Chart distinguishing
   the Human Condition from our Existential Predicament

THE HUMAN CONDITION
OUR EXISTENTIAL PREDICAMENT
1. descrip
-tion:		Intelligible, specific problems, 
each described 
in its own way; 		An unintelligible deeper Malaise,
without its own description;
it pretends to be an element 
of the human condition.

Psychologically definable.Free-floating, non-specific,
generalized, undefinable
2. cause:Caused by the objective
and recognizable 
facts of human life.		Uncaused; primordial;
not the result of any
part of the human condition.

Arises from the
sharable, public world. 		Arises within ourselves;
already exists inside.

Identifiable source.No recognizable source.

We know why.We don't know why.

Affects us in intelligible ways. Affects us in unintelligible ways.

Has a specific
channel of approach.		Has no channel of approach;
'from' everywhere and nowhere.

Intellectually perceived;
based on information.		Not rationally intelligible;
existentially disclosed.
3. duration:Each intelligible
problem is temporary. 		A permanent inner
state-of-being.

Lasts only as long as
its objective cause. 		A continuous Malaise;
a persistent Dilemma.

Comes and goes with 
changing life-situations;		Constant, no matter
what the situation;

may pass by; does not pass away;

reconstruction possible.no reconstruction possible.
4. scope:Each problem  touches 
only a few dimensions of life. 		All-embracing, pervasive,
comprehensive Problem;
floods everywhere.

Limited, isolatable, 
localized problem. 		Cannot be isolated.
Possesses our whole selves.
5. cure:Each problem can be met 
with appropriate
methods, responses,
and techniques. 		Nothing we can do, get,
achieve, or accomplish
will overthrow it;
psychological techniques useless.

 We know what to do.We don't know what to do.

Correcting the cause 
removes the problem;
we can cope.		Since there is no
cause to correct,
the Malaise continues.

    {This chart appears on the back cover
of the printed version of Our Existential Predicament.}

Return to the EXISTENTIALISM page.

Return to the beginning of this home page:
An Existential Philosopher's Museum .






The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.