FINAL - PHIL

Explain Existentialism's famous mantra: Existence Precedes Essence. Recall PPT slide with circles and arrow between. Give at least 5 ideas/distinctions. Recalling the Latin phrase would count as one idea.

"Existence precedes essence." Rather than a search for meaning or essence, the prior question for humans is fact of existence itself. Existentialism claims that existence is expressed simply within the free act itself. So, according to Existentialism, it is merely your free choice, which defines your essence.

Famous Existentialism mantra:

"Existence precedes essence." Rather than a search for meaning or essence, the prior question for humans is fact of existence itself. Existentialism claims that existence is expressed simply within the free act itself. So, according to Existentialism, it is merely your free choice, which defines your essence.

Jean Baudrillard (hyperreality) is famous for this description of PM:

"It [postmodernism] has deconstructed its entire universe. All that's left are pieces. All that remains to be done is to play with the pieces. Playing with the pieces —that is postmodern."

Quote from Harvard psychiatry prof, Dr. Armand Nicholi

"Pascal maintained the sole reason for our unhappiness is that we are unable to sit alone in our room. He claimed we do not like to confront the reality of our lives; the human condition is so basically unhappy that we do everything to keep distracted from thinking about it." Is this a worldview? Yes. Avoiding a worldview is, in itself, a worldview.

Cambridge philosopher Roger Scruton:

"Postmodernists love to seize on Nietzsche's paradoxical statement 'There is no truth, only interpretation'. So, either what Nietzsche said is true-in which case it is not true, since there are no truths--or it is false."

Famous Existentialism quotes:

"Sanity is a madness put to good uses; waking life is a dream controlled." -George Santayana; "[M]an is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Such is the first principle of existentialism." -Jean Paul Sartre "There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy." -Albert Camus

New Consciousness folks "appropriate" these quotes:

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." --Wm James; "I would give all the wealth of the world, and all the deeds of all the heroes, for one true vision." -Henry David Thoreau

Sigmund Freud coined term in German:

"Weltenschauung"—translated "worldview"; solves all the problems of our existence uniformly on the basis of one overriding hypothesis.

Existentialists consider the New Consciousness movement as just another form of

"bad faith" in a denial death through an elaborate mishmash of borrowed, self-deluding, 'feel-good', self-absorbed pseudo-science. Ernest Becker's book The Denial of Death documents this societal phenomenon in the West.

Favored words by Existentialism :

"thrownness"; abandonment; alienation; prima facie existence/beingness; radical freedom; choice; subjective essence; "the absurd"; acting in "bad faith"; extreme angst / cosmic anxiety; anomie; dread; despair; ennui; authenticity; meaninglessness; suicide

Even more than Postmodernism, NCM worldviews:

*Borrow from Naturalism: from God is, to 'God is dead', to lots of gods, to the NCM view that you yourself are god. *Borrow from Darwinian evolution: we're evolving; we're on the brink of a "new being." *Borrow from Eastern mysticism: your experience is it. Aim for your own personal consciousness to be absorbed into a "Mind At Large" kind of consciousness. *Borrow from Animism: spirits are everywhere, so we really need shamans to help us understand and appease them. Of all the worldviews we study NCM is the one most enamored with or drawn to animism--the belief that a supernatural force animates & organizes the universe; that things in nature, e.g. trees, mountains, and the sky, have souls or consciousness.

Problems for New Consciousness Movement:

- Moral distinctions are discarded. All moral knowledge is strictly private. Emotivism rules. Emotivism rules. - Removing and dismissing foundational distinctions (re: requiring rational or empirical proof for a 'mind-at-large'; dismissing all moral knowledge as private or non-existent) then spiritism, animism or occult take over; this tendency can be most often seen in time of societal crisis or breakdown. - The old problem of relativism reappears.- Experience is the only test of the 'truth' or validity and all experience is private so that there is no broader 'meaning' beyond each person's experience. This leads to abandoning trust in traditional understandings of rationality and you end up with a kind of "epistemological nihilism."

