Nihilism vs. Existentialism vs. Absurdism - Explained and Compared
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 พ.ค. 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
"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.
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
My nihilism was worsening by the week and I was contemplating suicide.
I looked up nihilism on TH-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
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
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
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
“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
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
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?
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?
It's been about 15 years since my existentialism course and you nailed this so elegantly
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
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!
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
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!
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’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
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!
Every night I hope I don’t wake up . But every day I do , I get out of bed and live.
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.
“The struggle itself to watch my Delta Force movies back-to-back is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine the audience happy.” - Chuck Norris
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
Beautifully summarised. Deeply enjoyed it!
Thanks Eternalised! Glad you enjoyed it!
Stumbled on this by accident. Very impressive work. To syntheitize a concept is not easier than delving deeper into it. Excellent video.
Thanks Matteo!
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.
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
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 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.
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
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!
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!
This is a legitimately fascinating intro into this realm of study. Thank you for making this video.
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. 🙏🙏🙏
I wish Philosophy 101 were taught this clearly! Much puzzlement and confusion would be avoided.
Thanks again!
Haha thanks David!
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...
That was the best simplified yet well structured explanation of these three philosophies I have ever heard. Thank you
This is the best video I’ve seen yet that perfectly explains the differences between each belief. Beautifully done!
Thanks Jessie!
This is really insightful, thankyou! I've been struggling to come up with definitions for these three, thanks for explaining :-)
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!
Best analysis I’ve ever heard of the 3. I have had a moment of clarity and sincerely thank you for your commentary.
It's so nice that I'm not only learning from the video but from the comments too.
That was neatly done. My impulse to categorize tells me Absurdism is an Existential tactic.
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!
2 asks if there is meaning to life, 1 asks if we need it
From this video I realized I am niihlistic, but not existentialist as I thought. I felt like life has no meaning from very early life, but I decided I don't care after thinking about it. I don't need a meaning to enjoy food, I don't need a meaning to love my friends, I don't need a meaning to live my life. I just am, and I like it as how it is.
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.
This really helped me differentiate the philosophical theories! Thank you!! Love the video btw :)
Glad to hear it thanks for watching!
Thank you for the video! these past few years i've been interested in the search of absurdism, and realizing that i really click with absurdist thoughts, even tho previously thinking that i was somewhat existentialist, but then i am actually not because i think absurdist affirm both objective and subjective factors that consist world, thus being more humane than other school if thoughts. Thank you so much for the great explanation and summary of these three thoughts
I had found myself believing in nihilism, that there wasn’t any meaning to life, and also that there wasn’t anything worth living for. I was in a pretty depressing moment in my life at that time, but as years went by I realized that if there isn’t any meaning that’s ok, I will just live finding joy in the little pleasures in life. I’ve never really learned much about philosophy before but I always found myself drawn to it. I never knew my personal belief of life was called Absurdism. I loved this video, it explains everything clearly and to the point. Thank you for making this!
Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved from all this crap. There isn’t much difference between meaningless, forced and false meaning and absurd. It’s just different words for the same pointless crap.
That sounds more like Existentialism tbh. But props to you anyway dude.
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.
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 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!
excellent video. perhaps the best breakdown and summary of these philosophies that one can find on the internet
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.
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 🤗
I have been looking for someone who can explain this very thing for almost 5 years. And here it is, in perfect explanation.
Thank you.
I was a christian born and raised until i was nearly 17, I became an atheist then, but it never really sat right with me. Around 7 years ago I decided that absurdity was the right thing for me, but I couldn't really explain it to anyone in a way that made sense. This video is it exactly. Thank you for this, it has finally given me hope that there are in fact others in the world who think like I do. You are a true philosopher.
I'm absolutely delighted to hear that!
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 😅
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
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.
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
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!
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!
In traffic, I'm a nihilist. On weekends, I'm an absurdist. At work, I'm a radio producer.
This was fantastic. Thanks.
The interesting thing about philosophy is that the people writing it often had to "turn the volume up" on what they were trying to express, so that others could grasp the concept. This is why some hate and others love philosophy. It's not designed to make perfect sense, but rather to get a person thinking. It acts as a sort of microscopic view of humanity which, in it's attempt to zoom in on a specific way of thinking creates a distorted image that only makes sense if one keeps in mind that they've zoomed in a great deal on one specific thing.
