Existentialism

Existentialism, roughly, is the belief that humans define their meaning in life as opposed to being given meaning by a higher power. Existentialism is frequently used in popular culture - typically in the form of an existential crisis. An existential crisis occurs when a person, character, or entity questions if their life has a purpose, meaning, or value. For example, in the video game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, one of the main characters, Kazuhira Miller, asks the question, “Why are we here? Just to suffer?”
In the Secret Invasion Aftermath: Beta Ray Bill - The Green of Eden #1., Beta Ray Bill, a marvel hero that is Thor, but a horse, exemplifies existentialist philosophy with a flavor of altruism. “If there is nothing but what we make in this world brothers, let us make it good.”
The titular title-character of Bojack Horseman frequently displays existentialist tendencies while also flirting with nihilism. After an incredibly successful acting career in the 90s, Bojack loses his purpose in life. He turns to drink and parties to try and fill the hole in his soul. He constantly tries to find himself as the celebrity he was in the past, but his introspection only brings him to find himself. To quote Sloane Shearman “Bojack Horseman is the dream-turned-nightmare of postmodern apotheosis; the anguish of looking for gods and heroes and finding only ourselves.” Bojack derived his meaning from the fame he acquired during his tenure on his TV show, but since the show ended, he has languished in misery and emptiness due to his perceived lack of purpose. The end credits song enhances this existential crisis undergone by Bojack. “Back in the ‘90s/ I was in a very famous TV show/ I’m Bojack the horse [Bojack] / Bojack the horse / don’t act like you don’t know / and I’m trying to hold on to my past / it’s been so long / I don’t think it’s gonna last”
Saitama, from the anime One Punch Man, has an existential crisis similar to Bojack’s due to his lack of purpose.Towards the beginning of his shown adult life, Saitama had no purpose. He was on the hunt for a job but had no luck. He had always been someone to look out for the little guy even though he was the little guy. One day he saves a little boy from a villain and resolved to become the strongest hero in the world. After becoming the strongest hero in the world, Saitama felt meaningless. No battle brought him meaning anymore. No matter how strong his enemy was, Saitama could obliterate them with a single punch. He lost the thrill of the fight due to the strength he sought after. His purpose in life leads him to lose his enjoyment of life.
A fairly large youtuber, Exurb1a (1.46m subscribers), creates many of his videos to instill a sense of existential dread in his viewers and some of them to instill existential joy into his viewers. One of his videos, “Meaning is a Jumper That You Have to Knit Yourself,” focuses largely on existentialism and how life is what you make of it. There is no preordained path of life, rather life follows the path you choose to take. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psaCM1j9LEM&t=0s

Existential theology is a recognition that real faith and spiritual meaning cannot be found in organized religion, rituals, or texts. It demands that faith must be individual. In this regard, it does not recognize people who are born into religion as automatically having faith, but more of a sense of belonging and community. There has always been a huge clash between the atheistic and theistic sides of existentialism, though. In 1938, Anite Brookner, British novelist and art historian said “Existentialism is about being a saint without God; being your own here, without all the sanction and support of religion or society.” However, existentialism on both sides of the argument deal with questions of faith. Even atheist existentialists must face hard questions regarding what the purpose of human life is without any Creator. Kierkegaard, the original Christian existentialist, rejected the idea that faith and reason can or need to be reconciled. He believed there is a place for reason, but it shouldn’t trump the personal and individual free choice to have faith and believe without rational and concrete proof. Early Christian existentialists were not trying to apologize or cover up the fact that they were believing in something that had no concrete proof. They were reminiscent of a time when religion was a personal and passionate experience instead of a rigid and overly intellectualized procedure.
Dostoevsky, an existential writer in the late 1800s, questioned what the world would look like without God. A world without God would mean that we had no given meaning to the world and no given morals. That would mean that the rules we set to humanity would be merely decisions humans have made, which we could change if we chose. Without God there is no authority higher than individuals, so there is no one to tell us not to do whatever we want. Does this mean that individuals are free to create their own rules and morals, therefore becoming their own God?
Even though existentialists are mostly assumed to be atheists, throughout the twentieth century there were still many that were not only theologians, but also religious leaders within their faiths. In Kierkegaard’s works, there is a significant moment when a believer becomes aware that there is no reason or logic behind their faith, and attempting to defend your faith is a sign of doubt. Kierkagaard believed that a strong attempt to prove the existence of a Creator shows that a person is more concerned with what others think than what is personally experienced. Theological existentialism tends to view faith in the following light: faith is a personal experience, it requires sacrifices emotionally and socially, and faith is preceded by doubt and a quest for answers. Religious existentialism does not attempt to escape the absurdity of life through religion. This philosophy realizes that faith does not give them the answers to life’s biggest questions. Existential theologists believe that if there is a God, it is beyond human understanding and reason and cannot be understood.

