Importance of the Study

13 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Review of Related Theories 1. The Existential Philosophy

Existentialism is a man-centered philosophy. Existentialism is considered as an aesthetic movement rooted in particular philosophical thought and supplanting surrealism at the center of European artistic fashion. Based on Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Existentialism focuses on the uniqueness of the human individual and distinguished from abstract universal human realities 13 . From The American Heritage Dictionary , existentialism is “a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of individual experience in a hostile or different universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stress freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequence of one’s act” 14 . The escalation of existentialism movement in Europe is instigated by various reasons. One of the reasons is the limitation of science. People notice that there are few things that cannot be defined by science. The second reason, the most important reason in the development of existential teaching, is the absence of God’s concept. After World War II, people find themselves in the condition of failure. Logic, 13 Robert Audi, Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy; Second Edition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999 296 14 The American Heritage Dictionary. “Entry: Existentialism ”.Web. March 2015, http:ahdictionary.com 14 religion, and humanity are questioned during that time. During that dark time, existentialism comes to prominence in Europe, particularly in France. Existentialism is frequently associated with the cultural movement of the Left Bank in Paris during the WW II and spread through writings and arts across Europe. Although France becomes the growing ground, Existential Philosophy did not originally invent by French philosopher. The teaching starts at Hegelian era where German philosophy becomes the beacon for European thinker 15 . The early stage of existentialism exposes a unique standpoint of men’s existence. Such circumstance persuades Soren Kierkegaard to rebut certain stream of existentialism especially the one that excludes God from men’s life. The debate between Kierkegaard and Frederic Nietzsche, who is one of the most prominent existential philosophers at that time, then, initiate two lines of existentialism, the theistic and atheistic existentialism. Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are considered as early existentialists. Kierkegaard is a devout Christian and Nietzsche is an ardent atheist. Both thinkers agree on the idea that individual is the center of concern rather than society. Furthermore, the connection between existentialism and literature has been widely reflected through various works. Names like Sartre and Camus are widely known as the people who establish that connection through their work. Undeniably, the works of Sartre and Camus are powerful testimonials to the suffering of human life, absurdity, alienation, and their anxiety, which bec ome the ‘identity’ of 15 J.P. Sartre, Existentialism and Humanism, 3 existentialism. In October 1945, Sartre conducted a lecture entitled Existentialism Is a Humanism, which is subsequently published as a book. At the first time, Sartre refuses to be called as an existentialist, but a few years later he accepts the label that he is, in fact, an existentialist philosopher. Along with Sartre, Camus is French existential philosopher whose works become very important to the development of existential philosophy . His writing is as important as Sartre’s when it comes to the understanding of man’s reason behind their absurd decision. Existential philosophy concerns with the kind of existence we have, as opposed to the kind of existence had by rocks, plants, and animals. Although it is too early to say that men are the only species in the universe that has their own will, Existential philosophy is an attempt to articulate the nature of men’s existence. The reason why men exist and what men must do in life are the center of the discussion in existentialism. Central themes of existential philosophy, therefore, include the relationship between men and themselves and men with their society 16 . The foreground of the existential study is men and any action that is taken by men in order to find the purpose of life.

2. Atheistic Existentialism

The movement of atheistic existentialism, especially in France, reaches a very successful state. Existentialism is more than just an ordinary movement. It is a new wave of philosophy that rejects the systematic assumption towards human being and 16 Jonathan Webber, The Routledge Companion to Ethics New York: Routledge, 2010 233 how they should live their life 17 . Men believe that they have a particular purpose in this world and they need to do something in order to fulfill their purpose. However, existential philosophy rejects all that assumption and believes that men are the one who decides their own fate. The development of existential philosophy, then, leads European to some prominent names in the field like Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Albert Camus, Jean Paul Sartre, Gabriel Marcel, Karl Jaspers, and more controversially Martin Heidegger. Their works become the root of existential philosophy that prosperously develops through Europe especially after the WW II when people lost their faith to God, religion, and even humanity 18 . One of the most prominent names in Existentialism is Friedrich Nietzsche. He is a major existentialist that opposes the existence of God and religion. Central to Nietzsche’s philosophy is the idea of “life-affirmation”, which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines which drain lifes energies, however socially prevalent those views might be 19 . To believe in God is one of the views that, according to Nietzsche, need to be erased. However, instead of living uncontrolled life, Nietzsche suggests that there should be new ethic in life. He is known as the person who proposes “willpower” as the substitution of God. He believes that “willpower” is the soul of the world and is embodied by every single individual. He believes that nothing will obstruct men for doing what men’s want. 17 J.P. Sartre, Existentialism and Humanism, 2 18 J. Webber, The Routledge Companion to Ethics, 231 19 . Wicks, Robert. “Nietzsche”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Edwin N. Zalta, editor. Web. May, 2015 . http:plato.stanford.eduentriesnietzsche