DE Weekly: Camus, The Stranger, & Absurdism
“Maman died today.” This opening line from Albert Camus’s The Stranger is one of the most famous lines ever written by any of the existentialists. For good reason, too; it begins one of the best works of existentialist fiction, a story so important because of its mastery of Absurdism.
DE Weekly: Purpose, Happiness, & Cats
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about two things: purpose and happiness. Specifically, I’ve asked myself two questions: What is my purpose in life? And, how can I be happy with however my life ends up?
DE Weekly: Sartre, Hell, & No Exit
“There’s no more hope–but it’s still ‘before.’ We haven’t yet began to suffer” (Sartre 10). There have been countless memorable depictions of Hell over the millennia, but Jean-Paul Sartre’s unforgettable depiction of Hell in his play No Exit remains one of the best.
DE Weekly: Jack Symes, Panpsychism, & Consciousness
I’m constantly exposing myself to philosophical ideas that might inspire me to delve into more reading and learning. This week, I listened to two different podcasts featuring Jack Symes that did just that for me.
DE Weekly: Elvis, Searching, & American Tragedy
The ideas of existentialism aren’t limited to the stories told by the existentialists themselves. In fact, some of the best literature and other art that evokes existentialist ideas do so without even trying.
DE Weekly: Sartre, Being and Nothingness, & Pas Encore Vu
Besides being the preeminent existentialist philosopher, synonymous with the movement and at the forefront of its most emergent thinking, Jean-Paul Sartre also happens to be the author by whom I’ve read the most stuff (save maybe Camus).
DE Weekly: Welcome aboard
Hello, friends, and welcome aboard to the first edition of the Daily Existentialist Weekly newsletter (DE Weekly for short).