Philosophy 101. Our first assignment was to read The Outsider (aka The Stranger). From The Outsider to The Plague to The Fall to Myth of Sisyphus to the Rebel, I couldn't get enough of Camus. Thanks for this wonderful video essay. Great summary of absurdism.
Even with your explanation it took me a moment to understand what the difference between absurdism and existentialism is, so...just in case anyone else is a bit slow.
- Finding meaning in life is ultimately about justifying our existence - what gives us the right to exist, what makes it worth existing, etc.
- Existentialism is about creating meaning to justify our existence.
- Absurdism is about rejecting meaning and just making the best of life as it is.
...I think.
That makes the most sense. Existentialism justifies the lack of meaning, absurdism embraces it. Maybe a gross oversimplification but it really seems like whole point of them to me.
@@Necromediancer: Existentialism declares that we have the responsibility of creating meaning rather than being a nihilist or using a God religion as an excuse for not being responsible in our living. Absurdism requires that we continue to live despite the probability of the futility of discovering a meaning in life, and not despairing (rather, even being happy) when our examination of potential quests for meaning proves futile.
@@eagle1ear Perhaps I'm simply reading it wrong but absurdism seems to be a less depressive nihilism more than anything. The absurdist and nihilist both seem inclined towards inaction. If this is the case then the ideology is just as destructive and useless. Humans ultimately are creatures who love things. We love family. We love our friends. We love art. Is there a point in abandoning this love and the quests which it spawns?
To me existentialism seems to welcome this love and absurdism seems to dismiss it. Perhaps I am wrong though and have simply misread these ideaologies.
@@SomeGuy-so3kk these ideas aren't mutually exclusive. Nihilism is there is no objective meaning in life, existentialism is creating a subjective meaning in life and absurdism is finding meaning in the meaningless of life. Nietzsche himself has talked about all of this in his philosophy.
@@SomeGuy-so3kk I would say you have slightly, as Absurdism does not dismiss these things, rather (as I see it at least) Absurdism says that all this can still be done, but you do not have to worry about the meaning of life. You can cherish and/or experience every moment as it comes rather than having a nihilistic view about the experiences. In other words, Absurdism essentially says that one can live a fulfilling life and perhaps even a happy one, when you can come to with some lucidity and acknowledge that most of this is in fact pretty absurd, but say if I'm here I might as well try to live as much as I can and take in everything rather than live in false hope or despair and nihilism. Also I think Absurdism and Existentialism are very similar and many have problems differentiating between the two because Absurdism in rejecting meaning kind of indirectly gives life meaning and purpose. This is just what I think and may not be 100% on the dot what Camus may have meant, but only he will know that. Let me know what you think though.
My favourite part of this video was how an ad interrupted and added to it:
“We meet the absurd as it is, without escape and with integrity, and we DOWNLOAD A FREE AUDIOBOOK WITH AUDIBLE. I wasn’t thinking about what I was eating and Noom helped me realise that we maintain the tension of the absurd in us without turning away.”
🙈😂
Imagine being smart enough to watch a philosophy youtuber but not smart enough to download adblock.
@@frenchbaguetteoui Imagine being smart enough to type a sentence but not smart enough to know that what you say is meaningless.
@@NoahofWill Ok dad
@@frenchbaguetteoui Bet that was more respect than you give to your actual parents, son lol
Man your video opened my mind in so many ways. I always struggled to understand Absurdism and learning that Absurdism is to embrace the struggle itself and rebel against the void is amazing. I might be interpreting both Existencialism and Absurdism wrong but both of them seem to be a complete answer if puted togheter. Nihilism show's us the problem, Absurdism show's us that running away or giving our control to the nearest savior isn't the answer either. Embrace the absurd, enjoy your life and keep rolling that rock up hill against all odds. Then Existencialism comes in the middle ground, if life doesn't have a meaning then create your own meaning trough your own will and struggle. And then if the rock goes down again (The breaking of your previous reason/meaning to live) you get up again and roll that rock uphill again embrancing that life is a endless struggle. A combination of both would be my answer and Guts from Berserk would be my model in this case XD
Delighted you enjoyed it! And I like this dance between Absurdism and Existentialism that you're playing around with
I love that you use Guts as your example here. He's definitely showing his absurdism as he struggled in his early age. He found his life meaning after meeting Griffith and others and he realized his life is more than just a survival.
Hey this was awesome man. I’m a Christian, didn’t realize how much of an absurdist I am as well. I love that explanation of leaning into the absurd to enjoy life in a rebellious sense.
