Philosophy Diaries, Volume I: Nihilism and Existentialism

Dante, Nihilism and Existentialism: the Dilemma of the Absurd

The second ledge of Dante’s ante-purgatory hosts souls who perished due to a violent death, and inevitably, Dante starts an extensive discussion on the movement of the absurd occurrence in human life, covering questions concerning the reason of the phenomenon and its origin. The poet states that the absurd is moved by ‘necessity’, partly alluding to the presence of chance; despite this statement, Dante doesn’t provide a definitive conclusion about the origin of the event and doesn’t lay out a clear thesis on its driving force (chance, fate, divine providence). He only declares that the solution to this mystery is to place trust in providence and put into practice our good will, which saves the soul from failure to repent in case of violent death. Not by any chance does the poet enhance the concept of vigilance in numerous chants of the Comedy. The matter of the absurd also appears in the VI chant, in the apostrophe to God in the long digression on the situation of Italian politics at the time:

E se licito m’è, o sommo Giove

che fosti in terra per noi crucifisso,

son li giusti occhi tuoi rivolti altrove?

O è preparazion che ne l’abisso

del tuo consiglio fai per alcun bene

in tutto de l’accorger nostro scisso?

In these tercets, in a moment of doubt and anguish due to Italy’s decay, Dante asks God if the evils and injustices which reigned in Italy at the time were sent by His will or were the result of His indifference to man, product of the lack of divine intervention in the world, therefore assuming the existence of another driving force in charge of the absurd, and the human tendency to discord (as suggested by Hobbes). Like so, Dante questions the presence of the absurd in the world once again (this time on a universal scale instead of particular), providing the term with a new connotation, equaling it to discord: war crimes, tragic innocent deaths, the degeneration of an empire, absurd universal events like these, do they have their own meaning, or are they completely arbitrary and uncontrollable?

During periods of anguish as in Dante’s time, the birth of such questions is spontaneous, naturally resulting in the immediate reaction of existential doubt and vacillation of faith. The philosophical currents of nihilism and existentialism (and absurdism) are based on this, supporting the idea which suggests the absence of an inherent meaning of life. Both springing from this general premise, the movements change route according to their own specific conceptions of human reaction before such truth, but no philosopher will answer Dante’s question; Nietzsche, for instance, states that the right reaction of man to the meaninglessness of life is the acceptance of its tragedy and ephemerality through artistic expression, which gives the possibility of catharsis and redeem. The philosopher theorizes, moreover, of a long lost balanced way of living, which ceded its place to western decadence: it’s the harmony between the Dionysian and Apollonian. It’s the balance between the intuitive impulse, the creative exhilaration which produces the acceptance of becoming (whose artistic expression is music), and rationality, order (whose artistic expression is sculpture). Through the course of history, the second philosophical impulse prevailed over the first, suffocating it and giving way to western decadence

, in which values contrary to life prevailed, thus atrophying vital energy. Sartre, on the other hand, wondered how to escape the absurd, and came to the conclusion that to act, man needs to possess responsibility and awareness, because man is the creator of essence. Everything is founded on the relation between existence and essence applied to mankind, according to which, subsequently to the inexistence of God, existence precedes essence; from these premises, Sartre deduces that human beings don’t have a predetermined nature (as for example an object, which is created according to pre-planned purpose), and therefore, they must commit to gain moral values during their life, to mould it and shape it as best they can. In fewer words, according to Sartre, the individual is the architect of their own destiny, along with humanity’s. According to Camus, formalizer of absurdism, life is a constant fight between human desire for order and the indifference of the universe; simply, one cannot fill their sense of void through the invention of an artificial meaning. Camus believed that to escape nihilism or suicide, an awareness and rebellion before the absurd is needed; and while this revolt doesn’t have the ultimate purpose of canceling the phenomenon, it permits the individual to live in the present with dignity.

It is evident then, that no interpretation finds clear and precise conclusions to Dante’s question, only circling around the man-absurd relation. One can understand, therefore, that they are faced with an unanswered question, a dilemma, which only generates further questions. In light of this, the sole verified statement in which one can confide is the following: life is absurd.

Introducing a New Series: Philosophy Diaries

Hello dear readers!

I haven't directly spoken to you since my very first introductory post, and I feel as though I should do it more often. Although there aren't many of you, I'd like to thank you for reading my articles, it means a lot to me; I don't care about numbers, so long as there is one person who enjoys reading my blog, I will be delighted and honored.

I'm writing to announce a brand new series; "Philosophy Diaries" will cover the main ideologies of philosophy and some of their core themes, the digressions will spring from any outer source which sparks curiosity and raises philosophical inquiries: literary writings, primary and secondary philosophical texts, and even some of my own reflections. The first volume will be dedicated to 'the absurd', a concept which I already explored briefly in the article about Kafka; the essay will decipher the connection between Dante, Nietzsche and Sartre, introducing nihilism and existentialism. I can't wait for you to read it!

