The concepts of existentialism and how they have helped in the Essay

The concepts of existentialism and how they have helped in the development of the life journey - Essay Example The present research has identified that existentialism has a philosophical position which opposes the natural sciences around us. It explains that human beings are composed of many other components rather only mind, body and other scientific categories. Human beings cannot be understood by the scientific truths or the moral substances such as responsibility, character, values, blame, duty, and others. Existentialism thus defines that human conditions are not based on scientific or moral truths, but on further categories that come under philosophical theory and which are significant to understand human existence. The concept of existentialism emerged after the WWII when the violence had forced people to think that life was meaningless and there was no God. Existentialism explained that there is no God or higher power, no karma or reward system in this world. Every human is an individual who is free and responsible for his own actions. As there is no central truth that the world gover ns under, the concept can be liberating and also depressing. Humans themselves choose how they wish to be and are not influenced by other people or forces around them. Hence, the universe is amoral and humans can make their lives the way they want them to be. Understanding existentialism while observing the personal journey of life may be difficult for a religious person as the theory eliminates the religious concepts completely. However, apart from the religious views that it abandons, existentialism can help many individuals to live in an amoral world in their own ways.... onal journey of how I learned to live life in my own way without the interference or expectations of others helped me in many ways to understand the concepts of existentialism. It is true that our existence precedes essence and helps us to have freedom (Daigle 9). Soren Kierkegaard was the first philosopher who believed in existentialism. He had explained the concepts of freedom and individualism through his work and highlighted the significance of personal commitment and choice. This is an important point when an individual wants to understand the reality of life and matches with many features of a practical life. Today, everyone’s life is very practical and very few people still live in the traditional concepts of values, responsibilities and abstract thinking. During my personal journey, I learnt with the help of Kierkegaard’s work that feelings and emotions of individuals is what the humans face when they have to make tough choices in life (Flynn 32). Although Kierk egaard has focused on the distinction between man and god in his work, it is mostly focusing on the reality of life. His work reflects through my personal journey as I strongly believe that our life and choices are purely based on our own choices. We are not answerable to anyone for our deeds and are not bound by any other person or power. Our deeds are simply ours and we make our lives good or bad. The scientific and moral truths have little to do with our development and condition and our existentialism has more impact over us. When I judge my life with the concepts of Kierkegaard and his three stages of life, I found that the way I lived my life is according to the internal living. Kierkegaard described this way of life as looking at oneself more than looking at others because when you look at

Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Research Paper

Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter - Research Paper Example This paper shall seek to closely examine these nuanced facets of the novel. The concepts of free-enquiry and liberal questioning are central to the theory of Transcendentalism. Though Hester is seen to quietly accept her persecution, she is also seen to question and rebel against the rules of the Puritanical society in which she lives. This can be seen in the uncharacteristic vehemence with which she opposes the decision of the clergy to take away her child from her. Hester’s rebellion is also seen in her desire to start her life afresh with Dimmesdale and their illegitimate daughter. It is however Hester’s daughter Pearl, who is an embodiment of this spirit of free-enquiry. Her seemingly naà ¯ve, childish questions about the workings of the Puritanical society of Boston are in fact quite radical. The concepts of self-reliance and compensation are central to the theories of Transcendentalism. The idea of compensation dictates that man’s actions shall result in i nevitable, inescapable consequences. It thus rejects the notion of the society or the state penalizing an individual for his transgression. Hester Prynne is an intensely individualistic woman and the her ability to transform the harshly critical letter ‘A’ into a thing of beauty with her needlework is symbolic of her ability to transcend the cloistered moralities of her times (Bell). It is perhaps also significant that Hester, by the virtue of her pious living and virtuous