Existentialism explained: We are condemned to be free | Sean Kelly and Lex Fridman

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Sean Kelly is a philosopher at Harvard specializing in existentialism and the philosophy of mind.

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[baTonkaTruck]

Great explanation. I take more to Camus’s existential absurd: “The only important philosophical question is whether or not to commit suicide.” And, my fav, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was, within me, an invincible summer.”

[jamessheffield]

William James: A man going down a road sees two churches on opposite sides of the road. One says church of determination, the other Church of Free Will. He goes into the church of Determination, and is asked why he wants to join, and answers, because I choose to, and is thrown out. He then goes into the church of Free Will and is asked why he wants to join, and answers because he has to, and is thrown out.

[josephmurphy]

The best quote I ever read from Existentialist literature is from Simone de Beauvoir. I can’t recall the exact piece from which I read it, but it’s about growing up and realizing that the edifices we build in our minds of our parents—as all-knowing and having “arrived” at adulthood and always being there to protect us—are false idols. We, at some point, realize that they have no more clue than we do once we reach a certainty point of maturity. She talks about that realization, and how scary and disillusioning it is.

[chriscarlone]

One of the major criticisms I've seen of the Existentialist philosophy proposed by Sartre and Beauvoir is that it puts too much emphasis on the individual and their ability to choose and shape their own destiny. A lot of free market libertarian philosophers also receive that criticism quite regularly: they tend to overemphasize the power of the individual and their ability to make choices as opposed to social systems and structures and institutions and what impact they have on shaping the individuals decision making. In other words, existentialism does not provide the individual with a framework to understand how and in what ways social institutions shape their decision making and their environmental conditions impact how they will turn out on a higher level.

I consider myself an agnostic but I subscribe to nihilistic existentialism by and large in many respects. I feel like I'm constantly just floating, or drifting in space, with nothing to grab onto even as I grow older.

What is there to live for these days in the wake of the destruction of cultures, neoliberal capitalism and hyper consumerism, family values and close interpersonal relationships being viewed as insignificant or having prices put on them constantly? Truly a terrifying time, existentialism did not provide the answers I think the human race needed these past forty to sixty years.

[vm]

With determinism while it does take away our responsibility it also gives us that same sense of responsibility right? You act as if you’re responsible and can’t deviate from that unless you were always determined to.

[marklesniak]

"OK, I'll give you that, but what happens if you choose non-choice and non-being?" - The Buddha (paraphrased)

[stevieb]

5:10 "If you haven't written your great book yet, you aren't a great writer"

[Issac]

Who is the artwork in the thumbnail by, or where may one find it? Thanks

[sagarpat]

Great video and quote, loved it, thanks Lex and Sean!

[vonBottorff]

This would exclude the fact that we're a social species and yes, you do/must play roles. If you take the _responsibility_ of copulation leading to parenthood, then you must play the _role_ of parent -- and no amount of Camus' relativism will get you out of that role. And of course _noblesse oblige_ in all of its forms is a role, literally the noble role. Evelyn Waugh made an excellent point when he described Lord Marchmain hating his childhood in _Brideshead Revisited_ saying we hate the feeling we were tricked into various myths as children. All atheists, nihilists, existentialists seem to me to be stuck as children still mad about being tricked, lashing out endlessly as contrarian as possible.

[GavSedae]

I understand what an existential crisis is!

[adelinaquijano]

I'm going one way never changes direction

[jetfigueroa]

Interesting and helpful topic as always

[sondorp]

A rock hitting the earth by accident is by no means anyone's responsibility. Maybe merely knowing the word 'responsibility' is the cause of anyone getting hurt.

[martingirard]

That is not a correct presentation of Sartre… existentialism is a moral philosophy…. It’s about acting like you are free and responsible. It’s in fact on some sense close to Harris. For Sartre, everything is outside, even one self.

[vmmovies]

Such a great fluid conversation. But also, is this guy really 71?

[zayn]

You guys need to read Ibn Sina and mulla sadra

[itsbeenwritten]

Smh they come up with idea upon idea but we can ALL say that only The Greater can create the LESSER...smh nobody gave God power nor can they take it by their imagination regardless how many men they move by Their Imagination...smh

Your responsibility is to dominate over the earth for good and not evil...

[reimannx]

The guest is all over the map throwing buzzwords. There are scholars who do a much better job articulating the movement's themes. It is hard enough to wade through the technical writings of heidegger and satre without this so-called expert mucking it up more.
Hubert Dreyfus of UC Berkeley, who passed away a few years ago, explained existentialism in an accurate, coherent, and clear fashion.
Search for him on youtube lecturing or giving interviews on existentialism.

[astral_debris]

This was difficult to listen to from someone who teaches existentialism. He made it so simple to the point of misinterpreting the ideas.