Nature Of Human Existence Research Articles

Research on the Relationship Between The Outsider and Existentialism

Abstract: As a masterpiece of existentialist literature, The Outsider occupies an important position in the literary genre and offers profound insights into the nature of human existence. Based on the literature review and qualitative analysis, this article explores the existentialist qualities of loneliness, alienation and free choice shown in The Outsider. The article affirms the work's inheritance of the existentialist literary tradition, by emphasizing the meaninglessness of individual existence, the weight of free choice, and the portrayal of a dystopian world. It also delves deeply into the evolution and innovation of existentialism, with a particular focus on narrative techniques and characterization. For example, it challenges traditional morality through the protagonist Meursault's indifference and employs a minimalist style to reinforce existentialist themes and enhances the communication of existentialist ideas within the text.

Understanding the psychodynamics of the pathway to suicide

This paper describes the current understanding of the psychodynamics of the pathway to suicide and argues that the limitations of current epidemiological and observational approaches often overlook crucial psychodynamic factors. It describes how an underlying vulnerability in the capacity to process emotions can lead to unbearable pain, where death is perceived as the only escape. The intense emotional states following life’s losses can then precipitate a profound division within the self. This internal split is characterised by a detached, destructive ‘perpetrator’ aspect and a vulnerable ‘victim’ aspect, with the former often overpowering the latter in the lead-up to suicide through suicidal fantasies of life after death. Drawing on data from various sources, including case studies, mental health audits, and coroner’s reports, the paper assesses the practical efficacy of understanding suicide through a psychodynamic lens. This approach aims to provide more effective intervention strategies, not just by preventing suicide but also by addressing the needs of those left bereaved, who often suffer from complex grief and an elevated risk of suicide themselves. By shifting focus from solely preventive measures to a deeper understanding of the underlying psychological mechanisms, this research advocates for a more holistic approach to suicide prevention. It calls for a shared philosophical inquiry into the nature of human existence and the existential conflict between the will to live and the impulse to die, suggesting that a more nuanced comprehension of these dynamics could lead to better support systems both for those at risk and those bereaved.

Humble AI for 22nd century medicine

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in medicine. We examine the current trends in the evolution of this role and attempt to understand how it may develop over the next two hundred years, as the very nature of human existence may be altered. We are concerned with weaknesses in the AI development and deployment processes, in particular with lapses in the use of AI evaluation methodology and in the tendency of both humans and AI systems to accept unquestioningly the conclusions reached by such systems. We posit the need for a “humble” AI aware of its own limitations and of the limitations of its ambit. Without serious attention to these aspects of AI, it may come to represent an existential threat to our species. We reference examples from popular culture to illustrate these concerns.

Free will: Philosophical views on the nature of human choice and limitations

The need to explore free will arises from continuous reflection and discussion about the nature of human existence and the ability of humans to make free decisions. This need is compounded by ambiguity in views and approaches to this concept and its meaning for various aspects of life. The examination of free will becomes relevant due to the need to understand the causes of actions, moral responsibility, and the possibilities of human influence on the world. This study was devoted to the disclosure of key aspects of free will through the analysis of historical and modern theories. In the course of the study, a literary analysis was involved, which included work with papers on related subjects. The conceptual analysis allowed defining and understanding the main concepts and terms of the subject under study. Comparative analysis was applied to the papers of other researchers who worked on the same or similar subjects to identify similarities and differences and determine prospects for future research in this area. The study shows that there are two main directions in this discussion: determinists believe that all events, including human actions, are predetermined, and compatibilists state that free will is compatible with determinism. The study provides a detailed analysis of deterministic and compatibilist concepts of free will. Arguments for and against free will, which indicate the influence of external factors on human choice, are considered. Through the analysis of historical and modern theories, the examination of various concepts and argumentation, this study identifies the main approaches to the interpretation of the concept of free will in the context of philosophical thought. The main results indicate the complexity and versatility of the concept of free will and the importance of considering various factors that influence human choice

