EPQ Presentations September 2023

Rejection of the concept of essence Freedom

EXAMPLES OF “APPLIED” EXISTENTIALISM

 The idea of praying for success

 Traveling

 Career choices

 Mortality

 Any aspect of self or religious reflection

 Promotes individuality

 Empowers and motivates individuals

 Self improvement

 Authenticity is promoted

 Values and principles

QUESTIONS

 Name the two key existentialist philosophers mentionned in the presentation.

 When did existentialism firstly emerge?

 Explain “the absurd” in an existentialist context.

 Name the most important branch of the philosophy.

EXISTENTIALISM

By Chrissie Aspden-Serrao

Framework

■ Human beings are responsible for themselves

■ Nothing is predetermined

■ “There is no reality except in action”

■ Existence precedes essence

Examples of the framework in practise

■ Hobbies

■ Freedom of expression

■ Travel and exploration

Strengths and Weaknesses of Existentialism

■ Liberating

■ Empowering

■ Individuality

■ Responsibility

■ Lack of structure

■ Can often be negative

Interactive Activity

■ Are existentialist principles present throughout our daily lives?

■ What is the meaning of ‘existence precedes essence’?

■ Who said “we are condemned to be free”?

■ What do you think is meant by ‘there is no reality except in action’?

■ https://thomas-oppong.medium.com/jean-paul-sartre-existence-precedes-essenceexperience-life-on-your-own-terms-21f2a09d32f5

■ https://ubyssey.ca/culture/existentialism-for-everyday -life/

■ https://helpfulprofessor.com/existentialism-in-education/

■ https://www.academia.edu/33977495/Strengths_of_Existentialism_Weaknesses_o f_Existentialism_Sartres_Theory_Appealing

Virtue Ethics

Who was this?

Aristotle!

What is Virtue Ethics?

• The 3rd approach

•

• Character Based

“The quest to understand and live a life of moral character”

Being Virtuous

• Acting in accordance with a virtue and being in the correct mental state

• One virtuous action, doesn’t make a person virtuous - Habits leading to choices

Habits

•

According to Aristotle, by honing virtuous habits, when faced with difficult decisions, we are likely to make the morally correct one

The Midpoint

Guide to live our life’s

• Contrasting other approaches – no specific rules

• Answers bigger question –

“What kind of life do I want to live” or “What is a good life” and “How can I be consistent in my moral actions”

When can this be applied?

• Virtue ethics can be applied to basically any decision

• Since it doesn’t have specific rules, it is always relevant

• Some examples are: Loyalty, Courage, Honesty, Respect, Friendliness and many more

Strengths and Weaknesses

• Can be hard to be consistent

• No rules to follow – can lead to inconsistencies

• Works on character development rather than following rules

Mini Quiz

1. Who was considered the developer of Virtue Ethics

2. True or False – When using a Virtue Ethic approach we choose an extreme

3. According to *the answer to question one* , what does one need to do to become virtuous

Social Contract Theory

• Born on the 28th of June 1712 in Geneva

• He was a philosopher during the enlightenment period

• In 1762, he published his work on social contract theory

• He advocated for popular sovereignty

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Framework

• Foundation of Social Order

• Mutual Consent and Obligations

• Philosophical Roots

• Legitimacy of Government

Examples in action

• Legitimacy of taxation

• Government Accountability

• Legitimacy of Public Education

Strengths

• Political Legitimacy

• Order and Stability

Weaknesses

• Assumption of rationality

• Historical Variability

1. The name of the philosopher

2. Where he was Born

3. One weakness of Social Contract Theory

The Hedonism Framework

What is it?

Achieving maximum pleasure and happiness is the ultimate goal of life

• Branch of Consequentialism

• Distinctions between consequentialism and hedonism

• People naturally seek pleasure and try to avoid pain

• Utilitarianism

Traveling

Many people go traveling to new places and try new activities seeking adventure and to experience a sense of adrenaline

Examples

Addictions

Some people find happiness through addictions such as drugs, alcohol and smoking. However, this can be argued to do more harm than good in the long term

Self-care

Relaxation activities such as massages, hobbies, spas, meditation and exercise can be a key source of pleasure for many people.

Encourages self-induldgence

The idea of seeking individual happiness is strongly encouraged

Pros to Hedonism

Flexible

No one way to follow, its adaptable and subjective

Simple and Straightforward Hedonism is easy for people to understand and use for themselves

Positive psychological impact

Helps to improve the individuals mindsets

Disregards other values

Other moral values such as honesty, generosity and justice aren't considered

Cons to Hedonism

May promote extreme behaviours

Dangerous, life threatening situations may arise due to extreme beliefs.

Lacks sufficient guidance

Doesn't give a guide on how to handle morally challenging decisions.

Very subjective

Something that may bring pleasure to one person may bring suffering to someone else.

Activity

1. What is the main principle of Hedonism?

2. What is the main difference between Hedonism and Consequentialism?

3. How are Hedonism and Utilitarianism connected?

4. What are some disadvantages of Hedonism?