Five Basic Features or Tenets of NCM:

- Self is the ultimate reality. Recall 'ultimate reality' as the first worldview question. What's REALLY real? God? gods? only the material (physical, natural)? - Assertion that an invisible "Mind-At-Large" or some sort of so-called cosmic consciousness exists. - Ultimate aim of existence in NCM thinking is to experience this "cosmic consciousness." Seems to borrow Zen Buddhist & Hindu meditation techniques and the notion of "full-absorption" which is 'nirvana', 'jhana' or the highest level of 'samadhi'. Philosopher Teilhard de Chardin calls it "noosphere." - Belief about the Afterlife: Physical death not the end of the self. Traditional idea of heaven is not what's in view. Instead, either some form of reincarnation and ultimately some kind of absorption into 'universal consciousness' which means to end of an individual self. Think "The Borg" from Star Trek. - NCM typically comes in one of three versions: i. occult; ii. pseudo-psychological; iii. conceptual relativist

Absurdity. Objective world is absurd until I choose to act.

Absurdity defines us until we choose. Exi. writers portray a lone individual confronting the meaninglessness or the abyss of the universe with all of its absurdity.

Be able to recognize the Sokal Hoax: what it was about; what it tried to demonstrate.

Alan Sokal wrote an article liberally salted with nonsense that he believed would be published if a. it sounded good and b. it flattered the editors' ideological preconceptions Outcomes from this - backlash - suppression - emergence

Identify and describe the major tenets of Naturalism as a worldview.

All that exists is nature. Nature is THE prime reality. ["prime reality" just means ALL that there is, period, for all time, regardless of anything else.] Naturalism's prime reality is matter/energy with no supernatural at all.

Describe the worldview of Naturalism

All that exists is nature. Nature is THE prime reality. ["prime reality" just means ALL that there is, period, for all time, regardless of anything else.] Naturalism's prime reality is matter/energy with no supernatural at all. Most accepted by secularist scientists as the only correct and most defensible view. Matter is all that has ever existed and all that ever will exist. Everything that exists is a result of cause & effect without the possibility of any outside force. Humans are just complex machines more or less determined by forces outside our control. When humans die, they go out of existence completely. No afterlife History has no purpose and is just a long chain of cause & effect events. There are no values or ethical norms except whatever humans make up.

Existentialism

Ayn Rand thought that a worldview is an integrated view of existence and as a human being you have no choice but to have and need a worldview. The only choice is whether it's a rational, conscious, discipline process of thought rather than a "mongrel philosophy" of "unwarranted conclusions, false generalizations, undefined contradictions, undigested slogans, unidentified wishes, doubts and fears, thrown together by chance, but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single, solid weight: self-doubt, like a ball and chain in the place where your mind's wings should have grown."

the definitional and descriptive quotes for naturalism:

Blackburn—opposed to mind-body dualism, numbers are not real, morals are not part of the natural order; Morris-- Conscious life is just one more step in a blind, natural evolutionary process; extinguishing of conscious personhood; Provine—No gods, no life after death, no foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning in life, no human free will; Gould--fishes-particular fin anatomy; we may yearn for a higher answer Dawkins—no purpose, blind, pitiless indifference; Atkins--unstemmable tide of chaos and decay; Gone is purpose; all that is left is direction Dennett—humans on earth for no other reason than to replicate our DNA.] as representing Naturalism.

The single most referenced example of a painting depicting the angst and despair of Existentialism is..

Edvard Munch's iconic painting simply entitled "Scream". Massive examples pop culture proponents of this worldview.

Postmodernism

Embraces proposition that no single cultural tradition or mode of thought can serve as a metanarrative, or universal voice for all human experience.

Tenets or credos of an Existentialist worldview

Faces Naturalism squarely. E. faces the inescapable implications of Naturalism, noting that we experience— A sense of throwness into a world devoid of meaning and therefore absurd with absurdity at every turn. A sense of abandonment and alienation, angst, ennui, & anomie A stark realization of your impending death! (existential crisis leading to extreme angst)

Be able to recognize these four names associated with these four big Postmodernism concepts.

