Sartre and Kierkegaard are among the well-known names of existentialist thinkers. There is one name that does not come to mind too often when thinking about existentialism - Karl Jaspers. Read more about this 20th century philosopher whose influence is sometimes neglected: "Forgotten Existentialist". Enjoy! "After all, his work initiated one particular strain of French …
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What did existentialist philosopher Kierkegaard think about discovering ourselves? Collection of inspiring quotes.
French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre famously said, "Hell is other people". This quote appears towards the end of Sartre's play Huis Clos (No Exit), first published in 1944. A disenchanted and desperate verdict; it comes from one of the three characters trapped together in one room. Without giving too much away, let me say that the play's …
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This is an article I wrote precisely one year ago. It explores existentialist themes I discovered in Disney's Lion King story of Timon and Pumba. Today, while researching 13th-century theologian and philosopher Thomas Aquinas's thoughts on individuality and subjectivity, I felt it can be useful to revisit this post. I hope it inspires you to …
What do we mean when we ask "what's the meaning of life" and "what's the purpose of life"? The way we pose these life-meaning questions indicates a silent assumption - that there is an inherent meaning and purpose to life as such. That these are hidden features of life itself waiting to be discovered by …
Sometimes, when you feel down, all you really want is to feel understood, have a sense of companionship. Among philosophers, existentialists are probably the best place to go for that feeling of fellow humanity. Here is a short video introducing Soren Kierkegaard, "a companion for our darkest moments." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9JCwkx558o Keeping up the "Spreading the Word" …
Continue reading Spreading the Word: Kierkegaard’s Existentialism
Sometimes we need a little reassurance amid all the chaos. Here is a video with a selection of quotes from the French philosopher Albert Camus. An expert on the absurdity of life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22cV7MvC2_k Keeping up the "Spreading the Word" tradition, every weekend, I hope to share with you an article I've read or a video …
Continue reading Spreading the Word: How to Live in Absurdity?
Here is an interesting example of why it is worth the effort to invest time and energy into self-development and learning. It is an example from personal experience. If I were to ask you, what do Disney movies have in common with philosophy, what would your first thought be? I can say for myself - …
Today I share with you a short video about Existentialism. I think they've managed to capture the main ideas of this philosophical attitude nicely and have presented them in a clear way. We are all after meaning in our lives. And there is absurdity in that. Why? Well, as an existentialist would say - because …
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