Dakota Beacon

“Existential” recently became the latest buzzword casually thrown around in the media. “Existential” this and “existential” that. Use of this highfalutin jargon begs the question, “Does the speaker know what they are talking about?”

So, what is this word “existential?” From Webster’s Dictionary, existential means “of, relating to, or affirming existence; concerned with or involving an individual as radically free and responsible.”

The emergence of existentialism as a philosophy in the 19th and 20th centuries attempted to accommodate advances in science, technology, and man’s power over the material world. The Renaissance and the Enlightenment uprooted traditional religious beliefs and replaced them with science, rationalism, and materialism. Existential philosophy grew up within the void left by the decline of Christianity. With this decline, people lost contact with a transcendent realm of being. They were set free to confront the material world in all its fierce objectivity.

Existentialism, the “Johnny-come-lately” of the philosophical world, comes burdened with baggage because of its nebulous nature. It has always been difficult to define due to its diverse reaction to the challenges emerging in history. Existentialism has been viewed by the philosophical establishment as illegitimate and unworthy of being called philosophy. It was thus not a true heir to the philosophical tradition.

Soren Kierkegaard is recognized as “father of existentialism” because of his focus on the individual rather than the world beyond. Other thinkers touching on existential themes include a broadly diverse array. Hegel, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Kafka, Jaspers, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, and many others dealt with the themes below.

Certain themes characterize existentialism. They focus on and, therefore justify, one’s self. In a sense, man makes himself – period.

Absurdity: The human instinct seeks order and meaning. What people encounter is an absurd world that refuses to be orderly or meaningful.

Anxiety: A person feels anxious because they recognize that they alone are responsible for their actions. In a world of social and political freedom this may produce the simultaneous feelings of dread and exhilaration.

Alienation: Many aspects of existence may be alienating. A person may feel as a stranger in the world or a stranger to themselves. This absurdity may be a source of alienation.

Existence precedes essence: Human beings exist first and only later define themselves. When born, you have no meaning, no purpose, and no definition. People cultivate that later.

The death of God: God dies when people recognize no external system provides them with answers. Each person must provide meaning, purpose, and definition for themselves. The individual replaces God and becomes their own god. Everybody does that which is right in their own eyes.

Emphasis on the Subjective: A first-person perspective of the world includes the needs, desires, and emotions of a person foremost. A person becomes the valid starting point for human endeavors. This contrasts with the scientific mindset which always starts with objectivity.

Leap back in time to the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes pre-dating existentialism by roughly 2,500 years. There is nothing new under the sun. Juxtapose existentialism with the message in Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes the author takes stock of life experienced between the horizons of birth and death. Between these horizons a person experiences life as a series of riddles or enigmas. But, a person cannot see beyond the final horizon.

The writer reflects on the futility or vanity of life in the natural world: acquiring wisdom and knowledge, engaging in pleasures, adding possessions, accomplishing deeds, and praising hard work. Lastly come aging and the end of mortal life. Conclusion? All is in vain.

But, the writer has a message. In the end, a life not focused on God becomes purposeless, meaningless. His writing portrays exactly that – the reflections of an old man whose life was meaningless if not for embracing God. It serves as a warning against human hubris.

So, the question arises – is life vain and meaningless because there is no God or because there is a God who people reject? Is God merely a crutch used by intellectual weaklings?

This brings to mind the “Pascal wager” attributed to 17^th century French Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal. The gist of the wager is that God exists or He does not exist. So far, so good. Pascal contends that a person should adopt a lifestyle consistent with the existence of God. Here are the potential outcomes. If God does NOT exist, this person loses only some finite pleasures but gains a moral life. However, if God DOES exist, this person stands to gain eternal fellowship with God while avoiding eternal separation.

Here is a follow-on point. Can we live a life of fellowship with God without His internal presence in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ? Not according to the Biblical record. To do otherwise would be to live life by the flesh in an attempt to justify ourselves to God. Fat chance.

Choose you this day whom you will serve.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).