Living: Life, Death, Absurdity

<aside> 💡 Questions

In what ways are we few? In what ways are we not free?
- free will
what are some things you can control and some things you can not control?
what are some stragies for staying calm or persevering in the face of adversity?
how do you acieve rational control over your life?
what does it mean to “have a quiet mind”
how do you respond to someone who says that life is meaningless? </aside>

<aside> ✏ Notes:

Stoicism provides a philosophical context for existentialism, influencing thinkers like Albert Camus.
Ancient philosophy is a continuous conversation, with ideas building upon previous ones.
Stoicism emphasizes the distinction between what is within our control and what is not.

"Some things are up to us, others are not up to us."
Things within our control: Understanding, impulse, desire, aversion, and in a word, all actions that are ours.
Things not within our control: Body, possessions, reputation, professional positions, and in a word, all things that are not ours.
Epictetus, who was born a slave and endured severe torture, found solace and strength in this philosophy, focusing on his internal responses rather than external circumstances.

Reputation is often mistakenly perceived as within our control because it is built upon our actions.
However, focusing excessively on reputation, which is ultimately outside of our direct control, leads to anxiety, stress, and frustration.

A Stoic strategy to prepare for adversity by imagining negative outcomes.
Benefits:
- Promotes realism.
- Can serve as motivation to improve.
- Leads to pleasant surprise and greater appreciation if negative outcomes are avoided.
This technique should be balanced with positive visualization.

When undertaking any task, remind yourself of its nature.
"Keep my volition in accord with nature."
This means accepting external disruptions without becoming upset, thereby achieving a "quiet mind."
A quiet mind, or rational control, is essential for well-being and cannot be achieved if one is distressed by things outside their control.

Invalid Inference: "I am wealthier than you. Therefore, I am better than you."
- This equates external possessions (wealth) with inherent worth as a person.
- It commits the fallacy of equating external status with personal value.
Valid Inference: "I am wealthier than you. Therefore, my property is better than yours."
- This correctly identifies that the comparison is about the possessions themselves, not the person.
People often make fallacious mistakes by equating external factors like wealth with superiority or intelligence.

When confronted with the assertion that life is meaningless or absurd, responses can vary:
- Life has purpose (a Stoic perspective).
- Meaning is subjective.
Life is inherently a struggle; it is not easy.
A significant challenge is the constant human endeavor to create meaning, which may never be fully completed.
This continuous process of meaning-creation can be difficult, even if it feels meaningful in the moment.

Albert Camus, often associated with existentialism and the philosophy of the absurd, explores the question of life's value.
"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."
Suicide is considered the ultimate question because it signifies a person's stance on the worth of life.
Despite the potential for life to feel meaningless, most people find reasons to continue living, indicating an inherent drive to find value.
Camus suggests that we find value even in the face of life's meaninglessness, which he terms "absurd."
Camus identified as a "philosopher of the absurd" rather than an existentialist.
His ideas align with William James and pragmatism.

Camus's philosophy, particularly his ideas on finding meaning, aligns closely with pragmatism, as exemplified by William James.
Pragmatism suggests that if something has a positive practical impact on one's life, it can be considered "true" for that individual.
For instance, if religious belief provides a person with meaning, pragmatism would suggest that this belief is true for them, not in an absolute sense, but in a personally impactful one.
This doesn't imply that any belief is valid; rather, it emphasizes the subjective truth derived from practical benefit.
William James stated, "This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it from the moral point of view, and we are determined to make it from that point of view, so far as we have anything to do with it a success." This highlights the control individuals have over imbuing their lives with meaning.
This subjective creation of meaning is a core aspect of existentialist thought.

Simone de Beauvoir, a key figure in existentialism, extended the idea of self-created meaning to the creation of identity.
She is known for her statement, "one is not born, but rather becomes a woman."
This statement challenges the notion of a predetermined, biological essence of womanhood.
Instead, it posits that being a woman is a social and cultural construct, shaped by societal expectations, roles, and historical contexts.
Beauvoir's work, particularly in her book The Second Sex, analyzes how the definition and expectations of "woman" have evolved throughout history.
For example, in the mid-20th century, expectations often included being a housewife and mother, roles that are not necessarily inherent to being a woman today.
This concept of the social construction of identity, including gender, remains highly relevant in contemporary discourse and was significantly influenced by thinkers like Beauvoir. </aside>