Hold on, didn't Camus interpret joining a cult/religion as Philosophical suicide? Isn't being religious in contrast with being an absurdist?
@@antoniofarina716 yes, joining a religion would be considered philosophical suicide by camus but at the same time there's a great tradition of religious existentialists so religion and existentialist-ish thought aren't incompatible
@@antoniofarina716 nothing more annoying than atheist who think they have answers literally no one else does
@@antoniofarina716 Atheist here - defending the Christian absurdist. Just because Camus thought that religion is philosophical suicide doesn't mean it actually is. The whole concept is up for debate. It's philosophy after all. There are plenty of aspects of absurdism present in Christian philosophy, such as why in the actual fuck would someone who considered themselves to be the son of god would willingly kill himself for a bunch of humans. If @Taurean goes through life feeling like there's no point to anything but also absurdly rebelling against that notion by living it anyway, he's experiencing the absurd. Let's not gatekeep absurdism - that would be far too ironic.
@Taurean - after I gave up Christianity, Absurdism kept me going for a while. I find that Absurdism as a life philosophy taps into the same stubbornness that Christianity asks you to tap into. It was a good way for me to move from strength to strength, utilizing existing cognitive infrastructure while managing the howling vortex of meaninglessness after faith evaporated.
@@antoniofarina716 what if the issue is not that life and the universe are objectively meaningless, but that humanity is incapable of comprehending it? Humans realize that they are searching blindly for their Beginning and End, and God/Logos descends from His realm of Meaningfulness to encompass us and bridge us into that realm? What if it is He who inspires the scientist to observe, the artist to create a likeness of, the poet to communicate about, and the philosopher to seek reality? That God has joined our absurdist fight for our salvation and illumines our path towards it?
This is a legitimately fascinating intro into this realm of study. Thank you for making this video.
Your presentation (as usual) flows well, is interesting and informative and not only professionally explains philosophical principals but has practical applications squeezing the most out of life. You set a high bar. Well done sir.
Thank you so much Santa Cruz man as ever for your kind words and for the support!
I just finished reading the Myth of Sisyphus and was left with a lot of questions. This video helped to tie it all together. Great content as always :)
Ah wonderful! Delighted it helped Bram!
This is the best summary of these three philosophical approaches and their relationships to each other that I have yet found. Although the presenter had to rush a bit to pack so much information into a brief timeframe, it’s really worth replaying and unpacking his lucid, well-written presentation as a prelude to further study. Well done!
It's been about 15 years since my existentialism course and you nailed this so elegantly
Beautifully summarised. Deeply enjoyed it!
Thanks Eternalised! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for uploading this, it warms my heart to hear of Camus' ideas. I hope that you continue making the videos :)
Thanks a million Machu!
As a philosophy student who loves this topic, this is one of the best philosophy videos I've seen online. Specifically on this topic, in which people tend to confuse concepts and definitions a lot, often passing on incorrect or misinterpreted information. Great job, man. And you speak beautifully. Keep going. +1 subscriber.
Wow Maria that's high praise I really appreciate that
Very helpful, well crafted overview. Thank you for creating this.
This is an incredible video! I love how you shared the information, comparing all 3 and showing the depth behind the 3 in merely less than 15 minutes. I love psychology and your video only boosts my love of the subject. Thank you!
Delighted you enjoyed it Jacob!
That was the best simplified yet well structured explanation of these three philosophies I have ever heard. Thank you
excellent video. perhaps the best breakdown and summary of these philosophies that one can find on the internet
This is really insightful, thankyou! I've been struggling to come up with definitions for these three, thanks for explaining :-)
Great video! I think both schools of thought are equally appliable to life, whether you give your life meaning by deciding what purpose you give yourself, or just ignore the fact that everything is meaningles and accept that life is struggle and finding happines in that struggle just by living your life
Best analysis I’ve ever heard of the 3. I have had a moment of clarity and sincerely thank you for your commentary.
