P3+Kelley+V,+Charisse+W,+Chris+T++Daniel+S,+Mito+M,+Anthony+H

=﻿ Modernism, Existentialism, Fate, Free Will, and Freedom. =

Modernism

Kelley Van Voorst ** "It (the modern mind) believes that we create a world in the act of perceiving it. It implies a historical discontinuity, a sense of alienation, loss, and despair." -Allen Tate ** To be a modernist, one must elevate the individual and the inward over the social and the outward. One must prefer the subconscious over the self-conscious. Some characteristics of modernism are growing isolation caused by mass industrialization and alienation and experimentation. An example of isolation is mass industrialization, which kills the the individual worker and gives a sense of loss of identity. For experimentation and alienation, the Harlem Renaissance and Jazz Age are prime examples. Often, authors of modernistic writings turn "inward" for the subject matter and express bitter and often despairing cynicism. Modernists try to capture what psychologists call the "stream of consciousness"--- the flow of ideas, memories, and associations running through the human mind. Many ideals have sprung from the depths of Modernism, such as Existentialism Existentialism ﻿﻿  ﻿ Chris Treanor ** "Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present." -Friedrich Nietzsch ** Existentialism is a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will. Existentialists believe that the inner being is in control, and once someone knows what is right and wrong according to them, society can have no affect on their inner self-righteousness. Based on Modernism, Existentialists believe in a philosophy based on living life before attempting to define it. They state that existence (life) happens first, and through self creation and acts of freedom, essence (definition) is created. Existentialists, like Modernists, are aware that through their actions and beliefs of promoting and defining the individual however they wish, they will be alienated by society. They are aware that society will see them as different, and there will be feelings of loneliness, despair, and alienation. Existentialists follow four rules, which say that there is no such thing as fate, and that people are free toindependently and through this freedom they create their own definition of human nature and value. Existentialists are quick to throw out religion as viable, as they do not believe that there is a such thing as fate, or pre-determined life for anyone. Existentialists point out faults and hypocrisy present in religion. Famous Existentialist Friedrich Nietzsche warned about religion saying, "One must not let oneself be misled: they say 'Judge not!' but they send to Hell everything that stands in their way" (Existential Quotes).

Fate

Charisse Warsco "We create our fate every day we live."- Henry Miller Fate has various definitions. The main two definitions for fate can be interpreted in many ways, both negatively and positively. One is "the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power"(Dictionary.com). The other is "the course of someone's life, or the outcome of a particular situation for someone or something, seen as beyond their control"(Dictionary.com). Fate takes it role in all cultures throughout the globe. Mostly in the form of religion. People grasp on to what they believe is fate and thinking they have no way of personally controlling their future. Believing its all predestined. This is where fate takes its role in religion. It helps people cope with their fate. Instead of believing that they have the ability to control their lives, they put their faith into gods. And thus by them doing so, they have given up their free will and put thier life in the hands of fate. So what fate means truely is up for interpretation based on the persons beliefs. Fate is something we've made up to help ease the thought of death and an excuse to just blow through life without taking charge.

We shall create our own nature...

Kelley Van Voorst ** "Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of the two everlasting empires, necessity and free will." -Thomas Carlyle ** Free will, the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies. We, as humans, are thrown into existence first without a predetermined nature and only later in life do we construct our essence through our actions. We are radically free to act independently of determination by outside influences. We create our own human nature and values through these free choices. The idea and question of free will has been a focal issue since the beginning of philosophical thought. The basic principle of free will has ethical, scientific, and religious connotations. For instance, in religion, "free will implies that an omnipotent divinity does not assert its power over an individual will and choices. For ethics, it may hold implications regarding whether individuals can be held morally accountable for their actions" (wikipedia.org).

"We (Raymond and Meursault) stared at each other without blinking, and everything came to a stop there between the sea, the sand, and the sun, and the double silence of the flute and the water. It was then that I realized that you could either shoot or not shoot." -__The Stranger__ by Albert Camus, chapter 6. Freedom Chris Treanor ** “I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery.” ~Author Unknown ** Freedom is very similar to free will. Freedom is philosophically defined as the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without (Dictionary.com). Freedom in fact gives creation and meaning to free will. If someone is bound and enslaved, and cannot do what they believe in, then there is no room for free will. Once freedom is granted to an individual, free will is born. Freedom holds more than just philosophical meaning though, having strong implications in politics and economics. Freedom in politics is more often called liberty, which is freedom in a box. The reason governments grant liberty over freedom is because liberty allows freedom to exist with rules, while true freedom would be involve the absence of government and law so that the individual could be able to do whatever he/she pleased. Modernists believe that the human being is radically free and that if the inner being is elevated over the outer being then the person would know exactly what right and wrong is to them, resulting in freedom, not liberty.

Works cited:

//Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com//. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. .

"Freedom." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. .

"Freedom Quotes, Liberty Sayings." //The Quote Garden - Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses//. Web. 21 Aug. 2010. .

"Existential Quotes." Existential Therapy Homepage. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. .

Existential Notes from Shingler’s Class

Modernism notes from Shingler's class on 10 August 2010

"Free Will" Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. 17 August 2010. Web. 18 August 2010. []