Foucalt=Post-Structuralism; Lyotard=Metanarrative; Derrida=Deconstruction. Baudrillard=Hyperreality.

"Existence precedes essence"—most famous slogan

I find myself in existence first, then I choose to act and by my actions I create my own essence. Contrary to both Plato & Aristotle there is no prior essence (Forms) or predetermined purpose for humans (A's teleology). I simply find myself existing—"thrown" and "abandoned" in the world as it were, and it is up to me to create an essence for myself out of this oppressive freedom I find myself in possession of. "Atheistic existentialism, of which I am a representative, declares with greater consistency that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence—a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it. That being is man..." -Sartre

A KEY CONCEPT. Here's the progression:

If I 'buy' Naturalism which says we're in a closed system and there's no transcendent being ... YET I'm also told by science, specifically quantum physics, that spacetime reality has a relative or random component, that is, not everything in our "closed system" is predictable according to the "laws" of science, then maybe this random component should also influence the rest of my reality—my personal ID (unstable, subject to change, consciousness shift), my morals (random, subject to change), my view of reality itself etc.

Famous Christian forerunner:

If Martin Heidegger is considered the father of Existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard is considered the early forerunner of Existentialism, particularly Christian existentialism. SK's most famous book on the topic was Fear and Trembling which uses the seemingly absurd, child sacrifice command of God instructing Abraham to offer to bind up (akedah in Hebrew) and burn his only son as a human sacrifice, Genesis 22.

PM's activism?

Inclusiveness in art/architecture; almost militant in its culturally relativistic styles. A key point in Postmodern art/architecture is that the quest for "beauty" has long ago been abandoned as unattainable.

Philosophical Analysis of Film

James Hamilton notes that philosophical analysis of films belongs in the broader category of the philosophy of art/aesthetics. Grant Horner in his "Meaning at the Movies" claims that the most important philosophical question to ask when watching a film is "What is the nature of humanity according to this movie?" Drawing from the work of Joseph Campbell, screenwriter Allen Palmer believes first and foremost that people go to the movies because humans love stories and storytelling and we use stories to make sense of our world. Schuchardt's essay on "the new cathedral of Hollyworld' quotes Aldous Huxley's observation about the medieval church with its "tactile symbols" that heightened the viewer's sense of the presence and magnificence of an otherwise invisible God. "In truth," says Schuchardt, "both cinema and church offer a form of art as a means of transcendence." "Philosophy is its own time raised to the level of thought," said Hegel. Our own time is visual. Where people in earlier times heard (oral) or read (written), we see which is similar to medieval times. Contemporary culture looks to the future, and to 'the now'. Philosophy's essential claim is to be able to make relevant distinctions about everything at ANY time. It's natural, therefore, to find philosophy in a visual medium such as film, esp. in a forward-looking genre such as science fiction film. Does art (the term being inclusive of all that we consider 'the arts') have "cognitive value"? Plato famously says "No!" He wanted to banish poets and poetry. Aristotle, in stark contrast, says absolutely "Yes!" in his written work, Poetics. Art never confirms its own truth claims. Some claim that art can offer no true philosophical insight. Opponents claim that even if general principles with thematic meaning can be extracted from fictional narratives, the supposed evidence for the reality of these principles is flawed since (1) the work (film) cites no actual cases; (2) relies on a single example (the film narrative); & (3) is contrived by careful design (screenwriter, cinematographer, director etc) to support its claims. But, a valid response to the above is that philosophy has a responsibility to investigate the nature of art (indeed of all reality) and how various art expression influences the mind and popular beliefs.

A few big names:

Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Merleau-Ponty, Marcel (Christian), Levinas (Jewish) Buber (Jewish).

These roughly represent the 3 biggest areas of philosophy most often involved in one's Worldview—

Metaphysics -Religion: Is there a God? -Personal ID: Who am I? Epistemology -How can I know? -Is there "revealed" knowledge Ethics -What is "the Good"? -Is there moral obligation?

