Sudan University of Science and Technology Deanship of Scientific Research Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sudan University of Science and Technology Deanship of Scientific Research Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies The Concept of the Philosophical Theory "Existentialism" as Being Introduced by Modern Literature and its lasting impact on Modern Society Marwan khaleel Yousif ABSTRACT Like many other methodological innovations, The Concept of the Philosophical Theory "Existentialism" as Being Introduced by Modern Literature and its lasting Impact on Modern Society has been applied to indicate and examine how modern writers deal with this theory. However, this research has been done to indicate the impact of existentialist concepts on the modern society, to examine how the modern writers use this term in their genre, to give an exact definition of the term existentialism and its composers. Moreover, this research has been derived from a deep study of existentialist dramas, novels, and short stories and take help of multi-method of data collection. Furthermore, one of the major issues that has been stated in the present study by the researcher is to deal with the existentialist theory as a general and social problems which have left a crucial influence on modern humanity. This study has tried to reach some general conclusions about the benefits of using this theory in the modern literature. اﻟﻣﺳﺗﺧﻠص ﻣﺛل اﻟﻌدﯾد ﻣن اﻻﺑﺗﻛﺎرات اﻟﻣﻧﻬﺟﯾﺔ اﻷﺧرى، ﺗم ﺗطﺑﯾق ﻣﻔﻬوم اﻟﻧظرﯾﺔ اﻟﻔﻠﺳﻔﯾﺔ "اﻟوﺟودﯾﺔ" اﻟﻣﻘدﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻷدب اﻟﻣﻌﺎﺻر وﺗﺄﺛﯾرﻫﺎ اﻟداﺋم ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ اﻟﺣدﯾث ﻟﻺﺷﺎرة إﻟﻰ ﻛﯾﻔﯾﺔ ﺗﻌﺎﻣل اﻟﻣؤﻟﻔﯾن ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺻر اﻟﺣدﯾث ﻣﻊ ﻫذﻩ اﻟﻧظرﯾﺔ. وﻣﻊ ذﻟك، ﻓﻘد ﺗم إﺟراء ﻫذا اﻟﺑﺣث ﻟﻺﺷﺎرة إﻟﻰ ﺗﺄﺛﯾر اﻟﻣﻔﺎﻫﯾم اﻟوﺟودﯾﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ اﻟﺣدﯾث، وﻟﻔﺣص ﻛﯾﻔﯾﺔ اﺳﺗﺧدام اﻟﻣؤﻟﻔﯾن ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺻر اﻟﺣدﯾث ﻟﻬذا اﻟﻣﺻطﻠﺢ ﻓﻲ اﻷﻧواع اﻷدﺑﯾﺔ اﻟﻣﺧﺗﻠﻔﺔ، وﻹﻋطﺎء ﺗﻌرﯾف دﻗﯾق ﻟﻣﺻطﻠﺢ اﻟوﺟودﯾﺔ وﻣؤﻟﻔﯾﻬﺎ. وﺑﻧﺎءا ﻋﻠﻰ ذﻟك، ﻓﻘد اﺷﺗق ﻫذا اﻟﺑﺣث ﻣن دراﺳﺔ ﻋﻣﯾﻘﺔ ﻟﻠدراﻣﺎ اﻟوﺟودﯾﺔ واﻟرواﯾﺎت واﻟﻘﺻص اﻟﻘﺻﯾرة ﻛﻣﺎ واﻻﺳﺗﻌﺎﻧﺔ ﺑﺎﻟوﺳﺎﺋل اﻟﻣﺗﻌددة ﻟﻠﺣﺻول ﻋﻠﻰ ﺟﻣﯾﻊ اﻟﻣﻌﻠوﻣﺎت واﻟﺑﯾﺎﻧﺎت. وﺗم اﻟﺗرﻛﯾز ﻋﻠﻰ إﺣدى اﻟﻘﺿﺎﯾﺎ اﻟرﺋﯾﺳﯾﺔ وﻫﻲ اﻟﺗﻌﺎﻣل ﻣﻊ اﻟﻧظرﯾﺔ اﻟوﺟودﯾﺔ ﻛﻣﺷﻛﻠﺔ ﻋﺎﻣﺔ واﺟﺗﻣﺎﻋﯾﺔ ﺗرﻛت ﺗﺄﺛﯾراً ﺣﺎﺳﻣﺎً ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ اﻟﻣﻌﺎﺻر. وﻟﻘد ﺣﺎول اﻟﺑﺎﺣث اﻟوﺻول إﻟﻰ ﺑﻌض اﻻﺳﺗﻧﺗﺎﺟﺎت اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ اﻟﻣﻬﻣﺔ ﻋﻧد اﺳﺗﺧدام اﻟﻧظرﯾﺔ اﻟوﺟودﯾﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻷدب اﻟﻣﻌﺎﺻر. INTRODUCTION every action imply an environment and human According to Oxford Dictionary, existentialism subjectivity". Sartre(1945; p 18). However, the can be defined as a philosophical theory or radical objective of existentialism according to approach which emphasizes the existence of the Sartre's views can be stated as: it is strictly individual person as a free and responsible intended to indicate the connection between the agent determining their own development absolute character of the free commitment, by through acts of the will. However, which every man realizes himself in realizing a existentialism is a theory that is intended to type of humanity, a commitment that is always explain that humans are free and responsible for understandable by anyone in any era and the their own actions in a world without meaning. relativity of the cultural ensemble that many Additionally, Jean Paul Sartre who is regarded result from such a choice, in fact, this concept is as the most influential existentialist defines this regarded as the fundamental aim of theory as " is a doctrine that makes human life existentialism. Moreover, in the sense of possible and also affirms that every true and SUST Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies (2019) Vol.20.No. 4 December (2019) 20 ISSN (text): 1858 -828x e -ISSN (online): 1858-8565 Sudan University of Science and Technology Deanship of Scientific Research Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies another existentialist Soren Kierkegaard who meaning for his or her self. It is necessary and is considered as the father of existentialism important to study in detail the idea of thinks of existentialist concepts as " existentialism which exists in the absurd subjectivity is truth and truth is subjectivity" drama, novel, and short story of the 20th Hong Howard V. and Edna H. (1975; 253), century and its impact on the modern society. which has to do with the way people relate In fact, one of the most famous ideas of the themselves to truths. What he means by this is 20th century is lack of individuality. that most essentially, truth is not just a matter 1-2 Significance of the Study of discovering objective facts. While objective The reason why this study is significant can be facts are important, there is a second and more explained from an aspect that it will show how crucial element of truth, which involves how existentialism impact the modern society. The one relates oneself to those matters of facts. study is expected to contribute to the studies Since how one acts is, from the ethical in the field of literature. Thus, it is hoped to be perspective, more important than any matter of value and interest to all those who are of fact, truth is to be