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An Examination Of Soren Kerkkegaard's Notion Of Human Existence
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1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
What formed the scope of
this work stems eventually from what Kierkegaard applied in his effort
to ascribe meaning to human existence through authentic individuality.
This implies his ideas of the individual and the mode of the
individual’s existence. Also, the scope of this research covers
Kierkegaard’s existential philosophy, particularly on his notion of
human existence and, by extension, his thought as it affects the
contemporary man.
1.8 Organization of the Work
The work is
organized into four chapters. While chapter one introduces the work, it
also presents the background of the work states the problem,
aims/objectives, justification, significance, method, scope,
organization of the work and definition of some keys terms. Chapter two
reviews related literature, with specific attention to some other
existentialists’ views on human existence. Chapter three exposes the
main ideas of Kierkegaard as regards human existence. And chapter four
concludes the work by evaluating Kierkegaard’s idea of human existence.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Meaning of Human
Etymologically,
the English loanword from old French “humanâ€, ultimately from Latin
“humanusâ€, the adjective form of homo “manâ€. In common usage, the
species of the genes homo (anatomically and behaviourally modern homo
sapiens). It usage often designates differences between that species as a
while and any other group or entity. It is a synonym humanity which
could be refers to a specific individual of either sex.
DEFINING EXISTENCE
Existence
denotes the state of being alive or being real; the fact or state of
existing. In other words, existence denotes the continuance or
maintenance of life; living especially in adverse circumstances. It is
synonymous with life, being, duration, subsistence, reality, survival,
actuality, continuance, and continuation. In a nutshell, existence
implies man’s way of life, situation or life style.
What is Existentialism?
Existentialism
as a philosophical endeavour is seen differently from the perspective
of different philosophers. According to R. C. Solomon, existentialism:
“is
the explicit conceptual manifestation of an existential attitude–a
spirit of ‘the present age’. It is a philosophical realization of a
self-conscious living in a “broken worldâ€â€¦ a world into which we are
“thrown†or “condemned†yet “abandoned†and “freeâ€â€¦a world which appears
to be indifferent or even “absurdâ€â€¦â€ (ix)
This definition sees
existentialism “as an attitude which begins with a disoriented
individual, facing a confused world that he cannot accept†(Olawonyin
24). On his part, G. O. Ozumba sees existentialism as “the philosophy of
human existence…concerned with the individual in the uniqueness of his
existence. It therefore renounces reason, universality, abstraction and
objectivity in favour of privacy, particularity, randomness and
subjectivity†(87-88). Supporting this view, Idang (99) writes that “it
would seem, man with his problems, is the main focus of existentialism.
It is a manner of philosophizing, a way and manner of looking at the
world especially of man and his place in the universe.†For Aqulanna
(147) existentialism “is concerned with the ambiguities and paradoxes
that constitute the inner being of manâ€.
From the foregoing,
existentialism, generally, is a philosophical outlook that stresses
man’s predicament, and lay emphasis on man existence as an individual
rather than an abstract being.
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