I’m so impressed that you were able to clearly explain so many complex ideas and views in such a short time, truly a masterpiece you have released to the internet, we are not worthy
I am so glad I stumbled across your channel. Most of my life I've been walking a sobriety test line between Existentialism and Absurdism. I struggled when I was younger because, due to my environment, I didn't have access to most philosophical literature, or much of anything else that fell outside the realm of understanding to those who were charged with educating the youth. Many times I could see that my views on reality/existence/purpose clashed with the general accepted ideologies of the community, but without the knowledge, the terminology, or the understanding of what lay within my thoughts, not only found myself as an outcast and was treated as if I, by not being able to piece it all together, was intentionally causing disruption because, to quote my mother during my junior year of high school: "Kids today aren't right unless something is wrong. "... After a time, I began to believe such statements. It wasn't until my late 20's, after moving away for a time, that I received exposure to the philosophers of mention and their schools of thought. I still find myself having to search blindly through the world for information as, although my 20's (and coming in April) and my 30's are behind me, I struggle with some thoughts that I cannot solidify because the fragments I possess don't seem to fit. This all has been a rather long winded way of saying "Thank you" for making it easier to find theme missing fragments
This really helped me differentiate the philosophical theories! Thank you!! Love the video btw :)
Glad to hear it thanks for watching!
This is the best video I’ve seen yet that perfectly explains the differences between each belief. Beautifully done!
Thanks Jessie!
This was well organized and presented in a way that I could follow without going to look up a lot of terminology- just focus on the ideas. Looking forward to going through your other videos now!
I wish Philosophy 101 were taught this clearly! Much puzzlement and confusion would be avoided.
Thanks again!
Haha thanks David!
This was great! My brand of comedy has always veered towards the absurd, but I've never identified it as my own philosophy. I've been bounding around nihilism and existensialism for too long and absurdism has been the path right in front of me the whole time. Thank you
This video is a really good explanation of all three concepts, indeed! Thank you🤜🏻🤛🏻
This was beautifully done. Thank you for explaining such complex ideas so simply.
Excellent summary of nihilism, existentialism and absurdity. I love Camus’ writings and his philosophical views about life. Absurdity sounds like impermanence in Buddhism. This impermanence or absurdity like the Covid-19 or wars that come and go. Therefore we need to rebel according to Camus in order to find some joy in our life - one that is collectively good for society as well. Life is absurd or impermanent. The only thing that is permanent is absurdity itself.
This was the best explanation of nihilism, existentialism and absurdism i have ever seen. Really a great work.
Wow stuzzo! High praise thank you very much!
Outstanding!! A great explanation of the different philosophies in just 14 minutes!! Incredible! Beautifully constructed!
This was very clear and easy to understand. You have a good delivery too. Thanks.
Absolutely stunning explanation! I literally got goosebumps :))) you have made it so easy to understand that I have no doubts left. All I can say is a heartfelt thanks to you!! This really got me into a deep meaningful thought. You've earned yourself a new subscriber 🤗
Appreciating the pace of delivery after becoming so smitten like everyone else online, with impatience & short attention span. I'll subscribe now & binge watch the rest of your presentations asap.
Glad you enjoyed it! Happy travels down the rabbit hole!
Wow, thank you so much for this deep, yet very condensed take on these topics 🙏
Great video! As an audio engineer hoping its helpful: Try cutting a bit of the low end out of the narration. You can leave 100-200 hz even for body and scoop around 250-400 hz to reduce boom if you have the capability
It came to me as a recommendation! Had very bare bones idea of Nihilism , hadn’t heard about Existentialism or Absurdism. Now I have more questions than answers
This video is particularly interesting to me because I realize my girlfriend is a nihilist, I am an existentialist, and I have a friend who is an absurdist. It's interesting looking back on our discussions with this in mind, especially because, although I already knew exactly what my philosophy is in definition, I didn't know that others before me have reached the same conclusion and that it therefore already had a name.
your summary is the best i've ever heard
Brother, your videos are sick
You just earned yourself a subscriber. Keep up the good work!
Every night I hope I don’t wake up . But every day I do , I get out of bed and live.
Well done! You should do a follow-up video on where philosophy has gone after absurdism. It would be cool to hear your explanation on where modern philosophy has gone. Or, is this about as modern as it gets?
This was a great video. Well presented and offering avenues for deeper study. Thank you!
Stumbled on this by accident. Very impressive work. To syntheitize a concept is not easier than delving deeper into it. Excellent video.
Thanks Matteo!
Extremely understanding, my native language is french and I fully understood. You have a very well style of writing, simple and elegant. The pictures employed are a delight. Definitely, j'adore your work.
Merci beaucoup!
A nihilist, an absurdist and an existentialist walk into a bar, the bartender says they don't sell alcohol to minors.
People with imaginary friends shouldn't make fun of others
@@ShirleyTimple Maybe, but they do anyway. Let them do as they wish. It’s just another absurdity for us, right? That pots can call kettles black. And the analogy does work; if they don’t know what the truth is, we probably don’t either. Either way, none of us are as enlightened as we think.
