Existentialemmings

[Atlas]

Sorry about the thread title.

I really haven't been an atheist for long and I've never had the need or desire to look at Existentialism in any depth. I'm sure at one time I considered atheism and Existentialism synonomous.

But I've always considered Existentialism in terms of the bleakness and meaninglessness of life because our ultimate fate is death.

Does Existentialism offer tools for the depressed facing the hopelessness of the human condition?

Are atheists de facto existentialists? Most atheists here seem empowered by the knowledge that they are not subjects of the so called God of creation. That is, life is beautiful, in and of itself. I didn't get that feeling from existentialism.

I probably won't reread the existential literature that I rejected in my youth when I had an eternal life to look forward to. I'm really looking to characterize the relation that exists (if any) between atheism and existentialism.

[apoger]

I'm really looking to characterize the relation that exists (if any) between atheism and existentialism.

On a foundation level... atheism, or lack of theism, has nothing to say about philosophy. I would say that I lack a belief in god because I have yet to encounter evidence that would convince me of a god's existence. Does such a statement make me an existentialist?

While some atheists may be existentialists, I see no reason why the two concepts must be connected.

[Mercutio]

For myself...I am an atheist, and I know nothing at all about existentialism. I am a pragmatist, if you want the philosphical label. OTOH, not knowing anything about existentialism, I do not know if it is incompatible with pragmatism...

[Yahweh]

Atheism.about.com - Existentialism (http://atheism.about.com/od/existentialism/) has a lot of information that you might find useful, Atlas.

[Ryokan]

"Life and love are life and love, a bunch of violets is a bunch of violets, and to drag in the idea of a point is to ruin everything. Live and let live, love and let love, flower and fade, and follow the natural curve, which flows on pointless."
— D.H. Lawrence

[c4ts]

Nietzche isn't bleak or meaningless. I suggest you start with Thus Spake Zarathustra.

[Atlas]

Thanks guys.

There were some interesting concepts for me presented on that website Yahweh. The one that shocked me was Christian Existentialist. Never expected to see those two words juxtaposed.

But as I thought about it, religion really is a strategy to beat the tragedy of life rendered meaningless by death.

And C4ts, it is the meaninglessness of life not of the philosophy or any philosopher that I was referring to. I think you took my meaning but because of your phrasing of your Nietzche comment I just wanted to make sure. I've never read any Nietzche but I always intended to get around to him. My prejudice and poor understanding of existentialism made it a low priority.

The word I've always most closely associated with "existential" is "angst." And so "angst" has become related to "existential"ism to me. And the study of existentialism never appealed to me because all it could do was conjur angst at the hopelessness and doom it sees awaiting us all.

Most of my life was spent in the belief that this existence was only a first stage preparation for the big show. My own existential angst was exacerbated by the teachings of hell. I just never recognized it as that before today.

Ryokan - that's a great quote. Presented with perfect timing for me.

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Atlas,
You may want to have a look at this:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22L%27existentialisme+est+un+humanisme%22&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
Then again, you may not. For my part, I'm with the wag (?Gilbert Ryle) who described Existentialism as the systematic abuse of the verb to be.
Regards.