Existentialism focuses on the freedom of choice, and authentic experience. Existentialism’s use in art allows the viewer to gain a deeper and more qualified experience. The practice allows artists to present their work more personally. The impact the philosophy has on an artist's mind is quite strong. They may perceive their subject and try to relate to the contents of the image. Existentialism in art can be anything, however many pieces are abstract or non-objective. Although there is not an outright existentialist movement in art, its influence is wide reaching. Existentialism can free you from your own mind, and allow you to expand your interest and understanding. Existentialist art is often representative and suspicious of formalist works. Art allows us to form a relationship with the world and impose a unity of the mind. Art can define a new reality and gives a unique power to exercise freedom. Art is meant to uncover the totality of Being. Art and metaphysics have strong connections that come from the idea of totality in terms of being human. It can give insight into our responsibility to one another. The freedom artwork provides isn't just afforded to the artist, but also to the audience. The ambiguity of art characterizes is expressive nature. Art is meant to be seen and interpreted; without this critical eye the work would remain purely subjective. A work only functions as an objective piece once it has been viewed and contemplated by an audience. Through this consumption the piece presents itself in actuality. Theatre is a form of art that best allows for the artist’s freedom of expression. The novel being very close to the theatre in terms of appeal to existentialist.
The existentialists seem to have a lack of interest in poetry due to their own view that poets make misguided use of language. There would be about the same interest in painting if it were language based. So art gets some space when it comes to their criticism. Linguistic artforms are most favorably viewed by existentialist due to accessibility and are more free. They view non-linguistic art as stuck. It is entirely different using words as medium and using a painting or other visual effect. Colors are set and seen as they are, words seek to define something other than the words themselves. Colors aren't exterior to themselves.
Existentialists appear to dislike or maintain a lack of interest in the cinema, even when it is related to their own written works. It is absent from greater works on aesthetics and its related theories.



Quiz Questions:

What is an existential crisis?
Who is recognized as being the original Christian existentialist?
How does theological existentialism tend to view faith?
Why is painting sometimes looked down upon in existential philosophy?


Discussion Questions:

Why are existential crises the most common form of existentialism in media?
Is life really what we make it or is it predetermined?
What do you think of Kierkegaard's view of a more personal relationship with God, rather than a structured and rigid religion?
Do you think Dostoevsky was right about the fact that a world without God would be void of any concrete rules or morals?
Do you think that an existential view of faith is accurate in regard to the Bible and other traditional Christian beliefs?
What type of art do you think fits best in the existential view?


Works Cited


Shearman, Sloane. “The Existentialism of BoJack Horseman: Sloane Shearman.” FEE

Freeman Article, Foundation for Economic Education, 28 Sept. 2017, fee.org/articles/the-existentialism-of-bojack-horseman/.

Deranty, Jean-Philippe. “Existentialist Aesthetics.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Stanford University, 4 Mar. 2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/aesthetics-existentialist/.

Alliterator. “‘Let Us Make Good’: Existentialism in Pop Culture (Part One).” Observation Deck,

Observation Deck, 29 Nov. 2014, observationdeck.kinja.com/let-us-make-good-existentialism-in-pop-culture-part-1664512571.

Wyatt, C. S., et al. “Existential Theology Overshadowed by Atheists (Especially Sartre).”
Existential Primer: Theology, www.tameri.com/csw/exist/ex_theo.html.