Essay WVCS/ WVSS 221 The Great Conversation, ISBN: 9780190670610
15 views 0 purchase
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
All for this textbook (2)
Written for
North-West University (NWU)
WVCS/ WVSS 221
All documents for this subject (1)
Seller
Follow
amantlemathuloe41
Content preview
Amantle Mathuloe
31426646
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
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller amantlemathuloe41. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $11.29. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
