We, as humans, are innately prone to searching for meaning in life. People do this through religion, science, nationalism, Marxism, art, and numerous other beliefs and practices. Absurdists believe, however, that all of these attempts to bring meaning to life are futile. It is not the universe that is absurd, per say, but the tendency of humans to try to create meaning from the universe. Absurdists believe that the meaning we create is fiction and that there is no escape from an ultimately meaningless universe.
Absurdism and existentialism stem from the same core belief: human beings have a deep need for meaning, but the universe provides no answers. However, existentialism believes that humans still have free will to provide their lives with meaning in whichever way they see fit. Absurdists deny the existence of free will, believing that it is a sad fiction to escape the reality of meaningless. They believe that you can either make a leap of faith to begin practicing religion, or you can make peace with the absurdity of the universe and find sources of happiness that do not involve the need for meaning.
Origin
Absurdism originated from the works of the Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. He accepted the criticisms of religion around him and decided that there could be no rational basis for believing in God or any other kind of purposeful story. Thus, he became the first absurdist. However, instead of leaving his religion, he argued that a leap of faith beyond the limits of rationality is the only way to escape the absurd. He believed that believing in God without reason was better than the alternative, which were madness, suicide, or ignorance.
The French philosopher Camus agreed with Kierkegaard about the existence of absurdity in the world, but disagreed that throwing oneself into religion would bring solace. “From the moment absurdity is recognized, it becomes a passion, the most harrowing of all. Individuals should embrace the absurd condition of human existence while also defiantly continuing to explore and search for meaning,” he said. He argued that the only way to live in the absurd universe was to accept it, as a terminally ill patient would accept death. He believed we should stop trying to make sense of the world and start trying to live in spite of the absurdity.
Pop Culture
An extremely popular cartoon, “Rick and Morty” seems to be a silly recant of a scientist and his grandson; however, it is depicting a perfect example of absurdism. The duo travels through various dimensions of time and space and experience fantastical adventures, but ultimately learn that they exist in a universe that is indifferent to them, and their attempts to understand their existence will remain unmet. They explore the human tendency to search for purpose and the impending failure to find any. They even show the turmoil between the two characters with Rick who is searching for the meaning of life, whereas Jerry is perfectly content with his ignorance and mediocrity.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a science fiction novel by Douglas Adams, is another prime example of the absurdity of the universe. The character of Arthur Dent is a normal human on Earth that is dealing with human issues, when a friend from outer space informs him that the Earth will be demolished in a matter of minutes. The two go on an intergalactic adventure filled with absurd plot lines and meaningless interactions, and a common theme throughout the novel is a search for the meaning of life. There is even a super computer meant to answer this question thoroughly, but when asked, the answer is 42. This story shows the absurdity of life in an exaggerated manner to encase the reality that there really is no meaning to life.
Summary
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a science fiction novel by Douglas Adams, is another prime example of the absurdity of the universe. The character of Arthur Dent is a normal human on Earth that is dealing with human issues, when a friend from outer space informs him that the Earth will be demolished in a matter of minutes. The two go on an intergalactic adventure filled with absurd plot lines and meaningless interactions, and a common theme throughout the novel is a search for the meaning of life. There is even a super computer meant to answer this question thoroughly, but when asked, the answer is 42. This story shows the absurdity of life in an exaggerated manner to encase the reality that there really is no meaning to life.
Summary
I think that the main takeaway of the absurdism argument is that humans will always search for a meaning to life, and the universe will never give us an answer. It is the reaction to that realization that defines who we are and how we understand the world around us. It is deeply disturbing to the human psyche to become aware of the temporary and fragile nature of human life, but existing despite this is a strength in itself. Absurdism states that although life is meaningless, there are still aspects that can bring joy and positivity as long as it persists.
Comments:
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2019/12/final-report-section-12.html?showComment=1575691213467#c1718807565929216909
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2019/12/technology.html?showComment=1575692532315#c4870309346845666621
Sources:
https://philosophyterms.com/absurdism/
https://studybreaks.com/culture/the-philosophy-of-absurdism-in-rick-and-morty/
http://pages.erau.edu/~andrewsa/sci_fi_projects_fall_2016/Project_3/Wilson_Cody/wilsonwilliam_late_103187_10253132_Website/html.html
Section 11
ReplyDeleteThis is very related to existentialism and nihilism, I should've included this topic in my project
I love your topic and agree. We all will continue to enjoy this life.
ReplyDeleteSadly, all won't. But most could enjoy it more.
Delete"Absurdists believe that the meaning we create is fiction" - well, the gap between what we create or desire and the indifference of the universe is what they call absurd. Perhaps we could agree that our creations are fictive, in the sense that they don't reside in the universe independent of our acts of creation. But we're not "fictions" so it's not clear to me why we should call our creative acts and products fictions either. Anyway, there's nothing inherently demeaning about fiction in the realm of art and creative living (as opposed, say, to politics and scholarship).
ReplyDeleteI wonder if "leaping" isn't more absurd than reserving judgment, with regard to faith in the absence of compelling evidence.
I know what Camus was trying to say, but I can't agree that searching for happiness and meaning is inherently sabotaging of that quest. If you do it right (for instance, by taking a Philosophy of Happiness course!) you gain clarity and self-knowledge that can only aid in the search.
My takeaway from HHGTG is not that "there really is no meaning to life," but that you can't get a good answer to "the question of life, the universe, and everything" if you don't actually understand the question or pose it in a meaningful way.
"It is deeply disturbing to the human psyche to become aware of the temporary and fragile nature of human life" - can be, but it can also be a valuable reminder (as Carl Sagan said) "to cherish and preserve the pale blue dot" etc.
Agreed! I have a much more existential view myself on purpose and how to define it. I do not believe that the search for purpose (or happiness) is futile, but it is an interesting take.
DeleteI definitely agree with saying the universe wont give us meaning, we will have to give ourselves meaning. I do not think we are born with any purpose except maybe to find purpose and meaning. It will be different for everybody and I will just try not to overthink it and enjoy life as much as possible.
ReplyDelete