Historical & Moral Development in Existentialism
Faith and the Need for Personal and Individual Moral Responsibility
Dec 13, 2008
Some of the most salient themes in existentialism are, apart from individual existence, the role of liberty, responsibility and free choice. These themes and a particular outlook on morality have been proposed by major philosophers throughout history and their influence can be felt directly or indirectly in the premises of existential thought.
Søren Kierkegaard and the Stress on Individuality
One of the most influential philosophers, who contributed greatly to existentialist philosophy and is considered its founding father, is Søren Kierkegaard. He stated that the greatest good and goal of each individual is to search for one’s own and unique vocation and for a truth that resonates within each particular individual.
It is different from the search for absolute truth proposed by other previous thinkers like Plato. Everyone would need to embark on their own path without help or guidance of models; in fact at times it would be necessary to rebel against social and moral conventions and traditions to come up with one’s own moral decisions.
Friedrich Nietzsche and the Questioning of Traditional Values
For Nietzsche the matter of morality was essential as well. He stressed that the Christian values and morals need to be reexamined by each individual and filtered through each individual’s personal convictions and experiences. As such, a much more personal and individually resonant and meaningful morality is created.
In this case, absolute and traditional morality does not exist in a godless world, and morality needs to be adjusted to one’s own beliefs and nature, which include the importance of individual will and free choice and the responsibility and often entailed risk that comes with making one’s own moral decisions.
Blaise Pascal & Martin Heidegger and the Importance of Faith and Convictions
Pascal rejected the rationalism proposed by many philosophers of his time. For him, human life was made up of paradoxes and contradictions and could not be subsumed in rational terms. As a result, faith, in particular Christian faith, becomes more important and gives one’s life meaning. The notion of faith or personal convictions giving meaning to each being is of paramount interest to existentialist philosophers.
This idea is taken up and taken a step further by the agnostic Heidegger who claims that human beings will never fathom the reason of their existence, but that they must choose a goal and follow this objective with passion and conviction conscious of impending death and aware of a general lack of meaning in life.
Although it is difficult to give a comprehensive view on the role of morality in existential philosophy since it includes a gamut of atheist, agnostic and Christian philosophers, there is a consensus that reason cannot explain or give meaning to life in an absurd world, that traditional morality should be questioned and tailored to one’s personal beliefs and that one should become aware of one’s social and humanitarian role and responsibility.
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