@@e.v4892 i never said anything about truth. I called out a self righteous fool for being self righteous. Big difference
I laughed, therefore, it was funny. I enjoy rap, but understand its intellectual criticism. Sigmund Freud wanted to bang his mom and thought we all did, yet I never once thought to do so. He's a nonce and so are you if you can't take a joke.
All 3 of you are minors
This was a great explanation. A starting point. To explore , each of these concepts. Thanks
This sir is one of the best and most comprehensive descriptions of philosophy I have ever heard!!
Thank you sir!!
I remember the first time I’ve heard of the Myth of Sisyphus I wondered why Sisyphus didn’t just stop rolling the boulder. Nothing indicated that he was forced to and there was no reason why he would, but he did anyways. I’m so glad I’ve found absurdism because I used to be someone who desperately tried to find excuses not to die.
This is why Absurdism is one of the only things you can embrace as a thinking person in modern society. Being half a century old, and so in the middle of both my life and this problem trending upward, watching the second half and what direction society goes next is fascinating. Scary. Still fascinating though.
Excellent. I appreciate your fast paced tempo.
3 philosophies that I could hardly understand and distinguish...
After watching the video I can even give a lecture on these 3. Thanks a ton! You have removed a great burden from my shoulders. This is definitely gonna help me in getting better scores in the exam. 🙏🙏🙏
That was neatly done. My impulse to categorize tells me Absurdism is an Existential tactic.
Very interesting, thanks for posting! I can finally wrap my head around all three concepts now.. Also It's kind of hard to understand you sometimes, because of the mic quality, but it's totally ok because I turned on the subtitles.. Cheers
Thanks for the feedback Sqorch I've worked on the quality a lot since this video so hopefully you'll find it better in the more recent videos
Very very cool my friend. New subscriber for sure. Awesome video. Just what I needed.
Excellent work! Would love a reading list from you!
Very good! You are great at not misrepresenting these ideas. Much overlap and much difference. And when we really compare with essentialism I think certain ideas really can come out of the fold. A person who ascribes to some of the postmodernistic philosophies may find failure in them when they consider the arguments of free will and determinism. Anyway, I could go on but it's something I shouldn't rant about without inquiry.
- Your Quality Apologist
Thanks a million! It took a lot of work on this one to really separate the overlap from the difference so the comment is appreciated!
But there was structuralism and many other philosophies that took the opposite approach.
I will say this in spanish because I dont how to express my ideas after that: eso fue hermoso. Realmente cautivador y e incluso pensé que antes del minuto 10 estaria aburrido pero realmente me cautivo tu narrativa. Has ganado un seguidor, amigo mio.
Ah muchos gracias Sebastian!
It was so well put and easy to grasp. Thank You.
Really enjoyed this video and the explanations. Thanks.
It is interesting to me to see this. I, as an individual, went once through all of these stages. Without the knowledge of these philosophies. I suddenly fell down to nihilism and then I was trying to get back. I gave things meaning, existentialism, and just after that I ridiculed the world around me.
I watched this to try to understand what exactly is what I believe life is about, I remember being in a philosophy club in middle school with my creative writing teacher and him introducing one of these concepts, and me realizing how much I aligned with it. I've changed a lot though, and I thought I still had that same ideal, but turns out I don't. I don't like to stay with to one answer to such a key(and arguably the most insignificant) question, it changes and varies tremendously. Without complete loyalty to one concept I'm sure it's very easy to be looked down upon, and it can make life very hard to interpret(and arguably very enjoyable at the same time). But I don't think it matters very much, I think something that will keep constant is my want to grow and learn, and to evolve with every experience. It's a comfort in a sort of way. The fact that I feel I'm willing to change mindsets to what I feel is right in that moment.
And if that doesn't keep constant that's cool too lol
I can relate to you. Some days I feel inclined to one of these beliefs, then it shifts some other days and that's okay. That's life.
Clean, clear, succinct analysis, briskly delivered. Thanks!
Thank you for this breakdown and low-resolution overview of these 3 philosophies. Being a big opponent to nihilism, I enjoyed this summary and it helps me better understand and reconcile it.
Myth of Sisyphus was very impactful when I read it, as well as Dostoevsky's literature.
It annoys me slightly when people (even in philosophy class) think that nihilism automatically leads to depression/suicide. Apparently there's this huge assumption that everyone yearns for meaning just like everybody else. But isn't it possible that some people do not have this meaning-seeking instinct? What stops someone, anyway, from living a meaningless life, if he doesn't seek meaning for it?
