Existence Precedes Essence: Navigating the Absurd and Creating Authentic Meaning
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Shift in Questioning: The speaker argues that teachers should stop being the only ones asking questions. Instead, the focus shifts to encouraging students to generate their own.
The Flipped Process: Students review material (like blogs or videos) before class. This allows them to process information at their own pace and prepare thoughtful questions in advance.
The Question Board: At the start of class, students fill a whiteboard with their questions. The teacher’s role then becomes "connecting the dots" between these different inquiries rather than just lecturing.
Benefits: This approach moves students from passive listeners to active participants. Data shows that the vast majority of students (over 84%) find this interactive environment more satisfying and engaging than traditional methods.
Video 1: What is Existentialism?
Core Pillars: Existentialism is built on a "triangle" of Individuality, Freedom, and Passion. It argues that philosophy must begin with the individual subject rather than abstract concepts.
The Individual vs. The Crowd: It emphasizes that truth and meaning are found by the individual, often in opposition to the "herd" or societal norms.
Key Figures: While Sartre is the most famous, the movement's roots trace back to Kierkegaard and include Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, and de Beauvoir.
Religion and the "Absurd": Existentialists can be religious (like Kierkegaard) or atheistic (like Camus). Camus specifically argued that life is "absurd" and that seeking meaning through God is "philosophical suicide."
Emotional Focus: Unlike many other philosophies, it prioritizes "heavy" human emotions like angst, despair, and the confrontation with death.
Video 2: The Myth of Sisyphus: The Absurd Reasoning (Feeling of the Absurd)
The Primary Philosophical Problem: Camus identifies suicide as the only truly serious philosophical problem, as it forces an individual to decide if life is worth living.
The Urgent Question: Determining the meaning of life is considered the most urgent question because it is directly tied to the act of suicide.
The Silence of the Heart: Like a work of art, the decision to commit suicide is a deeply individual act that is prepared within the "silence of the heart".
Discovering the Absurd: The feeling of absurdity arises when an individual stops to think and recognizes the "ridiculous character" of daily habits, the lack of profound reasons for living, and the uselessness of suffering.
The "Stranger" Experience: This realization creates a "divorce" between an individual and their life, leaving them feeling like a stranger in a universe stripped of illusions.
The Connection to Death: Once life's absurdity is recognized, an individual must face the question of whether this absurdity requires escape through either hope or suicide.
Absurd Reasoning: Camus argues that declaring life has no meaning does not necessarily mean it is not worth living. He calls for an "absurd reasoning" to explore whether there is a logic to death without succumbing to immediate despair.
The Definition: The Absurd is the conflict between the human search for meaning and the "silent," irrational universe.
Philosophical Suicide: Camus uses this term for when a person recognizes life is meaningless but then takes a "leap of faith" (into religion or abstract hope) to escape the discomfort. He considers this an intellectual betrayal.
The Rejection of the "Leap": He criticizes other existentialists for using the Absurd as a reason to find God, arguing they are just replacing one illusion with another.
Living the Struggle: Camus argues the only honest path is to live without hope or appeal, maintaining a constant, conscious struggle with the Absurd rather than trying to solve or escape it.
Dadaism as a Reaction: Emerging during WWI, Dadaism was a "rage" against the civilization and values that led to the war. It was less an art movement and more a tool to destroy old values to make room for new ones.
The Rejection of Nihilism: Although it lacked inherent rules, the video argues Dadaism wasn't nihilistic. Like Existentialism, it was "fed up" with arbitrary societal values but sought to overcome them rather than just accept meaninglessness.
Individual Freedom: Figures like Hugo Ball advocated for stripping away "moralistic" concepts and language invented by others to find a world that belonged truly to the individual.
Questioning as a Goal: By creating works that forced the viewer to ask "Is this really art?", Dadaists triggered a deeper questioning of the basis of reality itself.
Embracing the Absurd: Just as Existentialism responded to WWII, Dadaism responded to WWI by choosing to embrace life’s absurdity rather than being paralyzed by it.
Video 5: Existentialism - a gloomy philosophy
Addressing the Gloom: While it focuses on "negative" subjects like anxiety, despair, and absurdity, it does so only to find a solution to them.
The Goal of Meaning: The philosophy's conclusion is that individuals must find relief by choosing their own meaning whether through faith, personal truth, or embracing the absurd.
Responsibility: A central tenet is that once you choose your own values and meaning, you must take full responsibility for those choices and their consequences.
Individualism vs. Narcissism: The video refutes the idea that existentialism is narcissistic, arguing that looking inward to "become who you are" is a necessary alternative to simply being "another brick in the wall" of the crowd.
Existentialism is not Nihilism: It explicitly rejects the idea that existentialism inevitably leads to nihilism, noting that they are distinct concepts.
Historical Context: Its "gloomy" reputation stems from its origins as a post-WWII movement, serving as a response to the widespread emptiness and despair people felt after the war.
Existentialism vs. Nihilism: The two are not the same; in fact, every major existentialist philosopher has worked to oppose nihilism in their own way.
Defining the Fight: Kierkegaard saw nihilism as the loss of individuality and focused his work on promoting personal subjectivity.
Nihilistic Consent: The video uses the thinker Cioran to illustrate nihilism as a state of "passive acceptance" or "nihilistic consent" accepting life's meaninglessness without a fight.
The Necessity of Rebellion: Unlike the passive nihilist, Camus argued that the only proper response to the absurdity of life is rebellion. This active resistance and sense of responsibility is what separates the existentialist from the nihilist.
Video 7: Let us introduce Existentialism again!
The Existential Attitude: It begins with the individual feeling disoriented in a world that offers no inherent meaning or pre-made answers through science or religion.
