Literature and Philosophy: Exploring Fundamental Questions About Existence (A Slightly Unhinged Lecture)
(Slide 1: Title slide with a picture of Rodin’s "The Thinker" scratching his head in confusion)
Professor: (Strolls dramatically to the podium, adjusts oversized glasses, and clears throat with theatrical flair) Good morning, class! Or, perhaps more accurately, good morning to you poor souls who have willingly subjected yourselves to a course that will inevitably lead to an existential crisis. Don’t worry, I brought tissues. And maybe some chocolate. You’ll need it.
Welcome to "Literature and Philosophy: Exploring Fundamental Questions About Existence!" This isn’t your typical dry, dusty lecture hall experience. We’re not just going to regurgitate Kant and Shakespeare; we’re going to wrestle with them, poke them, and maybe even make them fight each other in a philosophical cage match! (Disclaimer: Actual cage matches are unlikely, but the intellectual sparring will be intense!)
(Slide 2: Cartoon image of a brain exploding with question marks)
Professor: So, what are we actually doing here? Well, we’re embarking on a journey to understand the big questions. The really big questions. The ones that keep you up at 3 AM wondering if you’re just a brain in a jar being fed simulations of reality. You know, the fun stuff!
Why Literature and Philosophy? They’re like peanut butter and jelly for the soul.
Think of philosophy as the blueprint, the rigorous logical framework for exploring these grand ideas. It provides the tools – logic, epistemology, ethics – to dissect and analyze. Literature, on the other hand, is the playground. It’s where these ideas are brought to life, embodied in characters, woven into narratives, and seasoned with emotion.
(Slide 3: Image of peanut butter and jelly sandwich)
Professor: Philosophy provides the what, literature provides the how. Philosophy is the skeleton, literature is the flesh, and together, they give us a (hopefully) living, breathing understanding of what it means to be human.
Okay, Let’s Get Down to the Existential Nitty-Gritty!
Let’s break down some of the key existential questions we’ll be tackling this semester. Prepare for your brain to hurt. But in a good way, I promise. (Maybe.)
(Slide 4: Table showcasing key existential questions)
| Question | Philosophical Domain | Literary Examples | Why It Matters (In Plain English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the meaning of life? | Existentialism, Absurdism | Hamlet (Shakespeare), The Stranger (Camus), Waiting for Godot (Beckett) | Are we just cosmic accidents hurtling through space, or is there a grand plan? If there’s no inherent meaning, do we have to invent our own? This is the big one. The one that keeps you from sleeping at night. The one that makes you question your life choices (like taking this class!). 😵💫 |
| What is the nature of reality? | Metaphysics, Epistemology | The Matrix (film), Alice in Wonderland (Carroll), The Truman Show (film) | How do we know what’s real? Is reality objective and independent of us, or is it shaped by our perceptions and experiences? Could we be living in a simulation? Are cats secretly running the world? (Okay, that last one might be a stretch… maybe.) 🤯 |
| What is the relationship between free will and determinism? | Philosophy of Mind, Ethics | Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky), Minority Report (film), Frankenstein (Shelley) | Are we truly free to make our own choices, or are our actions predetermined by factors beyond our control? If our actions are predetermined, does that mean we’re not responsible for them? If so, can I blame my poor exam performance on my DNA? 🤔 |
| What is the nature of consciousness? | Philosophy of Mind, Neuroscience | Flowers for Algernon (Keyes), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Dick), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Bauby) | What does it mean to be conscious? Is consciousness merely a product of brain activity, or is there something more to it? Can machines become conscious? What happens when consciousness is altered or impaired? Basically, are you really you? 👽 |
| What is the good life? | Ethics, Moral Philosophy | Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle), Brave New World (Huxley), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde) | What constitutes a fulfilling and meaningful life? Is it happiness, virtue, knowledge, or something else entirely? Should we strive for pleasure, or should we prioritize moral duty? And, more importantly, does eating an entire pizza count as a good life? 🍕 (Philosophical debate pending.) |
| What is the nature of identity? | Philosophy of Identity, Social Philosophy | Invisible Man (Ellison), Orlando (Woolf), Fight Club (film) | What makes us who we are? Is our identity fixed and unchanging, or is it fluid and shaped by our experiences and social contexts? How do race, gender, class, and other social categories influence our sense of self? Am I just a collection of memes and Spotify playlists? 🤷♀️ |
Professor: See? Fun, right? (Nervous laughter) Don’t worry, we’ll unpack all of this in excruciating detail throughout the semester.