I've long considered myself a nihilist. Personally, the idea of the inherent meaninglessness of life isn't bothersome to me in my day to day life. Do I really lack a hunger for meaning, or I am some kind of quietist/absurdist/whatever after all? Or both?
Yeah...people won't seek meaning of life if they didn't learn that specific word at all...
holy shit this makes me make sense !!
I lean nihilism when I'm depressed, existentialism is my baseline, and when I'm actually doing okay and happy in life I lean absurdism ! Makes my outlook on life make more sense, just can't believe I never picked up on it myself considering how they're all transformative to each other 😅
wow, I've never heard it so clearly explained. Thank you
First time viewer and new sub. Really outstanding. Thank you.
great explanaition of those two philosophies. I am someone who tries to live by Stoic values, and I prefer Existentialism over Absurdism. Non the less I have great respect for both philosphies. getting Gigachad vibes rn
thank you, as an aspiring arm chair philosopher I had trouble grasping absurdism
and while I understood existentialism and its points
it never really resonated with me, I always questioned
"why does everyone want meaning so bad?"
but I had trouble with some of the absurdist material
I didn't think absurdism was a developed Idea along similar lines
I very much love "affirming life for what it is, a struggle with integrity"
it's such a profound statement to me, and with this I should be able to research properly now
and for that, I look forward to seeing more of ur content o7
Thank you so much for this video, it helped me soo much to understand the concepts ❤
Your effort is best man. You make difficult concept real easy.
This is a great video. Thank you for making it!
Question for you: you seem to talk about nihilism in this video as a step on a path that leads to other beliefs like absurdism and existentialism. What would be your view of nihilism in itself? What is the nihilist worldview? One might say that a nihilist simply has no beliefs but that's an oversimplification right?
I don't think it's the case that nihilism was simply superseded, and died out. I still meet people occasionally who identify as nihilists. So I'm curious what you think.
I’m not OP, but, I’d imagine the nihilists you meet are almost definitely existentialists or absurdists _de facto,_ at least to some degree. Why do I say that? Because you met them lol, meaning they’re out in the world and doing things. Even if, on a conceptual level, they identify most with nihilism, some part of them still opts for action; still finds it worthwhile to do things, meet people, go places.
There's so many philosophies in existence and so many labels that we attach to them that at some point, things got confusing and now we're giving what really is the identical thing, or the same thing with minor deviations two seemingly different names so we really can't even figure out what we're on about so trying to debate or argue may be fruitless since defining stuff is an issue. Imo this is what makes philosophy inherently stupid, but I still like it.
But as I see it, any philosophy will start with some assertion of values, or statements pertaining to values, or something elementary at least. Then it develops based on this, and from this origin point there's many roads one can take.
Nihilism for example may assert that there is no meaning to life. This in itself is a belief. I don't think we can act on anything without first having something of a belief, so to say nihilists have no beliefs may be wrong.
There's many roads one can take based on the above assertion. Nihilism appears dark because you can go down dark paths believing that there's no meaning, for example.
Another path, which I honestly think is pretty much existentialism, is optimistic nihilism. There is no meaning, so create your own and live by your own meanings.
Another question is how we do this, and I think absurdism tackles that. We must imagine Sisyphus smiling. Actions can be done but we have modes that we can be in as we do actions. I could be happy as I drink coffee, or feel like shit as I do it. This mode is another thing absurdism seems to have as a value on top of everything else, which everything else either may not have, or have under a different name.
This is just the ramblings of one UA-cam commenter so take it as you will I suppose.
@@DannyD-lr5yg I agree with this comment. "Nihilism" is cool and dandy now, but in reality, many people who claim themselves to be nihilist are to scarred to end their lives. It means their life has to have at last a little bit of meaning, which makes them existentialists or absurdists. For me, nihilism was a stepping stone during early adolescence, which bloomed wonderfully into existentialism.
1. Realise live has no inherent meaning (you can feel uncomfortable and think about yourself as nihilist)
2. Realise you don´t wanna die, because there is something you want to do (congratulations, you are an existentialist now).
But yeah , there are many way too edgy "nihilists" and "existentialists" who just enjoy being cool.