I tend to think that existentialism in the optimist's default response to 'what's it all mean' because it gives them a sense of agency and control (whether real or imagined is debatable). Nihilism is the pessimist's response to the same question which is to release attachment to human preferences for things to be a certain way, especially when there's a preference that is outside their ability to control. Absurdism in my view shares qualities with both in that it calls for a release of the attachment to meaning and realise the absurd or almost ridiculous dance that ensues from this tug of war when one searches for meaning where none exists.
Personally, I find myself relating more often with existentialism and absurdism. Existentialism in that in the absence of a clear and obvious purpose that at the very least we should recognise the beauty and gift of life and direct our efforts towards things that enrich our lives and that of those around us. I then also acknowledge that so many of the 'challenges' we face in modern society are human-invented moralistic judgements based on rubbish people made up hundreds of years ago and how many stories we've created upon stories to try and convince ourselves that there IS a meaning - and the only genuine and freeing response to this is to laugh, realise the folly and hubris of trying to answer an unanswerable question. We don't know, we can't know and we won't ever know.
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!!
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?
This sir is one of the best and most comprehensive descriptions of philosophy I have ever heard!!
Thank you sir!!
In my own philosophical journey I've always considered myself more of an existentialist, but I often found myself using absurdist thinking whenever I do and discuss art. And this sort of flip-flopping has recently led me to notice that I can map an order/chaos dichotomy (at least aesthetically) onto Absurdism and Existentialism. Which, looking at some of my fellow commenters, seems to reinforces a common idea that embracing both may not just be appropriate, but optimal for the pursuit of meaning and fight against nihilism.
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
This video is a really good explanation of all three concepts, indeed! Thank you🤜🏻🤛🏻
Outstanding!! A great explanation of the different philosophies in just 14 minutes!! Incredible! Beautifully constructed!
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
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 TH-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.
“One must imagine sisyphus is happy” is a worldview changing sentence 👏
Never has there been such a lucid explanation of these matters. Thanks
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.
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?
This was beautifully done. Thank you for explaining such complex ideas so simply.
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!
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
I always assumed myself to be a nihilist, but now it sounds like I might be an existentialist.
"nothing is real"-bo burnham
*three minutes later* "nothing's still real"-bo burnham
Wow, thank you so much for this deep, yet very condensed take on these topics 🙏
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 :)
I love Camus, and I love absurdism. I think there's truth within what he says. But I find a blend of absurdism with stoicism and a dash of Buddhism to make the most sense for me. I haven't seen Camus write too much of stoicism -- apart from him referring to it as a "servile consciousness" in 'The Rebel' (1971, p. 110). However, I see parallels between the two.
If I understand him correctly, Camus's identification of a silent universe refers to a lack of godly presence or meaning. That one must live and dance in this silence, to rebel. He urges us to enjoy life for life itself. For me this ties with stoicism. The stoics had faith in the 'logos' (the animating force of the universe, perhaps also fate). I see the logos as something that doesn't necessitate belief in a God. I see it as the universe, as nature. (I suppose one must still wrestle with the problem of the prime mover, though I'd argue this doesn't need an answer). Nature's unimaginable complexity, nuance, and interconnectedness renders it overwhelming and indecipherable to the Human mind. One can attempt to dissect parts of it rationally and scientifically, probing it systematically for answers. However, Camus (and indeed Popper) points out the limits of expecting to find Truth in scientific inquiry. Rather, in a absurdist tilt, one can stare in wonder and revel in its incomparable majesty (a sentiment Camus expresses frequently in his novels -- particularly 'The First Man'). I then see a link between these two philosophies. I think stoicism gets a bad, overly reductionist rap. I think it's still massively relevant today and shares a lot of ground with Camus' thoughts. I think the stoics focus on one's helplessness, the unpredictability and unfairness of nature and the universe gel suitably with Camus's idea of the absurd. The stoic's logos and their teachings about concerning oneself only with what one can control I think are beautiful bolstering additions to absurdism. Perhaps offering a faint and tentative note into Camus's silent universe.
I'm rambling now, but if you read this comment, I'd love to know if you agree or if I'm chatting absolute nonsense. Either way, loved the video!
I know a little bit about stoicism, although I haven’t yet put it into practice. But from the little I know about both philosophies, your ‘ramblings’ seem to have something to them.
