Existentialism Extra Credit

EXISTENTIALISM EXTRA CREDIT MOVIE PROJECT

Follow the three steps below in order to complete the extra credit project for the fourth-marking period. The final paper portion of the extra credit will be due no later "This was than TUESDAY, APRIL 10TH! NO EXCEPTIONS! If you complete the freedom. requirements adequately, a test grade will be averaged into your final grade (55/55). Losing all STEP 1: Read the information on our wikispace about existentialism. Make hope sure you understand what existentialism is and what it entails. *Website: http://mrsspence.wikispaces.com STEP 2: Watch one of the movies on this list. If you want to watch a movie NOT on this list, please get it approved by Mrs. Spence. It must be an existential-type movie, so not all movies apply. STEP 3: Write a 1½ - 2-page paper explaining how the movie and/characters fit the concept of existentialism. Do NOT simply summarize the movie, but use events from the movie and explain how they fit the idea of existentialism.

EXISTENTIAL MOVIE LIST:

The Addiction Groundhog Day *American Beauty Hurly Burly Apocalypse Now I Heart Huckabees Being John Malkovich Immortality *The Big Lebowski Leaving Los Vegas *Clockwork Orange Love and Death Crash My Life Without Me Crimes and Misdemeanors Off the Map Dark City Office Space Disturbing Behavior One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest *Donnie Darko Ordinary People *Fight Club Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Flight from Death: The Quest for The Truman Show *Forest Gump Vanilla Sky Garden State Waking Life Girl Interrupted * A star indicates that the movie has a description on the following page.

WHAT IS EXISTENTIALISM? The idea of existentialism comes from the idea of the study of existence or what it means to exist. This, however, is only the starting point. If we continue in history, we see that existentialism has become associated with particular ideas and ways of living. These ideas have emerged from the writing of Pascal, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre, among others. Although existentialists do not agree on the answers to these questions, they generally agree that these are all essential questions of what it means to exist. *Read the article on the wikispace to learn about what existentialism actually is.

EXISTENTIAL MOVIE STARTERS

Listed below are some of the more common existential movies. Each movie has a brief description of how it fits concepts surrounding existentialism. This may help you understand what to look for when you’re watching your movie.

THE BIG LEBOWKSKI is a comedy about the absurdity of circumstances. The main character, who insists on being reffered to as the dude. His character mirrors the life of The Stranger's protagonist. He is unempolyed and unaffected by suffering or bad luck. He accidentally becomes the center of a bizzarre kidnapping mystery, but keeps his cool throughout.

AMERICAN BEUATY is a film with existentialism at its core. The main character feels aliented from his middle class life and begins a personal quest to take charge of his life. Themes from the stranger become apparent throughout the film as all the characters struggle to get a grip on reality.

FOREST GUMP depicts a mentally handicapped man trying to define his own existence as an individual. It has the Sartrian moral of who you are from the start does not matter compared to who you choose to become. Forest has no intelligent design for his life, yet he ends up becoming important figures in history without knowing it.

CLOCKWORK ORANGE is a disturbing film about the transformation of one man from a heartless criminal to a man repulsed by violence. The story forces its audience to question the ethics of transforming another human being, even when that person is harmful and degenerate.

DONNIE DARKO is the story of a young man who becomes disenfranchised from his friends and family. The story takes a science fiction turn, but focuses on themes like alienation, paranoia and lack of hope

FIGHT CLUB tells the violent story of a man who comes to understand life as pointless, and the contributions of individuals as limited. Contains paraphrasing of famous Nietzsche quotes. Nihilism is a main theme of this film. It explores the possibility of actions with no concern for consequence. It includes references to violence and sexuality similar to the way Nietzsche presented the subjects in his most popular works. The film also includes direct references to Nietzsche's writings.

VANILLA SKY is about David Ames who gets in trouble when he tries to dump Gianni and she goes Fatal Attraction on him. He finds his life drastically changed and he tries to get back to normal. He loses his self- confidence. Wracked by guilt and shame, he even seems to be losing his mind. He spends a lot of time with his shrink, but nothing seems to be able to snap him out of his funk. Vanilla Sky" raises questions about the nature of reality and life, of being and existence, love and character, as well as questions about morality and the consequences of sexual acts. WHAT IS EXISTENTIALISM? Existentialism in the broader sense is a 20th century philosophy that is centered upon the analysis of existence and of the way humans find themselves existing in the world. The notion is that humans exist first and then each individual spends a lifetime changing their essence or nature. This, however, is only the starting point. If we continue in history, we see that existentialism has become associated with particular ideas and ways of living. These ideas have emerged from the writing of Pascal, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre, among others. Although existentialists do not agree on the answers to these questions, they generally agree that these are all essential questions of what it means to exist.

