Jean Paul Sartre
& the Existentialist Mojo
“The Existential Times” that’s the name of the newspaper. They don’t just write about the news, they make the news up as they go along. They do this for one reason, its way easier to make shit up, than it is dig deep and look at the facts.
“Sift through pages of notes, my ass! Who can know what the hell it all means anyway.” Says a Times reporter.
That was Jean Paul Sartre’s thing, too, just as it was with his existentialist philosopher’s pals. Not newspaper writing, but philosophizing and writing plays, and books and shit. This idea of philosophical existentialism, went something like this. Try as you might, study your ass off, and you’re still probably gonna get it wrong. Because, you got baggage, you see. You got predispositions about life and such. That’s called bias, and bias will kick your ass any day. Meaning, objectivity is just an illusion.
In other words, no matter how hard you try to be unbiased, bias will sink in through the cracks like psychic mildew. The next thing you know, you’ve got a spoor in your throat, and you’re dying of lung cancer.
Now, to me, this realization about personal bias sounds a lot like post modernism. Which, basically, makes the same arguments. You can’t set aside your predispositions, so don’t try.
Here’s where I depart from the fold and offer a little criticism. Science is a systematic way of approaching knowledge (or something like that.) And, as science the discipline, makes its way around the globe to become the world’s discipline, all manner of perspectives come into play, expanding the base and broadening our collective knowledge. Eventually, as the result, what once was understood one way, comes into clearer focus. Why? Because the database of human knowledge and experience is expanded and diversified. It’s still imperfect, mind you, but it’s better than before.
What have I learned on my journey?
That Jean Paul Sartre was a philosophical slacker? Maybe?
I also learned that writing because you feel the need to, is a good reason to write, but don’t expect world-beater revelations, as the result.
Sincerely - Bust 'a Crab
“Sift through pages of notes, my ass! Who can know what the hell it all means anyway.” Says a Times reporter.
That was Jean Paul Sartre’s thing, too, just as it was with his existentialist philosopher’s pals. Not newspaper writing, but philosophizing and writing plays, and books and shit. This idea of philosophical existentialism, went something like this. Try as you might, study your ass off, and you’re still probably gonna get it wrong. Because, you got baggage, you see. You got predispositions about life and such. That’s called bias, and bias will kick your ass any day. Meaning, objectivity is just an illusion.
In other words, no matter how hard you try to be unbiased, bias will sink in through the cracks like psychic mildew. The next thing you know, you’ve got a spoor in your throat, and you’re dying of lung cancer.
Now, to me, this realization about personal bias sounds a lot like post modernism. Which, basically, makes the same arguments. You can’t set aside your predispositions, so don’t try.
Here’s where I depart from the fold and offer a little criticism. Science is a systematic way of approaching knowledge (or something like that.) And, as science the discipline, makes its way around the globe to become the world’s discipline, all manner of perspectives come into play, expanding the base and broadening our collective knowledge. Eventually, as the result, what once was understood one way, comes into clearer focus. Why? Because the database of human knowledge and experience is expanded and diversified. It’s still imperfect, mind you, but it’s better than before.
What have I learned on my journey?
That Jean Paul Sartre was a philosophical slacker? Maybe?
I also learned that writing because you feel the need to, is a good reason to write, but don’t expect world-beater revelations, as the result.
Sincerely - Bust 'a Crab