Compared with other recognized philosophies/worldviews, why is Postmodern seen to be still in a state of flux?

Most philosophies typically ...-reject some basic premise of some other philosophy; -advance their particular views on nature of reality, truth, beauty; -offer some cohesive world view either absolute or relative. PM, in contrast, is not accepted as a coherent philosophy in academic circles; Does not offer a cohesive worldview; Seeks no consensus except the consensus that there is no consensus; Represented by a diverse group of pundits, poets, philosophers & posers

New Consciousness Movement [NCM] also called

New Age or Western Esotericism

Important stuff to know about Nihilism

Nihil is Latin for "nothing"; so nihilism is like saying nothing-ism. Nihilism denies all existence, values & meaning in the universe; can't "know" anything; we're only conscious machines without real value. Logical next step (in the view of many including Nietzsche) after Naturalism. Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with with Friedrich Nietzche - declared that reality was pointless; world had no meaning; no distinction between good and evil. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy. If Naturalism is true then God must be declared dead. This is one of the infamous declarations blamed on Nihilism, although the logical conclusion is valid and sound.

All Postmodernist views ...

Object to previous philosophies; Reject all universalizing worldviews; Question "Eurocentric metanarratives"; Question all universal rational structures by which we judge the good, the true or the beautiful. Concerning Postmodernist conceptions of reality: PM Reality is unstable and indeterminate. PM Reality is always "in process," & complex. PM cannot be a straightforward concept. Nature of meaning is constantly shifting. I.e.: European Enlightenment marking the beginning of modern era is seen as little more than merely the outlook of a dominant group and must be challenged or resisted.

PM's ethic?

On positive side, calls for Empowering Marginalized, oppressed people, mainstreaming them so they can create their own narratives. Keep in mind however that there is no objective morality to be advocated except the morality of social justice for the oppressed—not because they are created in God's image or have souls or because we're following somebody else's view of righteousness. It's solely because they should be free to write their own narratives rather than be dominated by the metanarrative of some oppressor.

PM's big issue:

Oppression of Poor through the use of language.

Life descriptions: Life is absurd

Our futile attempts to give value and meaning to our lives deserve ridicule & dark humor, i.e. Catch-22 novel, M.A.S.H. film/TV. Life is tragic. In facing life's absurdity the lone individual desperately searches for beauty & meaning but finding nothing but death decay, suffering and hopelessness.

Freedom to choose or "radical freedom."

Philosophical response to Nihilism and contrary to Naturalism. There is human freedom and freedom = meaning. Freedom is the ONLY meaning. Radical freedom is the only "meaning" in an otherwise meaningless world. The authentic choice of a free individual is everything. Freedom is the biggest response to or departure from (cause & effect or deterministic) Naturalism as a worldview. Existentialism says you not only have free will, but you also paradoxically cannot escape from your choices. Existentialists insist that even choosing NOT to choose, or refusing to act, is in itself a choice.

**Compare critically a few of the contrasts between Modernism and Postmodernism

Postmodern 1. Truth is unknowable. 2. Language is manipulative ◊ metanarratives are oppressive. 3. Self is "contextual." ◊ multi-voice; changes; ◊ de-centered; socially constructed. 4. Contributing ethical theories are merely stories; truth is relative to each individual. Modern 1. Truth is knowable. 2. Language is informative ◊ metanarrative tells us who we are. 3. Self is autonomous. ◊ only one authentic self in all contexts. 4. Competing ethical theories with a truth component assumed.

Offer some relevant contrasts between Modernism and Postmodernism.

Postmodern 1. Truth is unknowable. 2. Language is manipulative - metanarratives are oppressive. 3. Self is "contextual." - multi-voice; changes; - de-centered; socially constructed. 4. Contributing ethical theories are merely stories; truth is relative to each individual. Modern 1. Truth is knowable. 2. Language is informative - metanarrative tells us who we are. 3. Self is autonomous. - only one authentic self in all contexts. 4. Competing ethical theories with a truth component assumed.