Simile on sense of self, virocell and the COVID19 pandemic

The virocell concept of a viral lifecycle maintains that there are two main stages in a virus’s existence. The one is a passive state of a virion, which is not a living entity, and the second one is the virocell. In the state of virocell, a virus infects a host’s cell and hijacks its cellular machinery to achieve its own replication. Depending on the way that a cell reacts to a viral infection, it can have its activities or character as an individual living organism, suppressed completely, to some extent or not at all. In the article, the authors propose that there is analogy between the virocell theory as applied to the SARS-CoV-2 virus lifecycle and the sense of self for humans in the coronavirus pandemic world, and the post-COVID19 space-time. Methodology adopted is a combination of simile of Wittgenstein’s parallel cases, autoethnography, the virocell concept of the SARV-CoV-2 lifecycle and a multi-individual nature of one’s self based on the principles of the assemblage theory. The nature of human existence and the sense of self is defined as a relational notion which is tied to the societal educational standards, phases of developments of a human being and their fluid sense of self. The COVID19 pandemic space-time provides, in fact it demands that humanity undergoes an ongoing education of itself to maintain a productive and resilient movement forward for self and society, as an equivalent of the ribovirocell of a human cell infected with the coronavirus. The notion of speed will have to be unpacked and investigated further, which is done in part in a follow up article and is anchored as the defining characteristics of the post-COVID19 world.

A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Lamaze Method in terms of Labour Pain Perception, Anxiety and Progress of Labour among Primi Mothers in active first stage of Labour

Background: Natural childbirth is a beautiful experience. Women dream of the perfect birth with less pain. But severe pain is a phenomenon embedded in the very nature of human existence. Though experiencing pain during labour is a universal feature of childbirth, the degree of pain perception can be reduced using many simple, effective, low cost non-pharmacological methods which also helps in improving labour progress and patient satisfaction. The concept of painless child birth gave rise to many scientific discoveries and research findings. Among that Lamaze method is one, which prepares mother for child birth and to tackle Labour pain. Objective: The objective of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of Lamaze method in terms of pain perception, anxiety and progress of labour among primi mothers in first stage of labour admitted at Christian fellowship Hospital, Oddanchatram. Method: The research design used for the study was quasi experimental nonequivalent control group posttest only design. The sample size was 60 samples. Out of which 30 were in experimental group and 30 were in control group. The Samples were selected by using Non probability purposive sampling technique. Primi mothers at their term was selected and was given antenatal teaching on “Normal labor process and non-pharmacological labour pain management” in antenatal OPD for about 30 minutes. The same primi mothers who attended teaching were selected for experimental group during their labour period. During the first hour of active first stage of labour Lamaze intervention of visual stimuli was provided by showing natural sceneries during each contraction for the second hour auditory stimuli was provided by making the mother to listen to light music by using ear phone. During the 3rd hour of active first stage of labour abdominal effleurage stroke was done during each painful contractions. Followed by that hot water bag application on the sacral region was provided and was continued till delivery. Primi gravid mothers who did not undergo Lamaze teaching and interventions were selected for control group. Posttest was done on both experimental and control group after four hours of active stage of labor to assess the level of labor pain perception, the level of anxiety and progress of labor by using Universal pain assessment scale, modified Max Hamilton anxiety rating scale and Labor progress assessment scale. The level of satisfaction on Lamaze method among experimental group was assessed by using Likert scale on satisfaction of Lamaze method. Total time taken to perform posttest in both groups was 30 minutes. The gathered data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results: Independent “t” value for level of pain perception was 16.08(table value=2.001) which was significant at P<0.05 level. The independent “t” value for level of anxiety was 5.08(table value=2.001) which was significant at P<0.05 level. The independent “t” value for progress of labour was 9.86 (table value=2.001) which was significant at P<0.05 level. Regarding the level of satisfaction on Lamaze method of experimental group all 30(100%) primi mothers were adequately satisfied. There was no significant association existing between pain perception, anxiety and progress of labour with demographic variables such as age, education, occupation, monthly income and residence except for pain perception and demographic variables such as religion (χ2 = 45.44) and family type (χ2 = 4.33) among experimental group. The study findings revealed that Lamaze method was effective in reducing labor pain perception, anxiety and promote labour progress among primi mothers in active first stage of labour.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL CREDO OF CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION

The paper delves into an analysis of how humanity is portrayed within the expansive realm of science fiction. Recognizing the genre's unparalleled ability for world-building, the study examines science fiction as a cultural artifact that mirrors societal values, fears, and aspirations. It investigates how the genre adapts by analytically modeling shifts in human viewpoints in alignment with scientific theories and technological progress. Within the landscape of science fiction literature, the human subject takes on a complex role, serving as a vessel for cultural, ethical, and ontological exploration. Through narrative and speculative frameworks, the genre probes the transformative forces affecting human experience and physiology, while consistently emphasizing the enduring essence of humanity. The paper meticulously explores the role of the human subject in science fiction, outlining how the genre provides a nuanced investigation set against a backdrop of scientific and socio-cultural evolution. It contends that although science fiction stretches the limits of human experience, it invariably maintains a fundamental core of humanity, aligning itself with the broader objectives of anthropological study. Contemporary science fiction thus serves not only as a lens for scrutinizing the anxieties and hopes about humanity's future but also as a platform for speculative inquiry into the very nature of human existence.

IDEOLOGICAL IMPACT ON SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS (BEGINNING)

This article examines the actual aspects of the influence of ideologies on the social life of the entire modern society and on its individual members. The author attempts to provide a theoretical and methodological justification for the answers to the following questions: what do scientists understand by political ideology? how to research ideology scientifically? how is it possible to identify different ideologies? what role do individual ideological doctrines play in politics? In order to answer these questions, the article provides a scientific analysis of the nature and essence of ideology, the specifics and forms of expression of individual ideological doctrines, their impact on public consciousness and social behavior. Numerous discussions about the essence of ideology are reduced to a dispute about the truth or falsity of the set of ideas that is designed to control, including manipulative, mass consciousness and behavior. Nevertheless, there are also objective, value-neutral approaches to this phenomenon. The complexity of an adequate interpretation of ideology is due to the fact that it varies between political theory and political practice, representing a synthesis of fundamental and operational levels, the level of "thought" and the level of "action". The objective, scientific study of ideology, first of all, can be greatly facilitated by the fact that within the framework of ideology as a specific form of public consciousness, integral and relatively autonomous systems of political thought – "political ideologies" function. Within the framework of various political ideologies, a holistic and at the same time specific set of attitudes has been developed regarding the essence of the relationship between the individual and society, society and the state, positions in relation to traditional and modern social institutions. At the same time, they always rely on classical theories of political philosophy. The article provides a detailed analysis of the key constructions of the ideology of classical liberalism, as well as critically examines the neoliberal constructions that, in the author's opinion, led to the transformation of liberalism into a totalitarian dogma of the fundamentalist kind. Following liberalism, conservatism is analyzed, which, like liberalism, is based on a specific set of ideas about the nature of human existence and social life, borrowed from the classical concepts of political philosophy, which form its theoretical core. A differentiation is made between conservative constructions that have been developed in Western Europe and the USA, with their emphasis on aggressive foreign policy, and Russian conservatism, reflected in the works of outstanding Russian social scientists – M.N. Katkov, K.N. Leontiev, L.A. Tikhomirov, K.P. Pobedonostsev, who substantiated their ideas about the existence of the state, the functions of power, about morality and human freedom in line with a conservative worldview. In addition, the conclusion is substantiated that it is the conservative, or rather, moderately conservative ideological doctrine that contains a set of ideas that most fully reflect the geopolitical, economic and social realities of Russia, the peculiarities of its spiritual and cultural tradition

‘AMA 앞에 선 인간’의 본질적 윤리성

The purpose of this study is to reveal the “responsibility” of humans in the face of the emergence of “Artificial Moral Agent(AMA)” within the AI ecosystem. The AMA replace human functions and sometimes threaten the status and nature of human existence. The commentator approaches this phenomenon on an ontological level by distinguishing between the AMA and humans. In this study, Dewey’s instrumentalism is a framework for understanding the AI ecosystem. Based on this, the human-AMA relationship is summarized as follows. First, interactive relationships from a factual point of view, second, predominantly species relationships from an ontological point of view, and third, from a functionalist perspective, the humans and AMAs are roles as managers and practitioners, respectively. The key here is that within the AI ecosystem, ‘the human’ is the center of responsibility. Specifically, the realization of this responsibility should be envisioned in three main directions. First, efforts to realize human existence at the ethical level, second, maintenance of the system for the implementation of responsibility that takes into account ethical coherence at the level of science and technology, and third, cooperation at the ethical level and the science and technology level. Through these efforts, we will be able to stand tall as “the human beings in front of the AMA.”

ГНОСЕОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ДИЛЕММА ЭМПИРИЧЕСКОГО И РАЦИОНАЛИСТИЧЕСКОГО ПОДХОДОВ В ИССЛЕДОВАНИИ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ВРЕМЕНИ

Cognition of time is one of the fundamental tasks of philosophy and science. We can say that the progress of society was to a large extent ensured by the acquisition of the idea of time by mankind. Without the knowledge of time, neither the economic nor the spiritual life of society would be feasible. For the economic life of society, time is periods of work in the field of agriculture, the establishment of work regimes, etc. For the spiritual activity of people, time is the “historyˮ of society, cultures, civilizations, the regulation of traditional rituals, holidays, the secret of life, death and immortality of people, etc. If the economic life of people makes a demand for the knowledge of time, due to the nature of human existence that striving for cognition of time itself, for the purpose of spiritual enrichment, without being mediated by pragmatic demands, is one of the secrets of the human mind. Philosophy is that specific form of cognition that ensures the satisfaction of a person's need for knowledge of the essence of the world and its existence in time, the essence of the temporal existence of society and man and the essence of time itself. The article examines the study of time that has developed in the philosophical tradition in the aspect of epistemological alternatives to empiricism and rationalism. The analysis of the concepts of time given in the works of modern thinkers is given. A variant of the nomological concept of time is proposed and substantiated.

Kafka’s “Frightened Mouse”

Abstract Existentialist doctrine and neo-Sufi Arabic poetry share the conviction of the worthlessness of human existence – strangeness, alienation, wondering about the meaning and purpose of life, and deep depression after the tragic nature of human existence are imprinted on the character of man by the very nature of his humanness. Two short literary texts, one by the Austrian novelist Franz Kafka (1883–1924) and the other by the Egyptian poet Ṣalāḥ ʿAbd al-Ṣabūr (1931–1981), deal with such topics of the human existence presenting a new original vision. A mouse is the central figure of both of them. Despite the worthlessness of human existence, both texts offer some kind of hope and spiritual quest, a salvation in which death could be the gate to true life.

From Vulnerability to Precariousness: Examining the Moral Foundations of Care Ethics

ABSTRACT The ethics of care addresses aspects of the human condition that other moral theories overlook—our vulnerability to injury, inevitable dependencies, and ubiquitous needs. In the grip of these experiences, we require care from others to survive and flourish. The precarious nature of human existence represents a related experience, one less thoroughly explored within care ethics. Through examination of these occasions for care, this article offers two contributions: First, a map of the conceptual relations between care ethics’ four key concepts: need, vulnerability, dependency, and precariousness. As a subset of these efforts, I investigate the relevance of precariousness and precarity for care ethics by asking what they require of caring relations that vulnerability does not. Second, a more precise articulation of care ethics’ normative foundations and accompanying elucidation of the alternative vision of moral responsibility care ethics advances. Examining need, vulnerability, dependency, and precariousness through the lenses of finitude and embodiment exposes two common forms of conflation: between precarity and vulnerability and between dependency and vulnerability. Analysis of the moral significance of the body as a site for care reveals a novel portrayal of the normative foundations of care ethics and the reasons why we care for one another ethically.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF PRAGMATISM AND PERSPECTIVES OF SOCIO-HUMANITARIAN REDESCRIPTION OF ANALYTIC METHODOLOGY

