Man’s Existence Defined by Being and Nothing Essay

I. Introduction What makes a person alive? Should existence be defined simply by a person’s biological and physical ability to move and breathe? Is existence proven by the mere physical presence of a living person? Philosophers down the ages have advanced many theories of how human existence is defined. Some have advance theories based on the establishment of â€Å"being† after the fulfillment of a life’s purpose. Others opined that a person’s fear or experience of dread and nothingness defines existence. Some however believe that it is a combination of these yin/yang forces that define human existence. II. Discussions on Existence, Being and Nothingness People are defined as human beings in Biology.   It is what separates humans as a specie from animals.   But shouldn’t the word â€Å"human† be enough? What is the significance of the verb â€Å"be?†   Several theories have been advanced to define the tangible things one sees in life but as philosopher Martin Heidegger noticed, they have forgotten to ask what to â€Å"be† really is (Philipse. 1998. p18). The question of what defines human existence has intrigued philosophers over the ages. Theories have gone beyond the basic qualification of life as the simple and obvious ability to move and breathe. Existentialism however, puts forward the more abstract concepts of defining one’s being as influenced by boredom, freedom, commitment and alienation (Warnock.1970.p.4).   It separates the human existence into â€Å"being† and â€Å"nothing.† What makes a human a â€Å"being†? According to Heidegger, a de-constructional view of existence is necessary to include the essence of human’s â€Å"being† as opposed to the classical thought of the obvious and therefore unexplored being (Philipse, 1998.p.3). One of Heidegger’s main influences, Edmund Huserll (Grimsley.1960.p.37) said that philosophy should be described in the context of human experience and goals.   People do and live in accordance with one â€Å"plan† or goal.   Heidegger modified this with his theory of â€Å"care,† (Cochrane. 1956. p112) which, simply stated means that a person’s priorities or what he or she considers important defines their existence.  Ã‚   For him, it is the motivation and the individual needs that define a person’s existence and thus shapes them into what they are. In his work â€Å"Being and Time,† Heidegger created the representation â€Å"Dasein† of the individual that seeks to answer the question as to why he exists.   He states the Dasein is â€Å"thrown† into a world of possibilities and responsibilities, and to account for his existence, the Dasein must take responsibility for all these possibilities (Cochrane, 1956 p. 136). Another philosopher who advances the notion of a reality governed by consciousness, Rene Descartes in his â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy† states that in human existence, the only thing that cannot be doubted is consciousness.   Reality can have many illusions, but a human being’s consciousness is constant which therefore makes it the only truth (Snooks, 1998.p 26). The famed German philosopher George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (Stace,1955. p. 44) summed it up in the statement â€Å"the rational alone is real† which presented the idea that everything can and will only be expressed in rational categories His various works reflected methods predominantly rooted in logic According to Hegel,   the degree of comprehension of concepts is only limited or expanded by the standards of knowledge a person possesses and the level of society he belongs to (Stace,1955. p. 46)   . The ideas of existentialism contradict this. The definition of a person’s existence is not dependent on rational thinking but rather their individual â€Å"beings† in the world they were born in.   Reality in reference to one’s existence is subjective. In Sartre’s â€Å"Being and Nothingness,† he defines the actuality of man’s ideal of completion as the fulfillment of state of â€Å"Being† while nothingness is the failure or lack of this actuality (Schilpp. 1997.p.48) Like Hegel, Sartre also used the concepts of â€Å"Being† in terms of â€Å" in itself†, â€Å"for others†, and â€Å"for and in itself.†   Unlike Hegel however who defined these as organizational thought processes and logic in the individual, Sartre stated these terms with definitions done to identify and qualify the subjective and objective facets of human existence. Regarded as the â€Å"Father of Existentialism,† and one of Hegel’s greatest critics, Soren Kierkegaard (Malantschuk, 2003.p.11 )was a Danish philosopher who proposed that it is an individual’s feelings such as dread and anxiety that lead to making choices that define a person’s life. Kierkegaard believed that the difference between an individual’s self-perception of being and nothingness stems from the â€Å"individuality† of a person and that includes emotions and passions. A person’s existence therefore, is brought about by his fears. He cites a parallel of faith and atheism.   In his theories that were viewed as â€Å"anti-organized religion,† Kierkegaard states that for a person to be able to â€Å"make a leap of faith,† one must first have doubt. Otherwise, one may not be able to differentiate â€Å"faith† from everyday emotions. In the same way, Being cannot exist without â€Å"Nothing† and vice-versa (Malantschuk, 2003.p.90) Kierkegaard also advanced the   paradoxical theory of the Concept of Dread (Ussher, 1968.p. 52). According to Kierkegaard’s concept of Dread, it is only when one has experienced total misery that one can recognize and experience life and living. â€Å"Only by being a sacrificial Isaac would he recognise himself for the beloved of Abraham: and no miracle (he knew in the end) would intervene.† (Ussher, 1968.p. 27). It is not unusual in today’s times to hear the maxim â€Å"You never know what you have unless you’ve lost it.†Ã‚   The misery or anxiety at the thought of losing something makes one realize how much value they have truly assigned to something. The thought of this is echoed in German journalist Helmut Kuhn’s â€Å"Encounter with Nothingness: An Essay on Existentialism† (1949): â€Å"The question of existence is urged upon us chiefly by our interest. We raise it when we care for the existence or the nonexistence of something. When darkness closes down, we do get excited about the existence of light† (Kuhn, 1949) Immanuel Kant presented a style of inquiry that takes to consideration the physiological and empirical facets of a person’s state of Being. Kant believed that an introspective approach was necessary for one to understand and make sense of one’s own being (Kant, 1965). Sartre, one of the strongest critics of Kantian theory argues that the notion that human emotions are insignificant and occasional â€Å"situations† that occur of an individual’s behavior is unacceptable. â€Å"Moreover, emotion must not be considered as a set of empirical facts gained through introspection or as a â€Å"corporeal phenomenon† , but rather as â€Å"an organized form of human existence†Ã‚   (Schilpp, 1997.p.13) As a person’s existence and state of â€Å"Being† are subjective, so is the definition of â€Å"nothingness.† The lexicon meaning of the word â€Å"nothing† is given as â€Å"1 : not any thing : no thing; 2 : no part;   3 : one of no interest, value, or consequence† In philosophy however, despite the many theories that sought to define existence, the definition of the word â€Å"nothing† seems to be universal.   It simply means failure to attain a state of Being through lack of fulfillment and failure at the attainment of purposes or goals. III. Summary The human being and existence is a complex and paradoxical concept.   All the concepts are true in a sense, but were never really complete in describing or pinpointing the meaning of life. Different schools of thought range from describing human existence in a mathematical sense then evolving into the more abstract consideration of complex human emotions. Classical philosophy in its rational and logical basis, says it is â€Å"Mind over matter.† Sartre, Hegel and Heidegger’s philosophies are summed up in â€Å"the End justifies the Means.† Kierkegaard’s neurotic view of the existence as a result of anxiety and dread is summed up in â€Å"You don’t know what you have until you’ve lost it.† IV. Conclusion Given the many points of view advanced, there remains a constant, and that is recognition of the human free will. It is the will that makes a choice that rational, experiential or pessimistic, influences the â€Å"End† that defines and justifies a person’s existence. A person’s experience of past and present in addition to his perception of what the future could be are subjective.   The significance people place on certain things is also subjective.   Reactions are subjective.   Life is subjective.   One can choose to define existence in the manner of different philosophies. However, it is important to note that these schools of thought are not rules that encompass every person’s experience of life.