@@Kisuke323 I agree with you. I’ve said it to soooo many people. Philosophy to me started as an intellectual exercise in self expression in relation to the reality we experience around us. It’s now become something else. It’s own sport among people who like to feel better about certain things they feel. No offense to anyone. It’s like you said , people claim this thing but don’t follow through in practice. This is where we are. The realization that various schools of thought are extreme has led to individuals trying to still claim them while simultaneously changing the core principles. An atheist is an extreme position with vast implications, yet in modern times you have agnostic atheism, skeptic atheism, apologetic atheism. Regardless of being accepted in academic circles you’d be surprised the number of junctioned terms I’ve heard. All for it to come down to these people simply wanted to brandish the label to get a specific response. Not because they actually believe any of it. This is my experience I’m not trying to turn it into that. But in this I had some one say to me and these people that he realized how much of a waste it all is. To him being atheist in the truest of fashions was unattainable. Because it was an extreme that logically would impact every other position he held. Those impacts would make him be extremely unreasonable in many cases and even go against his own values as an individual. He uses the term because of social security not his true disposition on the matter.
Philosophy is the same as playing devils advocate in a way. You can follow the logic being used while also disagreeing with the conclusion. Logical doesn’t mean reasonable. I say it that way to be more clipped to the point, but logic is inherently objective which is why philosophy deals in object extremes.
Sorry for the rambling to simply agree with you.
I believe Existentialism is correct in the idea that we can create our own meaning. The Absurdist response I suppose would be "yeah, but why bother, since ironically at the end of your life that meaning amounts to nothing?"
I see them as complimentary philosophies, not inherently at odds. If I had to pick I'd probably go with Absurdism, it fits my personality best. But I do think you should create your own meaning in small ways at least. With the caveat that you remember this meaning only exists for you. I think this still fits within the rebellious attitude of Absurdism. What can be more rebellious than creating order/meaning out of chaos?
Thank you for this clarifying talk - and for featuring one of my favorite
paintings, Edward Hopper's Gas, on your wall! :)
Ah good eye! Thanks for the kind words Hanna
@@TheLivingPhilosophy :)
video materials like this really help with growing as a person
Wow, the way you break down these complicated schools of thought to bite sized intellectual snacks is delectable. Truly shows you have a mastery for all of the information associated with this as well as a way to convey that towards the general public. Much respect. You have a gift, truly.
Thanks Jonathan! I think it actually comes from a vulnerability imagining someone asking me a question and my not knowing the answer. It's possible to bluff these things using complex language but I find unless I can explain it simply I feel quite uncertain that I've understood it at all. Glad it makes the learning process easier for the viewer as well that's quite the reward for me!!
Dude I have been through so much shit. I have literally become all of those things in my lifetime. Two of my friends chose suicide 10 years apart. The other was recently last year. They were both really brilliant people. And it just hurts thinking about it but I think they just opted out for the same reason thinking life had no real purpose. I made a vow to stick around no matter how tough it got to live out my life for them. Really though I wanted to leave too so many times. These past few years - though not my best - helped me realize life really is what you make it as cliche as it is. All these experiences and memories mean nothing if you don't value them for yourself. Otherwise there really isn't a point. I have no family around me but despite being a loner I have come to welcome the idea that nothingness in the Taoist and a little of the Absurdism is how I live because there has been so many chaotic things that have happened to or around me that I have to just accept them and move on. That is the only control I will ever have in this life.
Have so much respect for you dude
Hey, sorry you're dealing with ideation. Your pain and experience are valid, I sincerely hope things improve for you.
Suggestion - focus on personal meaning in things you have control over. Art, books, music, etc. The world has a great deal of bullshit and suffering, but provided you have any time for yourself whatsoever, you could be spending that time on things that you choose to do.
Also, if possible, therapy and/or support system consisting of at least a person or two who actually gets what you're going through. You've lost two people, maybe you need to add more people to your life now? (I understand that this is a non-trival task and might not be an option)
how ru nowdays
@@nicooh3580 I'm ok. I've been focusing more on arts and trying to finish my v-tuber character for my channel (been working on it since December last year). But I'm in a better headspace - more focus oriented. I have a goal but I'll accept any randomness trying to interfere and enjoy it because I know it's part of the process. Like an intrusive thought right before goin' to bed. It's gonna happen eventually but it's not gonna stop me from falling asleep. Maybe in the next few months I'll post some silly videos. I'm working on a few tik toks and videos for a friend. He was in our circle back in the day and we both been working together. I made his logo and intro and outro sequences. He was kinda shy in it and his mic wasn't great but if you wanna see what I can do as an artist or editor I have him on my home section in my youtube profile area. He's the first channel I recommend "Cretlaw".
