Refusal of Existentialism: A Philosophy that Denies the Validity of Existentialism
Anti-existentialism is a broad philosophical movement that opposes or critiques existentialist views on meaning, morality, human nature, and ethics. While existentialism emphasises subjective experience, individual freedom, and the absence of inherent meaning in life, anti-existentialism generally advocates for more stable or objective foundations for these concepts.
Meaning and Morality
One of the key differences between existentialism and anti-existentialism lies in their views on meaning and morality. Existentialists argue that life has no inherent meaning; individuals must create their own meaning through authentic choices amid an absurd or indifferent world. In contrast, anti-existentialism often stresses that meaning is either given (e.g., by religion, metaphysics) or derived from shared objective structures rather than subjective invention. Anti-metaphysical positions, such as empiricism and positivism, may hold that meaning transcends individual subjectivity, but they deny full metaphysical or existential comprehension.
Human Nature
Existentialism views humans as fundamentally free beings, lacking a predetermined essence; existence precedes essence. The human condition is confronting alienation, absurdity, and anxiety. Anti-existentialism, on the other hand, may embrace more fixed or essentialist views of human nature, proposing that humans have inherent characteristics or natures. Some philosophies argue for ontological or metaphysical realities about human beings that existentialism denies or suspends.
Ethics
Existential ethics is existential and situational, oriented around authenticity and individual responsibility without absolute foundations. Anti-existentialism, on the other hand, often approaches ethics as grounded in universal norms or objective truths about reality. For example, moral realism holds that ethical truths exist independently of human feelings or choices. Other anti-existentialist critiques come from metaphysical or religious ethics asserting pre-existing moral orders.
Key Philosophical Critiques of Existentialism by Anti-Existentialists
- Existentialism's rejection of objective or metaphysical foundations is problematic because it undermines stable meaning or morality and leads to moral relativism or nihilism.
- The emphasis on radical individual freedom overlooks communal, social, or ontological constraints on human nature and ethical life.
- Existentialism's focus on subjective meanings ignores the possibility or necessity of shared, objective ethical or metaphysical truths that can ground human life meaningfully.
Additional Context and Contrasts
- Some anti-metaphysical philosophies (like empiricism and pragmatism) reject the metaphysical claims of existentialism as inaccessible or meaningless, favouring practical knowledge or scientific explanations instead.
- Philosophical pessimism critiques notions of meaning and progress and emphasises futility or suffering but may differ from existentialism by positing a metaphysical negativity or lack of redemption.
- Existentialist figures like Sartre stress "being-in-the-world" (Heidegger), while anti-existential ontologies may emphasise relational or essentialist conceptions of being, including sociocultural or metaphysical grounding of personhood.
In sum, anti-existentialism challenges existentialism’s radical subjectivity and skepticism about objective meaning and ethics, generally advocating that meaning, morality, human nature, and ethics depend on or are constrained by objective, metaphysical, or social realities rather than purely individual freedom or choice.
Theists, Moral Objectivists, and Essentialists
Theists argue that a divine foundation for meaning is necessary for ethical consistency and psychological well-being, contrasting with atheistic existentialism. Moral objectivists argue that ethical truths exist independently of human beliefs, contrary to existentialism's subjective ethics. Essentialism argues that human nature is objective and unchanging, contrary to existentialism's view of radical freedom.
Other Philosophical Traditions and Applications
Anti-existentialist ideas are applied in various domains, including religious worldviews, philosophy, politics, and science. Stoicism, a philosophy developed by Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, rejects existentialist absurdity and emphasises discipline, virtue, and duty instead. Natural law theory asserts that moral principles exist objectively, opposing existentialist ethics that rely on individual choice. Communitarianism argues that humans are fundamentally social beings, shaped by communities and traditions, and that meaning emerges from relationships and shared values.
Anti-existentialism is rooted in various philosophical traditions, including classical theism, essentialism, rationalism, and objectivism. Anti-existentialists believe that responsibility extends beyond personal freedom to obligations towards family, culture, and society as a whole. Aristotle's essentialism contradicts existentialism's claim of no fixed human essence, arguing that everything has a specific nature and purpose.
In politics, political conservatism emphasises tradition, order, and collective responsibility, contrasting with existentialist individualism. This conservative perspective is aligned with anti-existentialist philosophies that prioritise objective foundations for meaning, morality, and human nature.
[1] Macquarrie, J., & Plant, C. (1994). Primer in Philosophy: A Text with Readings. Westview Press. [2] Sartre, J. P. (1956). Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology. Philosophical Library. [3] Solomon, R. C. (2003). The Passions: A History of the Emotions in the West. Oxford University Press. [4] Wallace, R. J. (1996). Moral Realism: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishers.
- Existentialism's rejection of a divine foundation for meaning is contested by theists, who argue that it is necessary for ethical consistency and psychological well-being.
- Moral objectivists argue against existentialist subjective ethics, maintaining that ethical truths exist independently of human beliefs.
- Essentialists, who argue that human nature is objective and unchanging, challenge existentialism's view of radical freedom.
- Stoicism, a philosophical tradition that developed from the works of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, refutes existentialist absurdity and emphasizes discipline, virtue, and duty.
- Natural law theory, which asserts that moral principles exist objectively, contradicts existentialist ethics that rely on individual choice.
- Communitarianism, which argues that humans are fundamentally social beings, shaped by communities and traditions, posits that meaning emerges from relationships and shared values, conflicting with existentialist individualism.
- Philosophical traditions like classical theism, essentialism, rationalism, and objectivism contradict existentialism, with the former often emphasizing objective foundations for meaning, morality, and human nature.
- Anti-existentialists believe that responsibility extends beyond personal freedom to obligations towards family, culture, and society as a whole.
- In politics, political conservatism, which emphasizes tradition, order, and collective responsibility, contrasts with existentialist individualism and aligns with anti-existentialist philosophies that prioritize objective foundations for meaning, morality, and human nature. (References: [1], [2], [3], [4])