NCM worldviews aim for a source of unity beyond all differences wherein humans might evolve into a "new consciousness". How the new truths of physics are to be interpreted might be seen as the dividing conception that sets apart the New Consciousness movement from other worldviews.

REVIEW: a. Traditional religion says all truth is God's truth both those discovered by science & all truths yet to be discovered. b. Naturalism says that there is no truth except those truths that science discovers. Science is constantly evolving & uncovering new truth. c. New Consciousness movement says that the failures traditional religion, the hollow promises of both scientific enlightenment and humanist utopias, combined with new ground-breaking discoveries in neuroscience and physics and other disciplines indicate that the world is on the verge of the birth of a New Consciousness.

Language, Metanarrative and the need for "Deconstruction":

Since metanarratives use language ultimately to oppress people we must constantly be on our guard to carefully "deconstruct" all language use and see what's really behind it besides the ostensible intent of the speaker/writer /symbol-maker. There are always hidden ideological assumptions that could potentially bully you. The term "deconstruction" was coined by Jacques Derrida who was heavily influenced by philosophers Wittgenstein and Heidegger. Ironically, more often than not, Derrida argued with the so-called deconstructionists—the "little monsters" he created!

The individual defines everything. We define ourselves by what we do. "...[M]an is nothing else but what he makes of himself.

Such is the first principle of existentialism." --Jean Paul Sartre. So if the Human defines everything then how does he discover what it means to be human? Only by first existing. No prior rational discovery of the fact that we exist. "Thrown" into this state of existence, we try to make the best of it.

Values & 'The Good'. You create your own values as you authentically act & freely respond or refuse to respond and thereby act in "bad faith"

The "Good" is whatever you choose for it to be for yourself. The courage to live authentically in the face of your own death is Existen's highest good. "Existentialism is about being a saint w/o God; being your own hero, w/o all the sanction & support of religion or society." -Anita Brookner

Cambridge Dict of Philos. editor, Dr. Robert Audi's response to Naturalism proponents:

There are events which cannot be incorporated under exceptionless naturalistic laws? For example, 1. the indeterminism of quantum mechanics; 2. the lack of a naturalistic explanation for "the Big Bang". Therefore, it is illogical to claim a non-naturalistic event as foundation for a view that says nothing exists outside the natural world.

The key shift! Relativity/Quantum Theory

This momentous sea-change in scientific advancement going from Newtonian to Einsteinian physics helped spur NCM notions as a worldview.

Nietzsche wrote:

Thus Spake Zarathustra, Will To Power, Gay Science, Beyond Good and Evil, The Antichrist,

PM's big fear? Control & Power. Allowing any one or anything else create your reality or your meaning for you is the biggest fear of Postmodernism.

Thus they encourage revolt against all mass marketing appeals especially via electronic media and cyberspace.

Courageous Authentic Action is the only proper response to this existential crisis and the inescapable condition of absolute freedom

To not act courageously and to live inauthentically is to act "in bad faith." The only thing that matters is action—any authentic act which is in itself an act of courage. The content of the action is not important; only the authenticity of the actor. So, the existential crisis is simply the test whether a person has the courage to act.

Compare religious beliefs (Hindu vs Christian)

USA Christian 1. One life and then eternity. 2. Goal is to be with God in the Afterlife. 3. History is important. 4. Time is steady progression 5. Truth is absolute. Facts are either true or false. So what is true for one is true for all. Fact: 2+2=4 is true for all. 6. Hope. An all-powerful God can & will forgive anyone. INDIA Hindu 1. Reincarnation, many lives. 2. Goal is extinction/absorption of Personality & merge w/ great all-Soul. 3. History is unimportant 4. Time is cyclical. A moment gone is gone forever. Each new event is different. Everything has happened before and will happen again. Anything that has not happened will never happen. 5. Truth is relative. There are many kinds of truth. What is "true" may vary widely from person to person. 6. What you sow in this life you must reap in the next. No exceptions.

Standard questions that your worldview should offer an answer for:

What is ultimate reality? What is the nature of external reality, the world around us? What is a human being? What happens at death? Why and how is it possible to know anything? What is meaning of human history? How do we know what is right and wrong?

