This blog is a response to Dr. Dilip barad sir’s Task. Do visit his blog to understand in detail about Flip learning and Existentialism. CLICK HERE. [ to learn About existentialism visit ‘examples of FLN/FLE’ ; 'sem-3 existentialism and waiting for Godot'; 'this blog' or CLICK HERE]
In this blog We were given a task to skim through the video and understand them. Further, we have to write our thoughts which impressed us the most in the video, the video we liked the most with a reason and ask 5 questions in the class which are also written below.
Flip learning-
Flip learning is the modern form of education. And it's the complete opposite of the traditional learning process. In this class work is done as homework and home work is done as classroom. This process is accepted in order to engage a number of students in the discussion happening. IN flip learning students carry out the research by their own or under the task allotment and discuss with teacher or ask doubts about in the classroom. It provides freedom to students to select their own atmosphere to study. [CLICK HERE to understand in detail]
EXISTENTIALISM
Existentialism:
a philosophical theory or approach which emphasises the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.- અસ્તિત્વવાદ
Video 1:
This video began with the basic introduction of Existentialism and gave three sides of existentialism; freedom, passion and individuality. Existentialism is the theory which came up after war so it came from meaninglessness of life, absurdity. According to Albert Camu one should embrace and understand absurdity rather than start believing in god. Believing is god means escaping from the real situations and leaving everything in god. This is Philosophical suicide. For the first time I came across this out of the box idea, the idea of Philosophical suicide.
Video 2:
This video talks about the Myth of Sisyphus- Sisyphus teaches us to never give in to circumstantial disappointments or try to escape from the failures, rather accept failures the same way we accept our achievements. Along with it Absurd reasoning is talking about in relation to suicide. Absurd is illogical, the understanding which I got from this video is when one is feeling low and absurd things of no worth and finds no meaning in life is driven towards suicide. and all this reasoning before suicide in Absurd reasoning. Through the myth of Sisyphus the moral i learnt is to accept what you got like achievements and search for hope.
Movie ‘STAY’ also talks- ‘suicide is divorce between man and this life’ . embracing the truth, compromising, understanding are better than divorce.
Video 3:
Idea I love the most in this video is that one needs to confront problems which are leading one to absurdity . When you confront a problem and try to fight it; there will be the total absence of hope, continuous rejection and dissatisfaction but all this is not equal to despair, renunciation and immature unrest. Camu has denied being an existentialist because existentialists suggest having faith in God while Camu suggests embracing absurdity.
‘Seeking what is true is not seeking what is desirable’
Video 4:
The video brought me to the realization that after every world war people are so much in despair and in a negative approach towards life that it brings new theories. This video talks briefly about the three theories of Dadaism, nihilism, and existentialism. Dadaism emerged after WW I which questioned every traditional value and tried to destroy its base. It was a quest for change and Existentialism came into existence after WWII which was trying to awaken people and make them understand their own worth and individuality.
Video 5:
Please video clarify the doubt which I had; existentialism theory says to be individual and understand yourself which can also be read as ‘self love '. So can it be read similar to narcissist theory. but this video clarified that existentialism is not a narcissist philosophy it talks about ‘become, who you are’ not love yourself. This video clarified that it to be a gloomy philosophy because it pulls anxiety, despair, absurdity, depressing/ frightening thoughts into life. One needs to have these feelings in life to understand one's own existence. Also existentialism came as a cure of meaninglessness, emptiness and disappear/ despair
Video 6:
This video explains that Existentialism and Nihilism are not the same things. Every existentialist has fought against nihilism in one or another way.
Video 7:
Why am I here?
What does it mean to be human?
How should I live my life?
This video gives the difference between Existentialism and Nihilism. It says existentialism is not a psychological system or set of rules, it is a movement.
This video enlightened me with a new thought - Religion has been always giving the answers of life but we are humans we don't need answers from divine perspective but from human perspective ‘Human, all too human” - Nietzsche
Also, It's becoming difficult to understand ‘existence precedes essence’ or ‘essence precedes existence’. This confusion continues even after reading Aristotle’s argument-
Aristotle agrees to goal oriented life with an example of Seed which has the essence of turning into a tree. Similarly humans act in full accordance with reason, they can choose to act according to nature but are not free to choose their essence because humans are not watch, light, TV or any materialistic element. This thought greatly attracts my attention.
Video 8:
This video talks about Eric Dodson’s personal experience being existentialist. He likes existentialism because it appeals to our mind, heart and soul. He shares that if one keeps on looking at things rationally then life takes away the magic of things/ life.
Honesty in existentialism- it removes the shyness of accepting the negative aspects of life.
Holism: It provides the power of acceptance, acceptance of strength and weakness of life.
The idea I got impressed from was it helps us to understand our own suffering, and this suffering helps to be more love and compassionate. Yes it does not eliminate others suffering but teaches to live life with suffering and to open to oneself.
Questions I raised in Class
- Theory of existentialism took birth post- war when everyone was in despair and had meaninglessness in life. It forces one to have deep insight in own self. How can we believe that individuality, self understanding will always bring positive outcomes? It can also result in one thinking himself to be less worthier?
- Embracing absurdity is asking us to just flow with whatever is happening? If it is then it indirectly means to keep faith in nature.
- ‘Existence precedes essence’ does it mean- we are born accidentally now have to do something so need to find essence?
- Camu (1905- 1960) ‘there is nothing beyond reason’ and ‘Existence precedes essence’ by sartre (1905-1980) This seems to be contradictory.
- Is existentialism pointing us to be an atheist? As Camu is not supporting Soren Kierkegaard ‘faith is solution to Absurd’.
- Theory of Existentialism might not be accepted as per Indian philosophies as it talks about family first and adjustments to balance and having good relations.Indian philosophies like ‘matrudevo bhav; pitrudev bhav’ forces us to follow family traditions. Nietzsche ‘no universal moralities governs us all’
Feedback/ reflection on the process-
I would like to share how the idea about existentialism changed for me. At first listening to a word I thought it to be the study of the existence of all living beings on this earth and how this living world inspired the existence of literature and its characters. But after reading its dictionary meaning I got an idea about its Philosophical meaning; development of an individual through his own deeds and will. Which is a very basic idea. But after skimming through all the videos of flip learning it provided a broader way of Existentialism.
Existentialism is not doing what one wants to but taking some decisions for one's own life being in rules. E.g.; there is rule to drive vehicle on left hand, we can't say i’m existentialist and i want to drive on right side so i will; we can decide our vehicle, its speed, road we want to go on but can't change the rules. Following rules are necessary. ‘Be what you are’ take personal decisions for yourself rather than following in the footsteps of others. Existentialism is a way of life; it helps to enjoy a ride of boring life.
It also said that if ‘essence precedes existence’ then we are choiceless. And it leads to nihilism. If I am not going to get anything, whatever I do or not, I will get what is decided then why should I work. And nihilism leads to laziness.
In short, existentialism is harsh individualism, which breaks the marriage institution of being ‘ardhangini’. The world we got is already working with rules so we need to follow them. Life is full of conflict which leads to suffering but working against external forces is necessary to be an existentialist. Be yourself, be with everyone.
[words- 1500]
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