Existentialism is a philosophical movement which insists that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives, as opposed to it being created for them by deities or authorities or defined for them by philosophical or theological doctrines. In simpler terms, existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook. And personal choices become unique without the necessity of an objective form of truth. An existentialist believes that a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions. Existentialists define life as meaningless outside of our own personal choices. Most existentialists are athesists, and believe that there is no after-life. They define reality as absurd. "The thing which was waiting was on alert. It Although existential therapy accepts the premise that our choices are limited by external circumstances, the existentialist position rejects the pounced on me; it flows notion that our acts are determined. There are a range of choices through me. I'm filled with available to each of us and we are free to choose and therefore it. It's nothing: I am the responsible for our own choices and actions. We must create and live Thing. Existence, with our own individual freedom. Freedom means "openness, readiness to grow, flexibility, and changing in pursuit of greater human values" It entails our capacity to take hand in our own development. Freedom is basic to existentialist understanding of human nature because it underlies our ability to choose. People are free to choose among alternatives and therefore have a large role in shaping their destinies. With freedom, we must also accept the responsibility for directing our lives. Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand (Engler, 1991).

The existentialist position encourages the increasing of one's self awareness. This leads to an emphasis on choice and responsibility and to the view that a worthwhile life is one that is authentic, honest, and genuine. It takes courage to discover our center of our being and to learn how to live from the inside. Through our self-awareness, we choose our actions, and therefore we can partially create our own destiny.

Part of the human condition is the experience of aloneness. We want to be significant in another's world, and we want to feel that another's presence is important in our world. Perhaps one of the functions of therapy is to help people distinguish between a neurotically dependent attachment to another and a mutually beneficial relationship in which both persons are enhanced. We can derive strength from the experience of looking to ourselves and sensing our separation. We alone must give a sense of meaning to our life.

A distinctly human characteristic is the struggle for a sense of significance and purpose in life. Existential therapy can provide the conceptual framework for helping clients challenge the meaning of their lives. People may wonder whether it is worth it to continue struggling or even living. Faced with the prospect of our mortality, we may ask: "Is there any point to what I do now, since I will eventually die? Will what I do be forgotten once I am gone?" The existentialist position encourages people to search for meaning by living fully and responsibly; because meaning can only be found by living fully and accepting the consequences of our choices (Corey, 1991a).

COMMON EXISTENTIAL TOPICS/BELIEFS Through the study of existentialism, several important concepts have developed and been argued. The answers have not been agreed upon, but most existentialists define theses characteristics in a serious manner:  Human Free-Will  Human Nature is chosen through life choices… These people are obsessed with HOW to live one’s life  A person is best when struggling against their individual nature, fighting for life.  Decisions are not without stress and consequences  Life is difficult and does not have an “objective value.” The individual must create a valued life by living it NOT by simply talking about it.  There are things that are not rational and cannot be rationalized  Personal responsibility and discipline is crucial  Society is unnatural and its traditional religious/secular rules are arbitrary

Existentialists don't pay much attention to "social" questions such as the politics of life and what "social" responsibility the society or state has. They focus almost exclusively on the individual. Here are certain questions that everyone must deal with if they are taking life seriously:  Freedom vs. Responsibility  Meaning of Human Existence  Death  Place of God  Human Limitation  Human subjectivity  Interpersonal Isolation or  Individuality Relationships  Power of nothingness  Alienation  Worldly desires are futile/pointless

Nihilism is one last concept that is often discussed by existentialists. Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a 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.

CAN EXISTENTIAL IDEAS BE FUNNY? A movie that deals with themes of existential literature always has a serious tone. Many examples of existential literature and cinema is extremely dark and depressing. However, keep in mind that existentialism is not as dark as many of the Gothics try to make it out to be. It is very possible to deal seriously with existential issues through humor.

For example, take a look at Barber Shop and I Heart Huckabees. In Barber Shop, the issues of meaning and relationship are dealt with on a serious level in the context of a humorous movie. I Heart Huckabees does a great job of reflecting two very different poles of existentialism in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner, which is viewed as very humorous.

SO… WHAT DO I DO AGAIN? After you watch your movie, write a 1½ - 2 page paper double-spaced discussing how the movie relates to some existential themes. Do NOT simply summarize your movie. Explain existential topics! Here are some things to think about when you’re watching the movie:

1) Is it a good movie? Not all the movies on the list are necessary ‘good movies,’ but, at the very least, there are portions of the movie, which deal with existential theme s that are well done. If you don’t like the movie, pick a new one! 2) What existential themes can be analyzed from the movie that have been discussed in this article or on-line? Explain the concepts/events/characters from the movie and analyze how they portray existential ideas from the article. 3) Consider if the movie has given a significant focus to existential issues or only dealt with them in passing. Could a serious discussion of this movie help to illuminate deeper understanding of existential themes?

RESOURCES & OTHER WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT:  http://www.anselm.edu/homepage/dbanach/sartreol.htm  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/  http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/existentialism.htm  http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/exist.html  http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/existentialism/whatis.html  http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm  http://www.philosophytalk.org/pastShows/Existentialism.html