The Clintons have begun the ritual, claiming that HC lost not because of an inept campaign strategy or the appearance of the right candidate at the right time but because the press is sexist, the DNC cheats, etc. etc. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I have a series of taped lectures on existentialism and its title is revealing: NO EXCUSES.
No excuses. Shut up and own up. Amen.
I. Basic tenets of existentialism
A. Existence precedes essence (hence the name “existentialism”): there are no a priori (or pre-existing) conditions that guide or determine man’s behavior or essence. “Man is nothing but what he makes of himself” (Sartre 70: 14). ...
B. No appeal to a transcendental realm of values can sanction or justify our choices: ... We are alone, with no excuses” (71: 109-113).
C. “Man is anguish” (71: 75): man is condemned to be free. Part of the famous existentialist despair comes from man’s recognition of his fundamental aloneness in an indifferent universe (see B). But Sartre also argues that in making choices for ourselves and in assuming full responsibility for our actions, we are also choosing an image of what we expect everybody to be, and that sense of responsibility can be overwhelming and lead to despair (see 71: 78-92).
D. Existential humanism: as an ultimate assertion of free will, existentialism views man as solely responsible for his actions; indeed “man is nothing else than a series of undertakings” (72: 152-153). Sartre constantly criticizes the all-too human tendency to make excuses, which he labels mauvais fois or bad faith (e.g. “the devil made me do it;” “an upbringing in poverty turned me into a criminal;” “my parents were too lenient”—see Fiero 70). People who go through life in bad faith live an inauthentic, zombie kind of existence, never assuming responsibility for their freedom (see the two tramps Waiting for Godot); people who face the emptiness and accept responsibility aim to live “authentic” lives.
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