@@Crux_Riajuu im happy to hear. Im going through this kind of crisis as well, and am wondering if its only us who have trouble believing in a higherpower that go through these thoughts and questions. I see people grow old n happy and are religious or have a belief in god. Do you think thats where the problem lies? Or is it anxiety/depression etc
Beautifully explained. I was struggling to understand the same concepts for years without much knowledge. You have made it easy .Good Morning!
You are most welcome Baldev!
Your explanations were perfect, and concise bro keep it up
I've only just started learning about absurdism (this is the second video I watch on it), but it already feels so comforting. I've been a nihilist for a couple years now, but I used to believe in existentialism (or at least something along those lines; I thought that while there is no objective meaning, we all have our own meaning we can make for ourselves), but in the past few months that just hasn't been enough for me. Because, even if whatever subjective meaning I find in life is enough to make me not kill myself, at the end of the day, it's just a reason _I've_ made up to keep living. It's not objective meaning. And so, it's started to feel kind of empty and fake.
So, the question I've been left with has been; what do I do when I no longer believe in an objective meaning, or at least not one that we, with out current resources and understanding of the universe, can know of, and my subjective meaning has started to feel meaningless? Absurdism, assuming I understood this video correctly, seems to provide an answer for this: Just embrace and accept the lack of meaning and be content with that.
Anyway, thanks for the explanation! Helps me.
In the end of day, your mind is the god to your self
@@mantabsekali920 Incredible quote.
"With great power comes great responsibility" This is a more complex quote than you might first imagine.
At the end of the day these philosophies are all well and good to play with when you think of yourself within a vacuum. However, you do not exist in a vacuum. You are a human who shares this world with others. One with the power and capability to make the ones you love or may love in the future happy and fulfilled. And so, it is your responsibility to do so.
Killing yourself is a cowardly abandonment of these responsibilities and one which deals a horrible blow to any who love you. I say this as someone who was once suicidal.
I imagine that if you engage with these responsibilities of yours it will truly make you happier. Because at the end of the day you cannot run away from your design. You are an animal. You are human. And you love making the people you love happy. Its simply the way we are.
So spit out the vitriolic apathy which seems to poison your heart and march forward, for your sake, and for the sake of the ones you love or may one day love in the future. This understanding of responsibility and an awareness of the flaws of overly individualistic ideology will bring you closest to any sort of "meaning" in life.
And finally. You are a human. An animal. A man. So live like one. Stop trying to deny your nature and stop imagining yourself some solitary robot.
@@SomeGuy-so3kk Responsibility is something you assign to yourself. There is no objective responsibility, everyone’s responsibility (if they choose to accept it) is different, and completely dependant on whatever situation they are given in life, and whatever aspect of their life they choose to focus on.
Therefore, suicide is not a “cowardly abandonment of responsibility”. The only reason you think that is because humans tend to view sacrifice as “noble” (and perhaps it is).
Existentialism/Absurdism does not work for everyone because humans are built to identify patterns and tend to need order/habit to remain insider of their biological comfort zone. Some people just need to be told what to do.
@@pnbtg3783 Responsibility is fundamentally tied to capability. So long as you have a body with the capability to reduce the suffering of another I do believe that you are a coward for committing suicide. You are making a decision which can only make sense when you make it in a vacuum.
To me I believe that its more the case that in this life we will fail to enact most of our responsibilities. To do all of those good things we can within our capabilities. And that the act of "assigning responsibility to yourself" is simply deciding which responsibilities you are going to dedicate yourself to in this life.
I do however agree that some people do just need to be do what they are told. Some people need religion to make them engage with their responsibilities.
What if a God or essentially-god (that is, a being so advanced it is functionally a deity) exists, but for one reason or another they are either a nihilist, existentialist, or absurdist? Also I think that if the universe is absurd and meaningless, there is no specific reason not to grab a 'life boat', and no specific reason to choose to not grab one, either. One can do so if one truly desires that, and there is no specific reason not to except your personal feelings. I also think that even if the universe is absurd and meaningless, isn't that all the more reason to be kind, caring, promote the general and societal good, and harbor good intentions towards those one meets? We can be lights in the void without it being dressed up as a religious thing, if we truly desire that, and there is no reason to do so or not do so, it is again a personal choice.
Yes but also we can be evil and create chaos kill,murder and rape indiscriminately,it makes no difference to the grand scheme of things but again its personal choice
@@rafaytiger7224 Exactly. At the end of the day nihilism can't be delt with effectively without a return to religion.
