Fannon and existentialism

Existentialism is about free will, individualism  the search for the true self and how society molds the way we act and what we do. This is displayed in 'The Outsider' by Albert Camus. We are shown the character Meursault who is seen as a stranger, detached, emotionally indifferent and is therefore described as a monster. He lacks emotion because he feels that there is no value to life, and nothing after life. He feel that when you die you die, it doesn't matter when this happens; therefore he is seen making strange decisions and seriously lacking in emotion when other people would be devastated at certain events such as the death of a parent or killing someone for no reason. He feels that human life is meaningless. When he has things explained to him such as why he is in prison he comes to terms and seems to accept the consequences for his actions. Others are confused by this and therefore he is seen an outsider. Camus agrees with the views of the character Meursault and says that he is a hero for his view on life and what he does in the book. The character is an outsider to society, its morals, beliefs and its structure and is therefore described as danger as a result of his lack of emotion and care towards the morals and norms in society.

Existentialists feel that there is no meaning to life and therefore make their own meaning. Neolist believe that there is no meaning to value to life at all.The future is the most important thing for existentialists, not the past or future. This view is the start of modernism and modern thinking in the 20th century, and Neolists are the next stage on from this. Instead of finding value in pointless life events, they find satisfaction in being individual and finding themselves. This is also seen as the Ubermensch or the over man and overcomes what has defined us as human before us defining who we are through the choices we make. Choice is crucial.

Being and time or Dasien is extremely important and influential to existentialists who believe that it will help us find out what it means to exist. However skeptics such as Hume felt that we would never know the world as it is. They also feel that we don't know our true selves and existence is about possibilities and choices not defined by society. Existentialists feel that the Das man self is the inauthentic self that is shaped and constructed socially. Our facticity is another term used which are parts of ourselves that are given to us and therefore not part of who we are and we cannot chose, such as being English, poor, our colour or our parents.  But existentialists also believe that these shouldnt affect our lives and should stop our individualism and who we want to be.

Trancedence is us recreating ourselves, defining ourselves by our choices and is the path to escape being a victim. By avoiding recreating yourself and accepting societies moral norms you are in 'bad faith', instead you should take responsibility for your own action and make change. In authenticity is bad faith