Existentialist Anarchism

Existentialist Anarchism
"And those who were seen dancing were deemed insane by they who were deaf to the music."
Basic Information
Aliases	ExAn Anarcho-Existentialism AnEx Kurzgesagt Anarchism Anarcho-Kurzgesagt
Alignments	LibUnity Anarchists Post-Left
Ideological Influences
Influenced by	Anarcho-Egoism Anarcho-Individualism Continental Philosophy Existentialism Jewish Anarchism Philosophical Anarchism
Influenced	Neo-Marxism Acid Communism Anarcho-Transhumanism Post-Anarchism
Ideological Information
Notable Theorists	Max Stirner (1806-1856) Germany José María Vargas Vila (1860-1933) Colombia Georges Palante (1862-1925) France Martin Buber (1878-1965) Austria-Hungary Franz Kafka (1883-1924) Austria-Hungary Herbert Read (1893-1968) England Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) France Albert Camus (1913-1960) Algeria/ France Todd May (1955-) USA
Variations
Schools of Thought	Albert Camus Thought Anarcho-Syndicalism Anarcho-Pacifism European Federalism Libertarian Socialism Humanism World Federalism Absurdism Franz Kafka Thought Anti-Elitism Jewish Anarchism Kafkaesque Libertarian Socialism Socialism Herbert Read Thought Anarcho-Egoism Philosophical Anarchism Jungianism Jean-Paul Sartre Thought Stalinism Activism Anti-Colonialism Anti-Fascism Anti-Khrushevism Anti-Racism Anti-Anti-Communism Humanism Pacifism Libertarian Marxism Neo-Marxism Phenomenology Revolutionary Progressivism Guevarism (Sympathetic) Marxism–Leninism (Sympathetic) Mao-Spontex (Sympathetic)
Character Information
Likes	Anti-Depressants Philosophy Absurdism
Dislikes	Extreme violence Social structure Harmful social constructs
Song	Eine Sylvesternacht The Moon My Burden is Light The Cure - One Hundred Years Mojo Nixon - Feeling Existential

Existential Anarchism, also known as Anarcho-Existentialism or AnEx, is a Post-left ideology that believes a truly Individualist society is only possible through the realization of existentialist philosophy. It could be seen as a reflection of Anarcho-Nihilism that has a more positive outlook on life.

Variants

Satrean Existentialism

Sartrean Existentialism, also known as Jean-Paul Sartre Thought is a philosophy based on Jean-Paul Sartre. Every human tool is made with given essential. Chair for example, is made with essential, to make people sit on it. Human, however is not made with given essential, thus existence precedes essence. Human who has no essential must choose and act according to his own preference, which would later make his own new identity. Sartre originally did not appreciate the term 'existentialism', but he accepted the term not long after.

Sartre was an atheist and an anarchist, and claimed to be marxist, even though there's no evidence that he actually read Marx.

Radical Freedom

The basis for Sartre's philosophy is radical freedom. Freedom in the sense of Sartre is not to be without shackles, in fact, he sees shackles everywhere, but rather, the ultimate existence of choice within our subjective experience. Now Sartre is not one that simply ignores deterministic arguments and makes the dominant proposition that the individual is free, but rather cites his basis for freedom in lived subjectivity. Groups such as the post-structuralists critique the entire notion of subjectivity, and Sartre agrees with some of their critiques, but says it would be dogmatic to ignore the lived subjectivity we are feeling right now. Sartre says that for subjectivity to exist it must be differentiated from the flow of life, there must be a separation. This is where Sartre deviates from Heidegger in his theory of the subject and of freedom, as Heidegger asserts that the feeling of subjectivity can only come with that being being united with that outside of it, i.e. being in the world, dasien. Thus to Sartre, no matter what external forces one is subjected to, one is always free to choose. If one is in prison, one can attempt escape. Sartre is not saying that that would be a logical choice, but it is a choice, hence freedom in the Sartrian sense.

Bad Faith And Responsibility

From this freedom, from this complete control of all of our actions, one is faced with complete responsibility for everything in one's life. Sartre, being a Marxist, says that the proletariat are subjected by the bourgeoisie, yet he still says the Proletariat is responsible for where they ended up, not for being subjected, yet they still are responsible for the choices that led them to the present moment. It is similar to Kierkegaard's conception of either or, one has choice and will be responsible and thus regret no matter what one does. This view has led many Marxists to critique Sartre, citing material conditions as a driving force rather than human subjectivity. Sartre in his later years would become less radical in this position, becoming more Marxist, yet still holds the view that the individual has radical responsibility. Now the individual, faced with this radical freedom, may choose to deny their freedom, to simply accept that this is the way that things are. Sartre calls this phenomenon bad faith. Now Sartre completely understands why one would do this, saying that man is condemned to be free, yet says that one must face this freedom and responsibility in order to fully realize themselves authentically. An example of bad faith is the waiter, discontent with their current job. The waiter accepts that this is simply how it is and that they are condemned to a life of monotony. Instead of taking steps to lift themself out of their situation, they deny their freedom and accept their place in life. Sartre calls this a pinnacle example of bad faith. This is one of the reasons Sartre is so critical of religion, as it denies ones freedom and instead makes everything in god. This is the same reason he is critical of determinism. Camus holds a similar view, that of philosophical suicide, that many have cited to be one of their simularities.