Existence Precedes Essence: A core tenet stating that humans are not born with a fixed purpose. We exist first, and then define our "essence" through our own free choices.
Rejection of Systems: Existentialists dismiss abstract or universal philosophies, arguing that truth must be found through the lived, subjective experience of the individual.
Confronting Mortality: The awareness of death is used as a "wake-up call" to stop conforming to the "herd" and to live authentically.
Creating Subjective Meaning: While rejecting objective meaning, the philosophy insists that individuals have the power and the responsibility to create their own personal meaning.
Video 8: Explain like I'm Five: Existentialism and Nietzsche
Constructed Rules: It suggests that many of society's rules (like bedtime or cleanliness) are not universal laws but are "made up" by people in power.
Rejection of Universal Morality: It defines existentialism as the belief that there is no single, objective moral code that everyone must follow.
The "Ubermensch" (Superman): It introduces the concept of an individual who creates their own values and decides for themselves what is right or wrong, rather than following the "herd."
Individual Power: The core message is that individuals have the agency and freedom to define their own way of living and to set their own rules for their lives.
Common Premise: All three agree that the universe is indifferent and lacks objective, "God-given" meaning.
Nihilism: Concludes that because there is no objective meaning, life has no meaning at all. It is often a passive or pessimistic stance that views any attempt to create value as pointless.
Existentialism: Argues that while there is no inherent meaning, individuals have the freedom and responsibility to create their own. You define your own "essence" through your choices.
Absurdism: Focuses on the "Absurd" the tension between humans seeking meaning and the silent universe. It suggests we should neither give up (nihilism) nor try to solve it (existentialism), but rather live in rebellion, enjoying life while accepting its ridiculousness.
Video 10: Let us sum up: From Essentialism to Existentialism
Existence Precedes Essence: Unlike the traditional view that we are born with a pre-set purpose, existentialism argues that we appear on the scene first and then define who we are through our actions.
The Absurd: This is the search for answers in an answerless world. It describes the conflict between a human's desire for meaning and a universe that offers none.
Radical Freedom: Because there is no pre-determined blueprint or divine authority, we are "condemned to be free." We have the total, often terrifying, responsibility to invent our own values.
Bad Faith: This occurs when we deny our freedom and pretend we have to follow rules set by others (like society or religion) to avoid the anxiety of making our own choices.
Authenticity: The goal is to live authentically by accepting the weight of our freedom and making choices that are truly our own.
You can watch the video here: Let us sum up: From Essentialism to Existentialism
My favorite video and the reason behind My choice
Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy
Why it's the best:
Comprehensive Structure: It perfectly bridges the gap between the other videos you watched. It explains the transition from "Essentialism" (the old way of thinking) to "Existentialism" and "Absurdism" in one cohesive narrative.
Key Concept Synthesis: It defines the heavy hitters like Sartre and Camus while clearly explaining difficult terms like "Existence Precedes Essence" and "The Absurd" using high-quality animations.
Practical Application: Unlike the more abstract lectures, it grounds these 19th-century ideas in modern examples, making it easier to see how they apply to your own life and choices.
Clarifies Confusion: It does the best job of distinguishing between "losing meaning" (the gloomy part) and "creating meaning" (the empowering part), which was a recurring theme in your last few videos.
My Learning Goals: What I Learned About Existentialism
1. What is Existentialism?
I learned that existentialism is not just a "mood" or a way to be sad. It is a way of thinking that focuses on the individual. It is based on three main ideas:
Individuality: My life starts with me, not a crowd.
Freedom: I am completely free to choose my path.
Passion: My feelings and emotions are just as important as my logic.
2. Creating My Own Purpose
I understand the difference between Essentialism and Existentialism.
The Old Way (Essentialism): People used to believe we were born with a "purpose" or a "soul" already inside us.
The New Way (Existentialism): We are born first (existence), and then we spend our lives deciding who we are (essence). This is called "Existence Precedes Essence."
3. Understanding "The Absurd"
The Absurd is the struggle we feel when we look for a "big meaning" in life, but the universe stays silent and gives no answers.
I learned that I shouldn't take the "easy way out" by just following a religion or a crowd (Camus calls this Philosophical Suicide).
Instead, I should live in Rebellion. This means I accept that life is a bit ridiculous, but I choose to live and be happy anyway.
4. Existentialism vs. Nihilism
I can now explain why these two are different:
Nihilism says: "Life has no meaning, so nothing matters." (This is passive and giving up).
Existentialism says: "Life has no inherent meaning, so I get to create the meaning." (This is active and powerful).
5. The Weight of Freedom
I learned that being free is actually scary. Since there are no "universal rules" for how to live, I am responsible for every choice I make.
If I pretend I have to follow rules made by others, I am living in "Bad Faith."
If I make my own choices and own up to them, I am living authentically.
1. If all laws, religious rules, and social expectations disappeared tomorrow, how would your behavior change?
2. Is having total freedom a gift that empowers you, or is it a burden that causes you anxiety?
3. If the universe has no "signs" or destiny, does that make your achievements feel more valuable or less valuable?
4. Are you currently the author of your own life story, or are you just a character in a story written by others?
5. What is the one difficult task in your life that you find meaningful enough to keep doing, even if it feels repetitive?
Here is the Presentation of this blog:
References:
Barad, Dilip. “Existentialism: Video Resources.” Existentialism: Video Resources, 19 Sept. 2016, blog.dilipbarad.com/2016/09/existentialism-video-resources.html. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
Barad, Dilip. “Flipped Learning Network.” Flipped Learning Network, 24 Jan. 2016, blog.dilipbarad.com/2016/01/flipped-learning-network.html. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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