I did generalize in regards to the 3 I mentioned in my OP (I'm most familiar with Gabriel Marcel). I can't think of any points on which the 3 disagree, however. I think it's more the case that each of the 3 I mentioned pursues his own existentialist philosophy in a slightly different way.I am not nearly as familiar with the thinkers you cited as I am with Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, & Sartre. I find it very, very hard to lump all of the existentialists into one particular camp because they disagree on many, many points. — Brian
They also, I think, have a tendency to emphasize the negative sides of the human experience. Negative emotions like dread, anxiety, despair, etc. And phenomena that are traditionally conceived of as negative, especially the concept of death and human finitude as well as the idea of "the nothing" and nihilism in general. — Brian
Does Marcel have anything to say about being authentic? I would imagine he does as it's a pretty common existentialist theme. — Brian
What I like most is the idea that I can live whatever type of life I want, that I'm free to pursue (or not pursue) whatever system of philosophy I like. Of course, the flip-side is to acknowledge that I'm totally responsible for my choices. I can't blame anyone else for the choices I make or the consequences that follow. — anonymous66
What I like most is the idea that I can live whatever type of life I want, — anonymous66
One person Sartre describes is the Cliff Walker. This man walks down a narrow pass on top of a tall, steep cliff. The man isn’t afraid of falling off, he has sure footing, nor of the wind blowing him sideways and to his death (it is a calm breezy day). He is more afraid that he will be overcome by an insatiable desire to throw himself from this height. This type of fear isn’t as forward facing as it would be if he was afraid of tripping to his death. He doesn’t trust himself enough.
One of my defining lessons learned from Sartre was the Condemnation to Freedom. The cliff walker suffers with this condemnation of freedom when he looks at the fall before him. He knows that he has the freedom to jump for no other reason than to jump. That freedom terrifies him. He has no real control over his identity when these fears take him over. There’s no truth to his being when he considers his freedom to desire to jump to the abyss. — blogger
What I like most is the idea that I can live whatever type of life I want, that I'm free to pursue (or not pursue) whatever system of philosophy I like. Of course, the flip-side is to acknowledge that I'm totally responsible for my choices. I can't blame anyone else for the choices I make or the consequences that follow. — anonymous66
Do we have a "right" to be here, even if we don't have a God-given reason? Do we experience ourselves as puppets? As sinners in the hands of some angry stand-in for God (a god-object that might be an abstract principle that has us wringing our hands like naughty children)? — 0af
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