Phenomenology And The Subject

Sartre, especially in his early years, was a phenomenologist, a discipline established by Husserl and further popularized by Heidegger. Despite being heavily influenced by these two, his phenomenology differed heavily. Husserl said that to be conscious, one must be conscious of one's consciousness. Sartre agrees with this, yet not in the way that Husserl formatted it. Instead, Sartre says that even if one is conscious in the usual sense, unless one is aware of themselves they are not truly conscious. Now this when first heard can seem ridiculous, obviously I am always conscious of myself, one refers to oneself all the time. When one talks, one almost always says I or me, etc. Yet Sartre would ask that objector if one ever is aware of what I even means, what it implies. When someone says I, one is always never thinking of I's content, it is an empty signifier. Instead of being conscious, one is enthralled in the other, oneself is another. Only when one realizes that I am me and that I am here does one become conscious. Now Sartre's phenomenology really emphasizes this enthrallment, what Heiddegger calls fallingness. Nothing is this more present than in the look. The look is when one is abruptly pulled out of this enthrallment, when one suddenly sees oneself as an object. Sartre says that this is caused by the presence of another individual, that when they gaze at oneself one suddenly sees oneself from their gaze.

Existence Precedes Essence

When one thinks of Sartre, one usually thinks of this. This is because this is the fundamental belief of Existentialism, to which Sartre is a major figurehead. The traditional view of essence, held by thinkers such as Plato, is that one is born with an inherent purpose and essence. Sartre calls this view essentialism. Instead of this, Sartre proposes that one is born and only after does one formulate a purpose and a view of oneself. One creates oneself through their actions, with every action contributing to a view of oneself. Along with this, Sartre says that in this rather meaningless world one can create their own meaning, their own essence. This is in line with Sartre's view of radical freedom and responsibility.

History

Existentialist Nihilism as a philosophy was created around the 19th century. Though not directly stated by Max Stirner, the idea of Existentialism having a grounds for anarchism came about through the writings of Max Stirner and Friedrich Nietzsche. Before the Second World War, when existentialism was not yet in name, Franz Kafka and Martin Buber were among these thinkers who were also anarchists. Both are today sometimes seen as Jewish existentialists as well as Jewish anarchists. These philosophers were the leaders in the Existentialist Anarchist movement. In the 21st century, philosophers have introduced the idea of Optimistic Nihilism, which closely represents a view of Existentialism that views we’re not doomed to live in a meaningless universe–it’s that we get the chance to experience ourselves and the universe we share. This 21st century view of not only Nihilism, but Existentialism is becoming increasingly popular, and is shown in the scope of politics through political theorists like Evan Stoller.

Personality and Behavior

Specializing in aggressively pensive stares, Existential anarchism doesn't utilize any emotions other than a quiet depression.

While they enjoy debate they strictly only do so on a respectful and peaceful level, usually opting out almost immediately if the other side becomes aggressive.

Existential Anarchism strives to find their own individual meaning and tends to love profound talks about life. ExAn also tends to be quite philosophical and can be seen giving lessons to people about the philosophies of Maslow, Nietzsche, Camus, or Sartre.

How to Draw

Flag of Existentialist Anarchism

1. Draw a ball
2. Draw a wave like shape then make another and rotate it 180 degrees so the flag becomes vertically symmetrical
3. Fill the left side with blue and the right side with black
4. Draw white lines on the curves of the wave shapes then add lines that curve in from the center
5. Draw two shapes that look like the top and bottom half of an hourglass in white.
6. Finish with the eyes!

Color Name		HEX	RGB
	Blue	#CFE7FF	207, 231, 255
	Black	#141414	20, 20, 20
	White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255

Relationships

Friends

• Anarcho-Egoism - "It is saying that man is the reality—not even man in the abstract, but the human person, you and I; and that everything else—freedom, love, reason, God—is a contingency depending on the will of the individual. In this respect, existentialism has much in common with Max Stirner's egoism." Herbet Read.
• Post-Leftism - Another Anarchist that doesn't rely on the Left.
• Post-Anarchism - Criticizes classical anarchists for assuming an objective "human nature" and a natural order, which existentialism also objects to.
• Neo-Marxism - Jean Paul Sartre was a Marxist.
• Acid Communism - Optimistic Nihilist. Also R.I.P.

Neutral

• Religious Anarchism - How can you be so pious in the face of undoubtable proof that God lies dead, what more am I not seeing?
• Anarcho-Nihilism - We both like to talk about about the nature of existence, but don't you want to deal with meaninglessness?
• Objectivism - You found your happiness, so good for you... but you are quite literally a walking contradiction...
• Anarcho-Capitalism - I can have interesting talks with him about individual rights, but he is a free market fundamentalist.
• Soulism - You also believe that life is without objective purpose, but why believe in spiritual universe?
• Illegalism - Morality is made up and shouldn't exist, but extreme violence isn't good either.

Enemies

• Assigning someone/something as an enemy of the self is nothing short of obscene.

Further Information

Literature

Existential anarchism doesn't have any devoted theory to it, but has been mentioned by Max Stirner in The Ego and His Own. Existentialism as a separate theory is explored in the works of philosophers such as the Søren Kierkegaard, who is regarded as being the founder of existentialist thought as a whole. It is important to note however that Kierkegaard himself was not an anarchist and in reality was rather conservative.

• Either/Or: A Fragment of Life by Søren Kierkegaard
• Untimely Meditations by Friedrich Nietzsche
• Anarchism and Individualism Georges Palante
• Existentialism, Marxism and Anarchism by Herbert Read
• Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre
• The Rebel by Albert Camus
• What Is Life? And the Politics of a Utopia Vol. 1 by Evan Stoller

Wikipedia

• Existentialist Anarchism
• Existentialism
• Anarchism and Friedrich Nietzsche

Videos

• Смешарики - Смысл жизни (Smeshariki - The Meaning of Life)