I’m gonna read more about both philosophies and see if I can maybe apply such an outlook to my own small universe and my smaller place within it
totally agree! there's a lot of overlap between stoicism and absurdism at its practice. having read both camus and marcus aurelius's most notable works, i did see similarities and like you said i think both acknowledge a limit to our understanding or control of the universe, and a way to live regardless of it. i am surprised he called stoicism servile, but hey, i definitely dont know more than him ;P
In your own words, define “TRUTH”. ☝️🤔☝️
@TurnedLeftAtTheRockyMountains
Good and bad are RELATIVE. 😉
@@ReverendDr.Thomas an interesting challenge. Ultimately, I think I would struggle to be able to provide a satisfactory definition. One could write a book and not approach a satisfactory conclusion. I believe in a certain degree of empirical certainty. Whether one could call that Truth with a capital “T” is questionable. It is more likely in the fields of physics or mathematics (although Gödel might have something to say about that). However, in the realms of philosophy or psychology it is far more spurious and elusive. I don’t know if language is the best tool to try and capture it or discuss it even. I also think it’s relative and fairly idiosyncratic. That is, what is true for one person (e.g., if I go out in the sun in summer in England for 20 minutes, I will burn) is different for another person (e.g., they can go out on the same day for the same time and not burn). When one zooms out to the realm of ideas and the metaphysical, I feel as though lived experience and discourse can come across areas of convergence and agreement. I have often felt a disparate idea that has sat in my mind for years can be articulated perfectly in a book and click together a powerful realisation for me. That, I would consider a kind of truth. Perhaps not ultimate, infallible Truth, but something, at least, pointing somewhat in that direction. As I said at the beginning though, this answer is hopelessly flawed and likely riddled with inconsistencies. That’s the trouble with using language to try and form concepts in what I believe to be a very fluid, tumultuous, and paradoxical world. But at least I have it a go hahaha!
I think often people exaggerate the fundamental differences between absurdism and existentialism. I know that Camus attacked "the existentialists," but to me, especially looking back, it was more for trying to find a "true existentialism." I find that people when talking about Camus's absurdism, as if it's the totality of his philosophy, only tend to reference the Myth of Sisyphus and maybe the Stranger, Fall and Plague. You certainly don't get his political essays, like The Crisis on Man and Reflections on the Guillotine, if Camus was a pure absurdist. You get a ton of values being created and argued for within them, and his political philosophy isn't absurdist whatsoever, as far as I understand it.
So to me, absurdism should always be grouped within existentialism, because existentialism itself is broad. Absurdism was perhaps just the most cutting, negative version (negative not in terms of cynical but in terms of trying to negate any irrational presuppositions, views, etc). But after you do the absurdist turn, one cannot live life without creating values, or finding them in the world. So absurdism is the prerequisite, and then existentialist "answers" follow.
Really, it's nihilism vs. whatever can fight against it, to me. And existentialism broadly defined (including Camus and Heidegger, who both fought the label, people like Gadamer, Tillich, Ricoeur, etc. who are not "strict existentialists" either, Levinas, Buber, etc.) is a broad school of thought that's one of the best weapons against it.
How can you be content with meaningless life without substitute it with death or choosing a meaning haha
Brother, your videos are sick
You just earned yourself a subscriber. Keep up the good work!
This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my TH-cam channel 8 months ago about self development. Now I have 838 subs and > 400 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.
This was great. Absurdist was something I never knew about although I reached a very similar reality after being nihilist from being born creationist...
My saying is if nothing really matters, and everything will end eventually, then why not make a meaning out of it? After all nothing gives more pleasure then living in this time, only possible to live once, ever.
Such an insignificant matter that contains so much significance you see?
And perhaps this is the reason quantum theory finds matter that exists and doesn't at the same time;
perhaps that is the meaning of the universe and we have known it for some time already.
if you’re able to make meaning for your life that makes life worth it that’s good for you, I’m not able to just knowing it’s a made up meaning takes away the meaning for me. The only time I have pleasure is sleeping so I’m ready for it to be over, nonexistent just seems more pleasurable to me but everyone is different.
@@_the_watcher_2089 life has its phases, perhaps you are passing through one. when we convince ourselves we know, that's when we know very little.. who knows someday your understanding will find something way more meaningful then you ever had imagined... hopefully.. all the best
That last part sounds like philosophical suicide to me
Creationism gave me meaning, still does since I'm intellectually convinced. If you do good only because it makes you feel something then you'll underperform religious people and break down once feeling good is about hurting yourself or others as in the case of pornography and all it's siblings.
