Single Idea 20734

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 3. Angst]

Full Idea

Some moods, such as 'anxiety' (Heidegger), 'nausea' (Sartre), 'guilt' (Kierkegaard), and 'absurdity' (Camus) are important because they have the capacity to shake us out of complacency and self-deception, disclosing our freedom and finitude.

Gist of Idea

Anxiety, nausea, guilt and absurdity shake us up, revealing our freedom and limits

Source

Kevin Aho (Existentialism: an introduction [2014], Pref 'What?)

Book Reference

Aho,Kevin: 'Existentialism: an introduction' [Polity 2014], p.-7


A Reaction

[bit compressed] Problem: if I fail to feel such things, and deliberately induce them in myself, am I being inauthentic? Making a huge and unnatural effort to be an existentialist seems all wrong. And who wants the permanent grip of such feelings?