found in subjectivity concerned with literary studies. rather than objectivity. In Martin Heidegger's 1-3 Objectives of the Study perspective, existentialism emphasizes that 1. To investigate modern dramas, novels, and "the importance of authenticity in human short stories as existential critical genre. existence, involving a truthful relationship to 2. To explain the impact of existentialism our thrownness into a world which we are on modern society. always concerned with, and to our being – 1-4 The Existentialist Concepts as Being towards-death, the finitude of the time and Introduced in Literature being we are given, and the closing down of Existentialism is a term that can be defined our various possibilities for being through as a theory which has its own crucial position time" John Richardson (2012; 75)." in literature and philosophy. According to this Existentialism, therefore , may be defined as theory human existence and freedom have the philosophical theory which holds that a been highlighted. This term is generally further set of categories, governed by the applied for philosophers, psychiatrist, norm of authenticity, is necessary to grasp thinkers, and logicians since 19th century. human existence. To approach existentialism However, its main concern presents highly in this categorical way may seem to conceal debatable ideas and thoughts which generally what is often taken in to be its heart" emphasizes on individual's freedom, situation Kaufmann (1968;12). Finally, the term of human existence, meaning and purpose of existentialism encompasses all the terms life, responsibilities of making decisions. The which regard the nature of human situation main theme of these thoughts shed light on the and the philosophers who handle the issue of question of human existence, and on the idea existentialist concepts. that there is no meaning or purpose of human 1-1 Statement of the Problem existence, life is meaningless. Existentialism Existentialism deals with the recurring is considered to be as a philosophical problem of finding meaning within existence. movement and is treated as traditional From this perspective, there are no meanings philosophical treatise, so that it is studied and or structures that precede one's own existence. analyzed through how individual lives his life Therefore, the individual must find or create rather than a subject or material SUST Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies (2019) Vol.20.No. 4 December (2019) 21 ISSN (text): 1858 -828x e -ISSN (online): 1858-8565 Sudan University of Science and Technology Deanship of Scientific Research Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies which can be studied from books. It is not the question that arises here; whether his thought that many of existentialist thoughts motivations were personal or not. However, can be treated as main themes in literary the main theme is not who does it, but why it works such as novel, drama, and short stories. has been done. However, indeed most of existentialist No Exist( 1944) is a French play, its original thoughts have been introduced and explained title named "In Camera" indicating a in literary works rather than as a philosophical conversation behind closed doors. The story of issue, so that most of existentialists express the play starts with a valet guiding a man into and communicate their thoughts and ideas a room. Finally, he gets involved with two through literary works, that is the reason why women in that room. All these three characters most of existentialists have recourse to are supposed to be punished, but no torturer literature. Existentialist literature is generally shows up so that, they realize that they place a depiction of a hero of play, novel, or short there to torture each other. The quotation "hell story who lives in a chaotic and purposeless is other people", indicates Sartre's concepts conditions which imply him\her to create about the "look" and the perpetual existence, his\her own meaning in the world. The to see oneself from the sight of another existentialist literature reaches its peak consciousness. between 1900 and 1960 by such great authors Waiting for Godot (1953) by Samuel Beckett, like Jean Paul Sartre, Kafka, and Albert where two characters Estragon and Vladmir, Camus. It has been noticed that there are many waiting for the appearance of a thing named of crucial examples which indicate the "Godot", who ever appears to them. The story existential concepts through literary works, of the play incorporates a kind of themes such however, it can be intelligibly classifies as as, the meaning of one's existence, death and follows; life, religious issues, however, such kind of 1-4-a Drama themes indicates branches of the traditional Through drama works, there are many authors claims of existentialism. So that this play is whose existentialist thoughts have been considered to be one of the crucial example of expressed and permeate most levels of their modern existentialist plays. literary works. Jean Paul Sartre is a The Misunderstanding (1943) by Albert professional existentialist who introduces the Camus, the play is about a person who lives theory and writes considerable works on it in overseas for many years, when he returns back most of his literary works such as drama, he finds out his sister and mother work in a novel, and short stories.