The better option for you would be to reserve judgment, act as if God exists and if he exists you will gain everything and if he doesn't you will lose nothing. You don't have to make a decision especially when you're trapped in nihilism, just reserve judgment and be hopeful.
I'm not sure about the rebelliousness of absurdism. In the Sysiphus example, had Sysiphus not tricked the gods and was sent for 30 years in flames for trying to trick them then was sent to roll the boulder over and over again like before, that would not have been good. I assume the boulder is an analogy for the meaninglessness of life. How do you rebel? Do you sell everything and buy cocaine and hookers till you die? Do you devote yourself to charities? About the only saving grace is...life is meaningless, but at least you got chance to live. Do with it whatever you want and take the consequences, too. That is what everyone does even if they believe in God.
Cocaine and hookers isn't actually the Hedonist dream you think it is...
Also jsyk the Bible includes a lot of punishments for things that don't involve tricking the gods or hurting anyone. I'm supposed to be severely punished in the afterlife, simply for thought crimes.
"Life is meaningless" is actually an extremely liberating statement. Sure I could get hookers, or I could take a walk with a sketchbook or flute. I could spend intimate time with people I love. I could say filthy words into the sky. I could take a hike around a lake. I could play Chess online, but with anime girls for the pieces. Nobody can judge whether those actions are "meaningful" or morally appropriate with some invisible judge deity because there is simply no universal baring for meaning. Everything is relative, and human morals are generally related to increased chances of survival. Hence why hard drugs are still deleterious for the atheist.
Consequence is a terrifying thought for one who believe in god haha
@@mantabsekali920 "Consequence is a terrifying thought for one who believe in god haha" Well, it's a good thing there is not much evidence of Gods. It is a good story in scaring people into behaving, but then again, living your entire life scared is not very appealing either.
@@gabrielteo3636 yeah that's why the god that they believe in create an "Afterlife" scenario, that your life is not end with death but with my end hahaha
I think Douglas Adams was a good example of Absurdism with a touch of Nihilism.
Where was this ten years ago when I needed it 😭
I posit that it is impossible *not* to create our own meaning, and that while there may indeed be some grand, cosmic, objective Meaning, it is unnecessary and perhaps impossible to know it.
Today, as I was driving, I had a thought: if, suddenly, all other people besides me vanished, there would truly be no point in my sticking around as well. So, people are, if not my meaning, then at least the soil in which I must plant my roots to draw the will to survive.
It seems to me that life is a buffet of fruits, and that once tasted, certain fruits are difficult to put down. We all develop a palate in this manner, and certain fruits harm or heal us to varying degrees. The fruits of love and kindness are difficult to discard for those of cruelty and sadism, if one has grown up eating them. Likewise, they may be intolerable if one has never been afforded the chance to develop a taste for them. We also have instinctual cravings for some types of fruits, and must decide whether to indulge or suppress them. Some are necessary to our mental nutrition, or else we develop maladies of character.
The circumstances into which we are thrust define us, initially, unless and until we are able to create our own definitions in their place. Many are content never to make the attempt.
It may not be easy to define a sole, overarching purpose for existence, but it is at least easier to make an argument for which paths lead to a life of fulfillment, and which lead to regret. It is said that making selfish, “taker” choices regularly can result in an increase of happiness, and that making nurturing, “giving” ones can increase feelings of meaning. I am not yet wise enough to determine a proper mixture of the two, and am still slave to base instinct in many cases. In the song, Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie’s character only laments that “nothing really matters...to me” once he has been condemned to death. Boethius, in a similar situation, penned the great work “The Consolation of Philosophy.” There is a zen koan about a condemned man having trouble sleeping, knowing he is to die the next day. He recalls his teacher’s words that “Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now.”, is greatly comforted that he is now alive, and sleeps. These approaches all display interesting differences in the way we regard meaning in life, our individual purpose, and the perspective through which our emotions about it all are framed.
On the whole, I find certain things admirable and other things regrettable. I know that I have no ultimate right to declare them thus. However, if I do not grant myself some artistic liberties in painting my grand picture of life, I fear it will become a very uninteresting one indeed.