The questionable conclusion:

Whether (1) this scientific development along with "disappointing" or unsatisfying claims of both (2) traditional religion and (3) Enlightenment-era rationality, can support the mish-mash of beliefs labeled "New Consciousness" is the questionable conclusion. That is, since we're still figuring out the repercussions of relativity theories and quantum physics, some are eager to rush to accept the notion of an emerging "New Consciousness" which posits an additional quantum leap that human consciousness is only part of an evolving cosmic consciousness.

Meaning of life

Worldview

Existentialist Response to Nihilism:

Yes, it may be that the world is meaningless as Nihilism says, but radical freedom is the only "meaning" in an otherwise meaningless world. And so freedom must be taken seriously.

Some stuff that's important to keep in mind when dealing with the many variants of Postmodernist thinking and all the other myriad manifestations of worldviews out there:

a. *Rival worldviews cannot all be true at the same time. b. *If one is true, the other two must be false. c. *If your foundational premises are false, the conclusions you come to are going to be false.

Why Nihilism is important to understand?

a. Because its ideas reacting to Naturalism are simply untenable: Nihilism denies all existence, all values and all meaning in the universe. (Period!) Human beings cannot know; we are only conscious machines without real value. Presents unresolvable paradox: that the claimed absence of meaning seems to be some sort of meaning. b. Because the worldview(s) that follow Nihilism (Existentialism & Postmodernism) are largely in reaction to it!

Why is Nihilism an important worldview to understand? [Recall Nietzsche's influence. Recall bridge idea: Nihilism represents the "natural" human response to Naturalism. In turn Nihilism being so untenable, leads to subsequent worldviews that are trying to overcome Nihilism.]

a. Because its ideas reacting to Naturalism are simply untenable: Nihilism denies all existence, all values and all meaning in the universe. (Period!) Human beings cannot know; we are only conscious machines without real value. Presents unresolvable paradox: that the claimed absence of meaning seems to be some sort of meaning. b. Because the worldview(s) that follow Nihilism (Existentialism & Postmodernism) are largely in reaction to it!

Ways that "doing" philosophy helps you clarify your worldview?

a. Doing philosophy poses possible answers to difficult questions improving critical thinking skills; and in turn applied to every aspect of life. b. Philosophy will open your mind, and get you out of your rut. It is, as Bertrand Russell called it, "liberating doubt." Even if philosophy doesn't provide clear answers, it can help you see that some answers are better than others. c. Just the act of "doing philosophy" is a helpful exercise that forces you to be precise, clear, and rigorous.

Based upon three big areas of philosophy the following are some worldview questions we consider in Intro to Philosophy—

a. Metaphysics: the religion question, Is there a God? Personal ID: Who am I? b. Epistemology: How can I know? Is there "revealed" knowledge? c. Ethics: What is "the Good"? Are there moral obligations?

Worldview definitions

a. all the presuppositions and assumptions that you bring to bear on every decision that you make in life. b. overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. c. collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group. d. whether religious or non-religious, a personal insight about reality and meaning. e. It may be termed a "life understanding." Each of us has a worldview. It is our own personal discernment. f. It develops in part because we are seeking some understanding of our own significance. g. your worldview is shaped by culture and upbringing; not merely a philosophical byproduct of a person's culture, like a shadow.... [a worldview is] the very skeleton of concrete cognitive assumptions on which the flesh of customary behavior is hung [and]...may be expressed, more or less systematically, in cosmology, philosophy, ethics, religious ritual, scientific belief, and so on, but it is implicit in almost every act. h. a commitment, fundamental orientation of the heart; expressed in story or in set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) held consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently, re: basic constitution of reality, providing the foundation on which we live and have our being.

