Did it ever occur to our minds the thought of our existence? Is the question about existence a kind of question a person asks daily? Or is it a mystical question perhaps?
This is a world wherein Man as a Being, is tossed into this so-called life with no evident meaning or purpose for him to have a full grasp of. The search for life’s meaning has always been a baffling experience for all humans. It has always been a curiosity for Man to take hold of the meaning of his existence. Thus, Life is meaningless. Life is nothing; it holds no discernible meaning for Man.Nonetheless, it is through this very notion, that Man has the opportunity to fashion his life the way he wants it to be.
Throughout western Philosophy, it has always been the impression that the essence or the nature of a particular thing is more essential that just its sheer “existence”. On the other hand, the philosopher Sartre, thought the opposite and one way or another found optimisim on this understanding, the very fact that life is meaningless gives us the occasion into providing it with meaning. Surely because the very thought that Man is thrown into this life without a meaning in advance or purpose for him to comprehend, gives him the idea that he is justified into creating this meaning. This is what Sartre meant when he said, “Existence precedes Essence”. Man first exists, came into view then seeks its purpose, its significance.
Man’s existence makes no sense at all, so it is up to him to give it a meaning; to mold his self the way he wants it to be. When all is said and done, Man is what he conceives himself to be. The bottom line of this notion is that Man is responsible of what he makes of himself.
Indeed, nothing is fixed in this life. We are all born in this world by chance.
On the whole, it will come under one main thought that it is all under man’s hands.
Given this control, it gives way to this kind of freedom; the freedom to do anything at all. What does this freedom implies to man? It gives us the very idea that man has always the freedom to choose. This freedom creates the awareness that individuals can always choose their own actions, guide themselves and mold their own beings.
When you come right down to it, Man always has a choice, even in the most dramatic situations conceivably even so in tragic situations. So how can we then justify when people are caught in the moment saying that they don’t have a choice? There is at all times that possibility of letting things as they are, folding one’s arms and letting things flow and happen on their own. But isn’t it still a choice?
How then can those people defend there selves when they say that they are just obliged to do what their superiors had told them to do? Even so, one always had this freedom to choose.
But is it not a bit frightening with this recognition of freedom? Does it not give opportunity to the callous side of humanity, taking that we are given the license to do anything we want. With this recognition, it has to be noted that there is more than just the sheer image of Man’s freedom. Without a doubt, Man is free, completely free. He can do anything he wishes for, engage his self to anything he wants to be involve with but he has to take notice to the fact that there is more to this absolute freedom of his. This absolute freedom of Man does not only confine to his own being but this freedom of his cannot escape a deep responsibility for all humanity as well.
--SREE
