To Live or Not to Live: An Existential Dilemma

Abstract

No other philosophy considers the human condition as existential philosophy does. Like Hamlet in Shakespeare's play, human beings face an existential dilemma. We continually seek meaning in our existence. We do not choose to come into being, nor do we choose the problems we face. However, existentialism seeks meaning in the self and encourages the authentic realisation of the self through conscious effort. The fundamental problem of the existential movement is to spread knowledge of what constitutes life and living. The world appears to us in various ways and presents us with different challenges. Yet existentialism can give meaning to the place of individuals in a perplexing world. An existential view is an important component of living, as opposed to merely being alive. Many have lost hope in a world that has alienated individuals from themselves. To live involves an understanding of existentialism. In contrast, not living is not dying, but rather failing to identify and realise the self through conscious desire and will. The existential dilemma is not about coming into the world and leaving the world. The dilemma is about the decision to live passively or actively as beings in the world.