Thanks for the great response Tim. I love this fruit metaphor for an illustration of how we end up loving love/kindness and cruelty/sadism. I definitely relate to the conflict you're talking about. I read a book by the guy who founded Positive Psychology Martin Seligman and he was talking about the discovery in research of the two dimensions of fulfilment-pleasure and meaning and how together they make for a great life. I think that the urges and impulses that steer us towards selfishness are looking after the pleasure axis (pleasure being associated usually with the things that keep the individual organism alive and reproducing) while the better angels of our nature drive the meaning axis (the interpersonal/social animal aspect of being human). We experience the conflict between both and there's no one simple compass course to follow (though people like Cato just steer towards meaning with no thought for pleasure)
I'm also inclined to agree that we can't not create our own meaning. I think Camus was psychologically inaccurate with thinking that such a thing was possible. Any embrace of life and living entails a meaning on some level and as creatures of meaning we just can't help but find it if we sit around for long enough. And as you say this may not be an objective meaning (which may be eternally inaccessible) but certainly the subjective experience entails it
Well, what if there were still all the other animal species? Would you become a dolphin tamer, the only one on Earth?
Another hypothetical, are you the archetype that would jump off a cliff to your doom just because everyone else was doing it / had already done it?
I grew up an absurdist dealing with existential depression, but I sorely lacked social development and skill engagement throughout my youth.
I just played video games all day.
Then I found some martial artists, some mentors in the sphere, and learned quite a lot about my individual potential.
Just as everyone around me partied every night in the spirit of YOLO just to live without regrets, I truly learned what it was like to regret NOTHING.
I no longer felt like redoing my life, starting from scratch, throwing away everything I know.
I learned that these types of cathartic rebirth come in the form of meditation, optimism, and moving forward, stepping into my future, filling shoes I ought to fill, being strong and formidable and courageous and temperate and wise and forthcoming and assertive, etc.
I may still be an absurdist. My religious wanderings are certainly blind. I love dichotomies and (most) extremes, finding clairvoyance and exploring the unknown under the guise of “newness.”
I live by Amor Fati, and yet contradict myself by searching for a worthy cause to live for. Because what’s the point of dying for any cause if you could do the more difficult thing and live for it?
It’d be easy to collapse and not get back up, at least in theory. However, my body, mind, or even my spirit at times, has never allowed me to do so.
To ramble a bit further, I feel that people perceive me as having “main character syndrome...” but I’m perfectly fine with remaining anonymous and serving behind the cloaks of greatness.
@@SolDizZo You sound a little similar to myself, Tristan. Only the dogs could offer me the type of companionship I would need in order to keep up the fight, I think. I would need to become leader of a very large pack. :)
It would drive me totally insane eventually, being the only human. I would certainly die no matter what actions I took. Being firmly against suicide, I would not take that route. But what I became would be so distorted and inhuman that I would still cease to be for all intents and purposes, I’m sure.
Even if I did have a few human companions, but only them, I’m not sure the result would be much different. We all lean on each other far more than we ever realize.
@@TimBitten now I need to watch I am Legend again
Really I completely share your perspectives there.
Here’s a story... I spoke with my childhood friend a few months after a pivotal phone call, and he admitted to me that he had been *on a bridge* that day... during the call. He said he wouldn’t have answered to anyone else.
I thought back to how intense the phone call was. His mom called me looking for him and when she found out he wasn’t kicking it with me, she pleaded with me to call him. I guess subconsciously I just seemed to get it.
I knew exactly what to say and press on during the call. He’s more of a brother to me than my four real brothers. I don’t know what I’d do without him and I need him to come back home. It felt like forever but he gradually responded better and better over the phone and I think he said he’d go back home before I eventually hung up.
It’s possible that I’ve picked my current career... correctional officer... to realize this strength. Being in the right place at the right time, serving the community.
After a few more recent experiences like that, there’s no doubt I’m in my own dream job, managing intensity like I never thought I could. Only... I want to do more, I want to be more resourceful for more and more people.
Hey, at least you're nothing if not self aware. 😅
Salient take bud. I'm of two minds about everything, that's my gift.
So, I find the eventual heat death of the universe, both deeply existentially terrifying yet also an enormous relief. I think you're right on the money though insofar as where you find meaning. Also, I have also really found that fulfillment comes more though the service of others than vice versa. There's an argument that even THIS is a selfish act as when you start practicing selflessness, as it's the only way moving forward that makes you feel like a worthwhile human.
Anyway, I could wax on with my personal brand of nonsense, spinning my wheels aloud but I'll just merely shortcut to the words:
Props bro. ✊ Philosophical solidarity.