@@workinpromoyou need purpose but you dont need god thats for sure,if you need god to tell you what's right and whats wrong you dont lack religion you lack empathy
@@rafaytiger7224 Empathy is higher in religious people than non religious. Look it up.
Meaning without religion is oxymoronic in the final analysis.
@@workinpromo poof thats not true at all,bcz crime is lowest in non religious countries as compared to religious countries and you are nothing but a crazy person talking to god? YOU ARE JUST TALKING TO A WALL
Thanks for this clip. It answered so many questions in me.
not sure how often i will be watching but this video was great and i am now subbed
Not so long ago I recovered from depression. I felt trapped that I couldn’t make sense of things especially with the religious beliefs I used to uphold (I have a very Christian family). One day I decided to give up these beliefs. I just felt tired. I wasn’t really aware of philosophy at the time and so this kind of became my doorway to philosophy. And when I discovered nihilism, I felt a calm in my soul. Like the eye of God that constantly watches every mistake I make suddenly vanishes. It was a nice feeling. However, life was still a struggle and the problems didn’t really vanish like the “eye of God” and I can’t escape them (unless I commit suicide I guess). And then something humiliating and devastating happened to me (won’t go into detail) and I was so tired of sulking that I decided to react in a way that is unexpected. I acted-well, nothing. (but was still aware of what’s happening). Besides from me finding it funny, I wanted to embrace the pain. So I guess that was the time I unknowingly became an absurdist (which I now know because of your video. I always thought there must be an explanation for this “technique” that I found and amazingly the answer presented itself through this video that popped up on my recommendations). Everytime something hurtful happens to me, I tell myself to embrace it. But to keep me from being unsatisfied with life, I kept telling myself that life itself was meant to be hurtful. I mean not that I can’t be happy, but that there will always be pain in everything and I have to embrace that. If not, choose pain first. So basically, I stopped expecting good things in return.
Just needed to get that off my chest.
I really relate, I grew up in a conservative Muslim family. My story is almost the same. I hope you find peace and live a beautiful life.
@@firmanimad You too, bud. :)
Keep going bud
I get it. The answer for me became christian existentiist ism
You can't really do anything about humiliation that has already occurred, but you can do your best to drop the shame you might be carrying. From what you said, it sounds like you're trying to move past it in a sort of "grin and bear it" kind of way.
Try to remember that you're on your own path through life and that sometimes humiliating things can happen on that path. You are still a human being deserving of experiences and a life that isn't ruled by shame.
I agree that pain is a part of life, but I disagree that there must be this sort of mandatory suffering that deserves all of our focus. Remember to carve out your own corner in this world and fill it with things / experiences that are meaningful to you.
It can be difficult to replace that core Christian "meaning." Christianity has a lot of lore and texts and something to say about everything. Unfortunately, it can leave your ability to find personal meaning somewhat atrophied. It can also lead to psychological splitting, where you tend to see things as all good or all bad. The gray is where it's at.
Maybe start writing your own lore. Maybe journal about things that you find important. Look around at your fellow humans and try to find things you like about them, things you don't like. It can be tough at first, especially if you're still comparing everyone to Jesus. Try to find meaning in our flawed existence. Maybe the guy at work is downright hilarious but you happen to know he's an alcoholic - that doesn't make him bad or good, but it makes him human. A character in this story. Or the stupid person in traffic - they were on their phone, but they have a really funny bumper sticker.
Personally, I've found that the broken symmetry of the human experience is more interesting than the sheer perfection of Christian ideals.
Finally - maybe build up a support system of non-Christians / friends who can empathize with you and make you feel understood? There can be an empathy gap if you're surrounded by believers. I grew up like that. Anyhoot, this post is getting too long. Hope things improve for you!
I find it so oddly apropos that I just started doing stand-up and the first place I did an open mic was a tavern called Sysiphys.
I've been wrought with existential crisis since my hero Norm Macdonald died on my 40th birthday.. 😔
When that happens I turn both to religion and, more so .. the philosophy of absurdism.
Ah really!? That's an awesome name for a tavern and also a hilarious name for a place to start doing standup since it's just rolling that rock up every night in a seeming routine of absurdity. I feel your pain around the loss of Norm. How is the start wtih the standup going?
So beautifully explained . Thanks a lot!
Excellent presentation! I thoroughly enjoyed this and appreciate the meanings and examples in the explanations. Thank you and many blessings! new subbie :)
Glad you enjoyed it!