I'll see you very soon, stay tuned :)

Love, 

Vittoria

Thoughts on Kafka's short story 'The Judgment': pacing, narration, and magical realism

Franz Kafka's The Judgment: A Perpetual Quest for Answers; or a Contemplation of Absurdity

Imaginary Scenario

"The flicker of the candle's flame illuminated the bare table slightly, creating a play of shadows on the walls confining the kitchen; the door to the yard showed a dark-tinted light from outside, so bleak it made me forget whether I should dine or have breakfast. The rain battered on the glass-door displaying the immitigable storm and the bright black, drenched soil; cold drops splattered on the door so harshly that, had the rain been blood-colored, a crimson mess would be staining the surfaces for evermore, leaving me testimony of a dire tragedy. A thunder echoed in the sky, an aggressive flash of white appeared and faded rapidly, I witnessed all this from the chair I sat in; the rain soaked the thousand and one thoughts that heavily burdened my mind, but each came from one: I had to free myself from the wicked heirloom."

On 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco

'The Name of the Rose': A synthesis of Aristotelic influence on the Medieval Catholic Church

Umberto Eco’s Il Nome della Rosa is considered to be one of the most illustrious pieces of contemporary Italian literature, and although it is commonly mistaken as a simple crime thriller set in the 12th century, the narration conceals a much deeper meaning than that captured in the façade of the story. In fact, the work presents a profound history that unravels a variety of paradoxes and controversial themes; it is a novel that encaptures mystery, ambiguity and fascination, combined with philosophical doubt and mysticism.

In 1327, tension arose within the Catholic Church due to the conflict between the new monastic orders regarding the reform of the doctrine. During that time period, Adso of Melk, a young novice and his preceptor William of Baskerville (an English Franciscan friar) are encharged by the Abbot of a Benedictine abbey in northern Italy with the arduous work of resolving the enigma of the unexplained assassination of one of the monks, Adelmo of Otranto. Within the span of the seven days in which the two stay in the abbey, the unfathomable happens: from peccaminous encounters and heretic discourse, to bloody murder and prohibited paths, William and Adso find themselves stuck in an endless labyrinth (quite literally). The narration, full of twists and turns, ends in tragedy, depriving the reader of a satisfying closure, but leaving them with a scarring doubt that will torment them for the rest of their life.

The author concludes the work by quoting the ancient book ‘De Contemptu Mundi’ written by Pope Innocent III, revealing the hidden message of the story and finally clarifying its title:

Est ubi gloria nunc Babylonia? Nunc ubi dirus / Nabucodonosor, et Darii vigor, illeque Cyrus / Qualiter orbita viribus incita praete-rierunt, / Fama relinquitur, illaque figitur, hi putruerunt.

By quoting these verses, which question the disappearance of the great Babylonia, Eco clearly explains the real meaning of his novel, introducing the theme of caducity and ephemerality of being. In the end, all things come to a conclusion, and the only things that will survive are our nude, empty names - as the famous latin phrase ‘Stat rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus’ implies.

I conclude by recommending the reading of this novel to whoever is passionate about Aristotle, Medieval Christian symbolism, mysticism and esoterism, but most importantly, I recommend this novel to whoever is searching for the experience of an existential crisis and is constantly craving an intellectual challenge.

Fragments of a Dream (Prose Poetry)

20/11/24 (8:52 PM) 

I dreamed of her once again; once again she was able to penetrate my dreams and lure me in with her bewitching eyes. In my foggy memory of such vision, I recall little of our impactful interaction in the realm of the mind, the only fragments of my remembrance resemble her gaze sparkling with light and her body radiating an angelic aura. Although I don't consider these flashes secondary, the one thing I remember best is the sensation of tranquility as I sunk into her arms. She embraced me delicately, as I instinctively leaned into her chest and flung myself at her as one would at their pillow. There was no noise, no outer distraction, no greater event apart from our embrace. The world had stopped holding its breath and had emitted a deep sigh of rest. Silence. The sole physical sensation proving I wasn't ascending into the unknown was my heartbeat, and the feel of hers, melting as music in my ears. Warmth and familiarity, inner peace and protection spread in my core. I felt guarded in my soul, surrounded by an eternal state of stillness.

On Writing with the Purpose of Sharing

The aspect of writing for a public with which I struggle the most, is the ability to “erase” the interlink between myself and my fruition, let it mold to others, according to their point of view, experience, and emotion, let others shape my words to their liking, in order for them to personally install a connection to the text, for it to become relatable.

Inexplicably, I find it really hard to disconnect from my creations, because, in a sense (in every sense possible), they have a little bit of me (the whole of me) in them. It would mean to alienate and abandon a part of myself which has been bound to me ever since it was born, leave to the judgement of others my fragile words, that are now no longer mine, but are possession of whoever reads them and connects with them. I find it difficult and nearly impossible, to share a text charged with personal sensations, and let others see through it, see through me. I myself am perhaps too afraid of seeing through me. This timidness, this extreme fear of feeling exposed, leads me to think that maybe, there are pieces of myself I should not share, because they might change the view others have of me, however, this is why I constantly push myself to do it. I force myself out my warm tavern of self-reassurance and acceptance, I let myself get hit by the outside cold.