Do we feel lonely, depressed,
meaningless, anxious, guilty, insecure?
For each of these psychological feelings
(which we can easily understand),
we will uncover a hidden existential
twin,
a much deeper problem that only seems
to be psychological:
Behind interpersonal loneliness,
we will discover existential loneliness.
Underneath psychological depression,
we will notice existential depression.
Beneath ordinary fears and worries,
we will perceive existential anxiety.
Below understandable pangs of conscience,
we will uncover existential guilt.
Underlying our ordinary fears of death,
we will discover ontological anxiety.
Likewise for: absurdity, meaninglessness,
the existential Void,
existential splitting, despair,
& insecurity.
OUTLINE:
THE HUMAN CONDITION
OUR EXISTENTIAL PREDICAMENT
1. descrip- Intelligible, specific
An unintelligible deeper Malaise,
tion: problems;
without its own description;
psychologically
free-floating, non-specific,
definable.
generalized, undefinable.
2. cause: Caused by the objective
Uncaused; primordial;
and recognizable
not the result of any
facts of human life.
part of the human condition.
Has a specific
Has no channel of approach;
channel of approach.
'from' everywhere and nowhere.
3. duration: Each intelligible
A permanent inner
problem is temporary;
state-of-being;
may pass by.
does not pass away.
4. scope: Each problem
All-embracing, pervasive,
touches only a few
comprehensive Problem;
dimensions of life.
floods everywhere.
5. cure: We know what to do.
We don't know what to do.
TRANSCENDING OUR MALAISE: EXISTENTIAL FREEDOM
A. Becoming Aware of our Existential Predicament.
B. Giving Up Self-Sufficient Efforts to Liberate Ourselves.
C. Existential Surrender.James Park is an existential philosopher. His longest book,
Our Existential Predicament:
Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, &
Death.
For more information about this book,
click these magic blue words:
Our
Existential Predicament:
Loneliness,
Depression, Anxiety, & Death.
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An Existential
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