Existentialism Peanuts Review How do we reconcile the

Existentialism & Peanuts

Review • How do we reconcile the notions of a world full of evil and suffering and a god who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and omnibenevolent? • Is free will the answer?

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Consider the following picture

What is Existentialism? • Existentialism: A philosophical movement that focuses on individual autonomy and the necessity of making reasoned decisions for oneself.

Existentialism and Human Existence • Rooted in the 19 th century, existentialism is a philosophical movement that became prominent in the 20 th century and remains an important force at the beginning of the 21 st century. • Existentialists concern themselves with human existence: the problems humans face and the place of humans in the universe. • The issues of despair, depression, anxiety, meaninglessness, and nothingness recur in existentialist writing.

Philosopher’s Perspective • In philosopher Soren Kierkegaard’s world, happiness and self-fulfillment are out of the question. Life is simply not conducive to pleasure and happiness. – Resisting existential angst is futile. Angst is a permanent, universal feature of modern humanity. • Because of this bleak vision, existentialists are often described as pessimistic and gloomy.

Philosopher’s Perspective • Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre did not agree that existentialism emphasized the darker side of human life. • He suggested that those who accused the movement of being too gloomy were frightened by existentialism’s emphasis on freedom and choice.

Philosopher’s Perspective • “Man will do nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities; without help, with no other aim than the one sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth. ” – Jean-Paul Sartre

So What? – Why are people alone? Because God does not exist. – Every person is “condemned to be free”.

Let’s review some terminology • Angst – dread, an inward emotion different than fear that manifests itself in continuous melancholy or sudden emotion • Authenticity – being something exactly as is named or described (existence precedes essence) • Bad Faith- deception of oneself; failure to be an authentic being

Terms continued • Freedom – condition that leads to both achievement and angst “condemned to be free” • Phenomenology - The study of all possible appearances in human experience, during which considerations of objective reality and of purely subjective response are left out of account

Sartre in a nutshell • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=qp. XNRrt uo 38

Good grief Charlie Brown! EXISTENTIALISM AND PEANUTS

Good Grief Charlie Brown!

Good Grief Charlie Brown! • From the dawn of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip, we can see that Charlie Brown’s questions are existential. • In strip one, Charlie sees himself as a drawing, he sees existence as some kind of an insult, “who made it? ”

Good Grief Charlie Brown! • A chief characteristic is grief, he nurses perpetual torment. • He fixes the drawing by adding a smile, acknowledging and acting on his own capacity to change and alter his preexisting state. • Alone with himself, he is not a happy child. When he adds a smile, he adds the boy he would like to be, or thinks he is. • He believes that change is possible, although he lives in a world that will not cooperate easily with him.

Existentialist Abandonment • Left alone to deal with life, Charlie Brown is full of yearning. – He quests for security, confirmation, but never receives it. – He is constantly left out. Not receiving Valentine’s cards or invites to parties. The little red headed girl wants nothing to do with him. – He is ALONE

Existentialist Bad Faith • No control over choices because of a false power. • Lucy is the high priestess of bad faith. – For example: Her constant pursuit of Schroeder, her love of Schroeder is an extension of this power play.

Existentialist Bad Faith • Linus objectifies bad faith. – He turns his need for security into a blanket, his blanket is the embodiment of security, an icon of bad faith.

Existentialist Bad Faith • Belief for Linus is comfort. For example: Waiting for the Great Pumpkin, he targets the materialism of Halloween. Schulz suggests we should sympathize with Linus. • He lures us into temptation of the Great Pumpkin, something greater out there, a greater being. And then the Great Pumpkin never comes. Linus has missed Halloween and is full of disappointment.

Existentialist Bad Faith • Another example of existentialist bad faith, is Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football. • Charlie Brown so desperately wants to kick the football. He constantly believes that this time will be it, Lucy will let him kick the ball. She never does.

Existentialist Bad Faith

Existentialist Angst • We can see the torture existentialist angst has over Charlie Brown and the gang. Their entire lives are highly stressful and pessimistic. • Here are some examples: – Self-loathing: • • • “I feel terrible, I hate myself…” – Charlie Brown “I weep for our generation” – Charlie Brown “Good luck with the world” – Lucy says to Linus “So long… Have a good day… Survive…” Linus says to Charlie “So what’s so much fun about a balloon? ” Sally asks

“So what’s so much fun about a balloon? ”

“I feel like I’m in the Roman Coliseum…”