EXISTENTIALISM Original giants of existentialism
 Søren Kierkegaard
Meaning of existentialism
 A complex philosophy emphasizing the
absurdity of reality – and the human
responsibility to make choices and accept
consequences.
 Isn’t just about rational decisions – reason
alone is an inadequate guide to living,
because people are also feeling and willing
beings, who must experience life directly,
actively, and passionately.
 Personal freedom – this is the highest value
in existentialism.
 Opposite of existentialism is self-deception
(act of lying to yourself of making yourself
believe something that isn’t true) and
conformity (matching attitudes, beliefs, and
behaviors to group of norms or politics)
History of existentialism
 Arose in the 19th century Europe. – it is
philosophical and cultural movement and
rose to fame in 1945 after WWII
 Primary concerned with the “Human
Condition.” – terror and inhumanity,
violence and uncertainty
 What happened between 1914 and 1945?
Europe faced a crisis of death and
destruction, existentialism began to
take hold as a movement, centered
in France.
 What triggered the movement?
 The slaughter at Verdun or the Somme or
the Marne
 The Bolshevik terror in Russia
 The black-shirted and brown-shirted
hysteria in Italy and Germany
 Great Depression of 1929-1935
 Spanish Civil War
 Families fell victim to Stalin’s purges
 Hitler’s Nazi concentration camp
Existentialists
o Father of Existentialism
o May 5, 1813 – Nov. 11, 1855
o Copenhagen, Denmark
o Danish philosopher and Christian
Existentialist
3 stages of life experience:
1. Aesthetic – pleasure, romance and
intellectual pursuits.
2. Ethical – make decision for himself.
o Religious – obedience and
commitment to God.
o He also believed that children learn
by watching others. It is important
for students and educators to be
morally sound.
 Fyodor Dostoevsky
o Nov. 11, 1821 – Feb. 9, 1881
o Moscow, Russia
o a Russian novelist, essayist, short
story writer, journalist and
philosopher
o “Life is in ourselves and not in the
external”.
 Friedrich Nietzsche
o “Atheist Existentialism”
o Oct. 15, 1844 – Aug. 25, 1900
o Leipzig, Germany
o One of the 19th century's most
influential philosophers
o “No pain, no gain”
more prominent and widely known after
WW II
 Martin Heidegger
o Sept. 26, 1889 – May 26, 1976
o Messkirch, in South-West Germany
o German philosopher whose views
on human existence in a world of
objects
 Jean-Paul Sartre
o “Atheist Existentialism”
o June 21, 1905 – April 15, 1980
 o Paris, France
o He was one key figures in the
philosophy of existentialism
An existentialist believes
 Your life = sum of your decisions – you have
made for yourself.
 Free will and choosing how to act. – At
every moment it is always your
 Responsible for your actions. – which limit
your future actions.
 Create a morality.
The Metamorphosis
 Franz Kafka
o July 3, 1924 – June 3, 1924
o Czech Republic
o He was a German-speaking
bohemian novelist and short-story
writer, widely regarded as one of
the major figures of 20th century
literature.
 Characters
o Gregor Samsa
o Grete Samsa
o Mr. Samsa
o Mrs. Samsa
o The office manager
o Chief Clerk
 Plot Overview
o Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman,
wakes up in his bed to find himself
transformed into a large insect.
Gregor finds that his voice has
changed. Through the door, the
office manager warns Gregor of the
consequences of missing work and
hints that Gregor’s recent work has
not been satisfactory. Gregor wakes
and sees that someone has put milk
and bread in his room. Gregor grows
more comfortable with his changed
body. Gregor’s family begins leaving
the bedroom door open for few
hours each evening so he can watch
them. Grete tells her parents that
they must get rid of Gregor or they
will all be ruined. Upon discovering
that Gregor is dead, the family feels
great sense of relief.
 Themes
o The absurdity of life
o Family duty
o Guilt
MARXISM
Meaning of Marxism
 Method of socioeconomic analysis.
 Class relations and social conflict.
Proponent of Marxism
 Karl Marx
o May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883
o Trier, Germany
o He was revered as one of the most
influential socialist thinkers of the
19th century.
 Friedrich Engels
o Marx’s best friend
o Nov. 28, 1820 – Aug. 5 1895
o Barmen, Germany
o He shared Marx’s socialist and
provided support financially as well
as intellectually while Marx
developed his theory.
Definition of terms
 Bourgeoisie – The name given by Marx to the
owner of the means of production in a society.
 Ideology – a belief system.
 Proletariat – The name given by Marx to the
owner of the means of production in a society.
 Capitalism – is economic system that is based
on private ownership of the means of
production and creation of goods or services for
profit.
The Lottery
 Shirley Jackson
o Dec. 14, 1916 – Aug. 8, 1965
 o San Francisco, California
o She was an American writer, known
primarily for her works of horror and
mystery.
 Characters
o Tessie Hutchinson
o Mr. Joe Summer
o Mr. Harry Graves
o Old Man Warner
o Mrs. Graves
o Mr. Bill Hutchinson
o The Hutchinson Children
o Mr. and Mrs. Martin
o Mr. and Mrs. Adams

 Plot Overview
o The morning of June 27th was clear
and sunny, with the fresh warmth a
full summer day; the flowers were
blossoming profusely and the grass
was richly green. When they started
the lottery, the representative or the
fathers of the families started to pick
strips of paper from the black box
starting with Mr. Adams because the
basis of picking strips is
alphabetically. When Tessie
Hutchinson knew that she picked
the paper with the black mark. Its
when the people started to prepare
the stones with Mrs. Hutchinson
complaining saying “It isn’t fair.” the
people started to stone her to
death.

 Themes
o Family Structure and Gender Roles
o The power of Tradition