Year 3 Week 3 Psychology
Existential approaches to Anxiety in critical moments
Existentialism is the study of
● Existence
● Subjects (people) versus objects (everything else - well maybe)
● What it means to exist as a (live) human
● WHat is the nature, value, and meaning of human existence
● Not a coherent, unified philosophy
● Characterised by themes and questions not well-packaged answers
Common beliefs
● We are part of a world much greater than ourselves
● We are ‘thrown’ into a world over which we have little control
● The world has ‘givens’ we cannot change
● We are in this world with other people
● In relation to others we define ourselves
● We have particular ways of making sense of the world, through language and ideas
● We are in search of meaning of purpose
● It is up to us to make our lives meaningful - live with passion
(van Deuren & Arnold-Baker, 2018)
One description
● Existentialists focus on individual, concrete human existence
● Our existence is different to that of other beings, objects, entities
● We are free and can choose what to make of themselves
● We are responsible for everything we do
● Anxiety is inseparable from our existence
● We have constrained freedom and we lack total control
● We can/must choose personal projects to pursue with passion
● Our existence is ambiguous - both limited yet transcendent
● Easy answers do not exist, but we need to understand our lives as they are
● Understanding and courage allows us to love authentic lives
(Bakewell, 2016)
Common themes
● Absurdity
● Meaninglessness
● Alienation
● Anxiety
● Responsibility
● Authenticity
● Passion/engagement
● Death
Existential approaches to Anxiety in critical moments
Existentialism is the study of
● Existence
● Subjects (people) versus objects (everything else - well maybe)
● What it means to exist as a (live) human
● WHat is the nature, value, and meaning of human existence
● Not a coherent, unified philosophy
● Characterised by themes and questions not well-packaged answers
Common beliefs
● We are part of a world much greater than ourselves
● We are ‘thrown’ into a world over which we have little control
● The world has ‘givens’ we cannot change
● We are in this world with other people
● In relation to others we define ourselves
● We have particular ways of making sense of the world, through language and ideas
● We are in search of meaning of purpose
● It is up to us to make our lives meaningful - live with passion
(van Deuren & Arnold-Baker, 2018)
One description
● Existentialists focus on individual, concrete human existence
● Our existence is different to that of other beings, objects, entities
● We are free and can choose what to make of themselves
● We are responsible for everything we do
● Anxiety is inseparable from our existence
● We have constrained freedom and we lack total control
● We can/must choose personal projects to pursue with passion
● Our existence is ambiguous - both limited yet transcendent
● Easy answers do not exist, but we need to understand our lives as they are
● Understanding and courage allows us to love authentic lives
(Bakewell, 2016)
Common themes
● Absurdity
● Meaninglessness
● Alienation
● Anxiety
● Responsibility
● Authenticity
● Passion/engagement
● Death