Purpose. The paper is aimed at studying the specificity of anthropological problematics in pragmatism from the perspective of its ability to be the source of analytic philosophy evolution in the socio-humanitarian direction. Theoretical basis of the research is determined by the works of the representatives of classical pragmatism (C. S. Peirce, W. James, J. Dewey, F. Schiller), neopragmatism (W. V. O. Quine), post-pragmatism (R. Rorty) and analytic pragmatism (R. Brandom). Their works give a clear understanding of the important place of anthropological searches in the theory of pragmatism. Originality. On the basis of the analysis of logical, epistemological and metaphysical ideas formulated by representatives of pragmatism, it is proved that pragmatic methodology is anthropocentric. It is established that the ideological and social foundations of pragmatism can be determined as pluralistic ones due to the attention to the human person. It is revealed that theoretical and methodological searches of pragmatism can be effective in the formation of the socio-humanitarian concepts in analytic philosophy through the specification of strategies for the cognition of human existence in such terms as experience or self and the development of practical ways to justify the truth of knowledge. Conclusions. Pragmatists criticized impersonal, formal thinking, which cannot be an effective means of cognition. Thinking has a social basis and is entirely personal. Justifying its dependence on the socio-cultural sphere and the internal intentions of the subject, it is possible to develop an effective logical theory that operates symbols not only at the syntactic or semantic level but also takes into account the pragmatic aspect of language. Anthropological problematics is also important in the theory of knowledge, the core of which is the notion of pragmatic belief, which enables truth and religious beliefs, since the foundation of the theory of truth is determined by the principle of humanism, and the truth is interpreted as a value orientation. Knowing the external world, we find in it the similarity with us – that’s why the metaphysical foundations of being, according to pragmatism, are personified, and the methodology is defined in anthropomorphic terms. Applying it, the study of human existence is specified in the analysis of psychological and socio-cultural dimensions of such concepts as experience or self. Attempts to comprehend the nature of human existence in pragmatism are empirically grounded. Appealing to science, methodological pluralism, the search for socio-cultural background for thinking and suitable linguistic forms of expression of human experience are the achievements of pragmatism, which are the basis for the socio-humanitarian redescription of analytic methodology.

Pedagogika wobec problematyczności bytu ludzkiego. O konfliktach w życiu człowieka

The purpose of the article is to outline the problem of widely understood conflicts in human life from the perspective of existential philosophy. Without questioning the importance of psychological research on complex mechanisms underlying conflicts, the author points to the issue of the problematic nature of human existence, the category of freedom, the problem of the authenticity of being and the sense of meaning. In the second part of the paper, the essence of educational process in the context of experiencing difficulties and conflicting situations by human beings has been introduced. The necessity of taking into account the problem of being oneself and constituting a human being in relation to himself, the world and others has been presented.

Hubungan Disiplin Belajar dengan Kemandirian Belajar Siswa

Independence is a directed process because the development of independence is in line with the nature of human existence, the direction of development must be in line with and based on the goals of human life. But the reality in the field there are still students who have low learning independence, there are still many students who are low in the desire to compete to advance for their own good, less able to make decisions and initiatives to overcome problems, lack self-confidence in doing their tasks, and lack responsible for what he does. Independence of learning is the ability of students to realize their desires and take initiative in determining the learning activities such as formulating learning goals, learning resources (either in the form of people or materials) to diagnose learning needs and control the learning process without the help of others and one of the factors that influence it is student learning discipline. This study aims to determine the relationship between disciplines of learning with students' learning independence in Padang 2 Public High School. This research is a descriptive correlational research with quantitative methods. The total sample of 245 students was selected using the Simple Random Sampling technique. The research instruments used were learning discipline questionnaires and student learning independence questionnaires. The results of the study revealed that (1) the discipline of learning students in SMA Negeri 2 Padang was in the good category. (2) the learning independence of students in SMA Negeri 2 Padang is in a fairly good category (3) there is a significant relationship between the discipline of learning and student learning independence in SMA Negeri 2 Padang. Based on research findings, it is recommended that school counselors / counselors be able to provide guidance and counseling services, namely information services and individual counseling services in order to help students who have problems with learning independence.

