Essay WVCS/ WVSS 221 The Great Conversation, ISBN: 9780190670610
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Course
WVCS/ WVSS 221
Institution
North-West University (NWU)
Book
The Great Conversation
Compare and evaluate two worldviews/philosophies discussed in this study unit. In your response, you must address the following:
1. Explain what a worldview and a philosophy is
2. Describe Nietzsche's nihilism and Sartre's existentialism.
3. Formulate a critique on a worldview from Nietzsche'...
PHI 1010H First 4 weeks Textbook and Lecture Notes
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WVCS/ WVSS 221
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Amantle Mathuloe
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Contemporary worldviews & philosophers: Friedrich
Nietzsche’s nihilism and Jean-Paul Sartre’s
existentialism
Introduction
As humans, to some extent we all feel the need to believe in something other than ourselves, it
could be a higher-power, a set of generally accepted values, beliefs or even an entity. I believe that
by doing so that grounds us or makes our life more meaningful. However, there are people who
challenge the beliefs that are already there and some who even come up with their own. In this
writing, I will be comparing and evaluating some worldviews/philosophies out there, specifically
Friedrich Nietzsche’ s nihilism philosophy and Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialism philosophy. I will also
look at how these specific philosophies can be used to critique the Christianity worldview.
what is worldview and what is philosophy?
Worldview
According to Olthuis (1987:2) a worldview or vision of life is a set of important beliefs that we use to
perceive the world and our mission and our future in it. This vision might be so adopted so much so
that it goes generally unchallenged; through cultural-historical development this vison might be
generally improved ; It may not be openly developed into a methodical conception of life; It may not
be hypothetically developed into a philosophy ; It may not even be arranged into a credal method.
However, it is a channel for the definitive beliefs which give life meaning and direction. It is the
standard by which reality is achieved and followed, the integrative and interpretative agenda by
which order and disorder are arbitrated.
Philosophy
According to Durant (2009:2) Philosophy is a theoretical understanding of the unknown (as in
metaphysics), or of the imprecisely known (as in ethics or political philosophy), it Is the front trench
in the stage of truth. In essence philosophy is a pursuit that people take when they want to
understand themselves or the things around them better. One can use philosophy to explain,
question or even support some worldly accepted beliefs or truths.
Description of Nietzsche's nihilism and Sartre's
existentialism.
Nietzsche’s nihilism
“Nihilism, according to Nietzsche, is the consequence of the fact that God and all eternal truths and
standards become unbelievable. The highest values devalue themselves. ‘’ (Gillespie, 1995) I do
believe that Nietzsche feels that God does not exist. That he might be something that was created by
humans just so order can be established and just so man can find comfort in knowing that a higher
power exists even through their suffering. In simple terms he does not believe in anything and he
feels that whatever values or beliefs or entity they believe is merely idolisation.
Sartre’s existentialism
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