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Old 04-09-2008, 05:52 AM
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What's a thought-provoking aspect of existentialism? for philosophy paper topic?

Need to write 10 page paper on existentialist related topic, but none really comes to mind off the top of my head. Here's what we covered: Kant, Kierkegaard (the Individual, Anxiety, Sin & Being Christian)-they were alright; Neitzsche (Will to Power, Eternal Recurrence, Morality Critique)-loved Genealogy of Morals, but we did explanatory paper on that (GoM), so it could be related to GoM, but obviously it can't be a repeat; Dostoevsky(Notes from Underground, Grand Inquisitor)-somewhat interesting, but dragging; Hesse(Siddharta)-cool, but lacking spark; M. Heidegger(Dasein, Being and Time)-it's like he talks forever about nothing as paradoxical as that sounds.
Yeah, that's what we covered so far, and we're currently doing a paper on Authenticity, so if you're thinking about that, it's already taken. I'd like to do something that's engaging as I'll be into it, as I do need to cover 10 pages, but any and all ideas are welcomed. Thank you. You can send me a message if you've got questions
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:53 AM
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Is there intrinsic value or only experience and perspective
Being of circumstance (you know what is available to know to the time period which you are born)
What is the basis of reality if everything is existential.

If you already covered all that let me know.
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:55 AM
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You could read Sloterdijk's short essay 'rules for the human zoo', which goes further on Heideggers 'on humanism' (which is very easily readable and goes into some essential early Heidegger topics). This Sloterdijk is very thought-provocing but it's more about the role of philosophy in the modern way of life than existential in the more ontological sense.
Another author i'm really starting to like is Kierkegaard. I read his first real work 'either/or' and i must say, i really underestimated him. No secondary literature can tell you anything about the 'real' Kierkegaard. With all his pseudonyms, worked out as characters with fully developed personalities, he himself remains untouchable to criticism. His aesthetic and ethic character are really both equally right. Alone that fact is enough to write an essay about: "how is the aesthetic in 'me' (you) reconcilable with the ethical 'me'." That's a real existentialist problem i think, and you will probably find adequate sources easily. If you take this subject i might like to read it. PM me if you do ok?
(Sorry for my bad English btw. I'm Belgian.)
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:57 AM
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Existentialism is an extremely diverse and varied philosophy. Even though it is so varied, there are some themes that can be found throughout it. (1) Existence precedes essence, in other words, you need existence to have essence. There is no predetermined "true" thing, it has to already exist inorder to become what it is. (2) Anxiety and anguish.The fear or dread which is not directed at any specific object, it's just there. Anguish is the dread of the nothingness of human existence, the meaningless of it. According to Kierkegaard, anguish is the underlying, all-pervasive, universal condition of man's existence. (3) Absurdity. "Granted I am my own existence, but this existence is absurd." Everybody is here, everybody exists, but there is no reason as to why. We're just here, that's it, no excuses. (4) Nothingness. There is nothing that structures this world's existence, man's existence, or the existence of my computer. There is no essence that these things are drawn from, since existence preceeds essence, then that means there is nothing. (5) Death. The theme of death follows along with the theme of nothingness. Death is always there, there is no escaping from it. To think of death, as everybody does sooner or later, causes anxiety. The only sure way to end anxiety once and for all is death.
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