Critique of Axiological Reason: Why the Idea of Values has Achieved the Totality in Modern Culture

The article deals with the question of applicability limits of the Value Theory in cultural studies and validity limits of contemporary value-based consciousness. This limit is set by differentiating between the Good and the Value; the difference was clear to ancient Greek and medieval philosophers, and the necessity of acknowledging which is returning to the philosophy today. The Good exists independently, it is a source of life and, therefore, supposes gratitude; values and evaluation come into question when “there is choice and its declination, when it is up to us to choose between action and inaction”. But the fact is that collective consciousness is now dominated by axiological rationality. Gnoseologically, the characteristic of this rationality is the substitution of the classical idea of truth by evaluation. Contemporary philosophy sees the question of how these or those Values emerge as a field of the critical analysis. No prominent school of philosophical thought places critical importance on Values, but Values are regarded as derivatives from various foundations: interests of a social class or a group, structures of the unconscious, language or communication logic, the nature of human existence, the sense of being. Consequently, axiological reason is seen as mythologically “naive”, which is also a reverse side and a victim of cynical reason. Theories, that attempt to define Values as foundations of the culture, reflect naivety of collective consciousness. Their major theoretical drawback is of the same nature: they oversee the difference between the Value and the Good. The author analyzes the essence of culture from the hermeneutical point of view, according to which culture is based on comprehension of meanings constituted by language, and Values are just what meanings manifest themselves through.

The Place-Being of the Clearing and Language

I elucidate Heidegger’s understanding of the “place-being” of the “question of being.” My premises are: 1) Heidegger’s “question of being” can be appropriately made sense of as the “question of language.” 2) The “question of language” requires a topological approach that looks into the link between the place-nature of language and the open-bounded essence of human existence. First, I explain the topological underpinnings of Heidegger’s later thought of being as the clearing and language; second, I examine Sheehan’s phenomenological reading of Heidegger by focusing on the relationship between alētheia and appropriation (Ereignis). In the first section, I explain the correlation between place and language within the context of the “question of being” and display how understanding the former is crucial in having a more complete perspective for the latter. In the second section, I examine Sheehan’s acknowledgment of Heidegger’s idea of place (topos) in his understanding of the nature of human existence in relation to Ereignis, while criticizing the “metaphorical” reading of the “placebeing” of the clearing.

The Productive Body

This essay aims to correct the widely-held view that Arendt is hostile to the body due to its physical needs. By focusing on two modes of corporeality that are distinguished by the production of bodily substances—the digestive body and the crying body—I argue that Arendt (1) deployed various notions of corporeality that thematize, in different ways, the uncontrollability our bodies; and (2) argues for the affirmation of this unmasterablity because it corresponds to the conditioned nature of human existence. Firstly, Arendt criticized the Greek, narcissistic aspiration toward physical beauty, exemplified in the figure of Achilles, for its attempt to subjugate the digestive body to a preconceived end—a criticism that equally applies to Connolly’s plea for strategically altering our affects. Secondly, Arendt’s appreciation of Homer’s description of a crying Odysseus shows that the acknowledgment of events constitutive of one’s life consists in a publicly visible somatic reaction.

Transhumanism as Lens for Economic and Social Development

Transhumanism is a philosophical worldview so driving that in some circles, it might almost be called a religion. Transhumanist belief holds that the rushing integration of humans and machines is inevitable and it moves to deeply alter the nature of human existence. Transhumanists believe that, properly harnessed, such integration can become a force of ultimate good. Reaching dominance in the technology sector, transhumanism's tenets and predictions have begun to drive the actions of multinational companies such as Google. If technology is left to take its current path, what are the plausible outcomes? How does the accelerating pace of technology stand to change the world's economy and the lives of average citizens? What risks (economic and ethical) are there to the fulfillment of transhumanist ideals by corporate powers, and how might they be mitigated? This dissertation makes no claim to a concrete solution, but raises the issues which are beginning to confront modern business and political leaders, and will only grow in the future. It implores such leaders to look further, and to make preparations to employ the advances to come to their best advantage, and to the best advantage of the world.

Understanding Kant’s Ethics

The paper discusses Kant's view concerning the nature of human existence. Its point of departure is Kant's "Antinomy of practical reason", where Kant confronts between the metaphysical and empirical aspects of human existence. Kant's discussion of this issue continues in "Critique of the aesthetical judgment", where he considers the aesthetic experience as a synthesis between these two aspects of human existence. At the end, the paper compares between Kant's view and Kierkegaard's idea of the different spheres of human existence for clarifying Kant's existential view, which is implied in his texts but does not appear as an explicit thesis in his writings.