Suggest & explain three separate analogies for how a worldview functions in a person's life? More than just a list of objects: iceberg, rails and eyeglasses. It's not enough to just list these; you must explain HOW each functions as an analogy for how a worldview actually works for each person.

a. iceberg; essence of worldview may be concealed within the inner recesses of the self going to the heart of what you believe is real b. lenses; or Eyeglasses... how you see the world comes via "worldview lens"; what you believe that you have knowledge of through your own eyes c. rails worldview becomes the rails on which your life runs or that is, the worldview becomes your view of "the good" or what is ethical or right.

Three worldview analogies briefly explained:

a. iceberg; essence of worldview may be concealed within the inner recesses of the self going to the heart of what you believe is real b. lenses; or Eyeglasses... how you see the world comes via "worldview lens"; what you believe that you have knowledge of through your own eyes c. rails worldview becomes the rails on which your life runs or that is, the worldview becomes your view of "the good" or what is ethical or right.

Metanarrative definition for Postmodernism:

an overarching Story or legitimizing myth that provides a frame of reference for judging other stories and from which all stories derive their ultimate meaning.

Naturalism is the underlying worldview behind

any number of other political and philosophical systems. A good example of a socio-economic political philosophy based completely upon Naturalism is Marxism.

Nihilism

defends nothing except nothingness itself—no notion of good or evil, or purpose for anything. Nihilism simply and blankly stares at reality and sees nothing--no value, no human dignity, no meaning.

William Blake (1809) popularized term "New Age" to

describe a coming era of spiritual & artistic advancement.

Rather than a coherent, clearly distinguished philosophy, Postmodernism is more of a

description of the reaction to Modernism (M. began with the era of the Enlightenment & Descartes) and the gradual upheaval (in art, architecture, literature, music, many of the academic Humanities departments worldwide) that sort of came to a head in the 1960's when Modernism is said to have "ended" or at least when the term Postmodernism began to be used to describe a number of its characteristics.

Nietzsche argued that Nihilism's corrosive effects would eventually

destroy all moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history. Nietzche also declared that reality was pointless; that the world had no meaning and he made no distinction between good and evil.

Postmodern Ethics—from Wittgenstein,

ethics is merely a language construct. Morality is merely the language expressions that people use to describe right and wrong. So, the ethical is merely the "lyrical" and vice versa.

Naturalism

has no very precise meaning in contemporary philosophy. Philosopher Arthur Danto says that naturalism is species of philosophical monism which says that the natural is all that exists and that no entities exist which are beyond the scope of scientific explanation.

Thomas Nagel (New York University) and Timothy Williamson (Oxford) are examples of

prominent philosophers who reject Naturalism based upon human conscious experience, the unity and identity of the person, human intentionality, and mental causation.

Back to metanarratives for Postmodernists: how they work in everyday life:

say that such a "legitimizing myth" has not been found and that we should reject (and view as potentially enslaving) all those "posers" out there that make the claim to be the ultimate and true Metanarrative for our lives. You only have your own narrative so tell your story and this will be meaning enough. But if you let your narrative become a Metanarrative then you're guilty of using (or abusing) language for your own "will to power" and to potentially oppress others.

Postmodernism and the Self:

the Self is merely a poetic, or a narrative construct or, that is, a language construct with no substance in itself. Thus, one well-known slogan of Postmodernism in regard to human nature— "We are only what we describe ourselves." [This notion is invaluable for crafty politicians, by the way.]

Nihilism is the "belief that all

values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated...often associated with extreme pessimism and radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy." --Alan Pratt, Internet Ency of Phil

Existential "crisis": With the loss of *divine immanence, then *nature & *the universe itself are emptied of all meaning, order, purpose, and hope; exis.

writers often portray lone individual confronting meaninglessness or the abyss of the universe with all of its absurdity; then the only thing that matters is action—any authentic act which is in itself an act of courage; the content of the action is not all that important; only the authenticity of the actor. The existential crisis creates a life test of whether a person has the courage to act.

Camus' "Myth of Sisyphus" essay as reviewed by Wisecrack vid clip:

yes, life is as absurd and meaningless as the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus cursed to perpetually roll a boulder up a hill only to see it roll back down. But, Camus says that it is possible for Sisyphus to be happy and continue to act with courage despite this "curse."