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Existentialism In The Fight Club

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“Life has no meaning … It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose.” This is an existentialist quote by Jean-Paul Sartre which helps to explain the beliefs of one who follows this philosophy. Existentialism is a complex philosophy emphasizing the absurdity of reality and the human responsibility to make choices and accept consequences. This philosophy was created during the second world war, when Europe found itself in a crisis of death and destruction. If one follows this philosophy then they believe that they have the power to determine the outcome of their life. There are six pillars of existentialism. First is existence precedes essences which implies that the human being has no essence or …show more content…

This is the belief that one can choose the life that they want to live. They do not have to listen to anyone who tells them what they should be. If a person has a goal in life, they should try their hardest to fulfill this goal and enjoy their life. In the movie The Fight Club, directed by David Fincher, Tyler goes into a convenience store and brings the clerk outside. He asks him what does he want to be. The clerk responds that he wants to be a veterinarian and then Tyler responds, “If you're not on your way to becoming a veterinarian in 6 weeks, you will be dead” (Fincher, The Fight Club). Tyler wants this clerk to be doing what he wants to do in his life. If he is not chasing his dreams then there is no point to be living, which is why Tyler said he will be dead if he is not practicing being a vet. Everyone has the freedom to do what they want to do in order to make them happy, and people must take advantage of this. This pillar is also used in The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka. “On the wall directly opposite hung a photograph of Gregor from his army days in a lieutenant's uniform, his hand on his sword, a carefree smile on his lips, demanding respect for his bearing and rank” (Kafka, 15). This shows how Gregor had no worries with his life and how he was happy where he was. He made the choice to join the army and those were his happiest days. Once he was done serving, he did not know what …show more content…

I do not think that people need to find a meaning as to why they are on earth. If you are enjoying your life by doing random things that have no meaning, then you should continue doing this. If you love your job no matter how much money or fame you get, then this is a happy life for you. You should never let anyone boss you around for the wrong reason and take advantage of you. You have the power to make your own choices and live your own life. I do believe the first part of what Jean-Paul said, “Life has no meaning,” but you do not need to find a meaning in order to have value in your

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The argument Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher, presents on existentialism helps to prove the foundation which is “existence precedes essence”. Existentialism is normally understood as an ideology that involves evaluating existence itself and the way humans find themselves existing currently in the world. For the phrase existence precedes essence, existence’s etymology is exsistere or to stand out while the term Essence means “being” or “to be” therefore the fundamental of existentialism, literally means to stand out comes before being. This can be taken into many different ideas such as individuals having to take responsibility for their own actions and that in Sartre’s case the individual is the sole judge of his or her own actions. According to him, “men is condemned to be free,” therefore “the destiny of man is placed within himself.”

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