Now, Let’s Dive into Some Examples (With a Dash of Literary Mayhem!)
(Slide 5: Image of Hamlet holding a skull)
Professor: Let’s start with the big kahuna: The Meaning of Life! Or, as Hamlet so eloquently put it: "To be, or not to be, that is the question." (Dramatic pause for effect)
Ah, Hamlet. That angsty, brooding prince. He’s basically the poster child for existential dread. His father’s murdered, his uncle’s a snake, and he’s wondering if it’s all worth it. Sound familiar? (Maybe not the murder part, hopefully).
Hamlet grapples with the futility of existence, the corruption of the world, and the uncertainty of the afterlife. He contemplates suicide, not because he’s necessarily depressed (although, let’s be honest, he probably is), but because he’s questioning the point of it all. What’s the point of enduring suffering if there’s no inherent meaning or purpose?
(Slide 6: Excerpt from Hamlet Act III, Scene I)
To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep—
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.Professor: He’s basically asking: Is it better to keep fighting the good fight, even when it’s painful and exhausting, or is it better to just check out and be done with it? Tough question, right? And Hamlet doesn’t have an easy answer. He waffles back and forth, paralyzed by indecision.
Philosophy Connection: Existentialism
Hamlet’s existential angst resonates with the philosophy of existentialism, particularly the works of Søren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus. Existentialists believe that existence precedes essence. In other words, we are born into the world without a predetermined purpose or meaning. We are free to create our own essence, to define ourselves through our choices and actions.
But with this freedom comes responsibility. We are responsible for creating our own meaning in a meaningless world. And that can be a daunting task!
(Slide 7: Image of Albert Camus)
Professor: Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, argues that life is absurd. We are constantly striving for meaning and purpose in a universe that is indifferent to our efforts. Like Sisyphus, who is condemned to eternally roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down again, we are engaged in a futile and repetitive task.
But Camus doesn’t despair. He argues that we should embrace the absurdity of life and find joy in the struggle. We should rebel against the meaninglessness of the universe by creating our own values and living authentically.
So, the next time you’re feeling like Sisyphus, just remember to appreciate the view from the top of the hill (even if it’s just for a few seconds).
(Slide 8: Image of a blurry, distorted image of the world)
Professor: Now, let’s move on to another mind-bending question: What is the nature of reality? Buckle up, because this one gets weird.
Think about The Matrix. Neo is living what he believes is a normal life, only to discover that he’s actually plugged into a computer simulation. The reality he knows is a lie.
This raises some profound questions. How do we know that what we perceive as reality is actually real? Could we be living in a simulation without even knowing it? Is there a "real" world outside of our perceptions?
(Slide 9: Excerpt from The Matrix (film))
Morpheus: What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.Professor: Morpheus lays it out pretty clearly. Our experience of reality is based on sensory input that is processed by our brains. But what if that sensory input is manipulated or fabricated? What if our brains are being tricked?
Philosophy Connection: Skepticism and Idealism
This question is central to skepticism, a philosophical tradition that questions the possibility of certain knowledge. René Descartes, in his Meditations on First Philosophy, famously uses the "evil demon" thought experiment to illustrate the problem of skepticism. He imagines a powerful demon who is constantly deceiving him, making him believe that things are real when they are not.
Descartes concludes that the only thing he can be certain of is his own existence, because even if he is being deceived, he must exist in order to be deceived. "Cogito, ergo sum" – "I think, therefore I am."
(Slide 10: Image of René Descartes)
Professor: But what about the world outside of our minds? Is there an objective reality that exists independently of our perceptions? This is where idealism comes in. Idealism is the view that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual. George Berkeley, an 18th-century Irish philosopher, argued that "to be is to be perceived." In other words, things only exist if they are being perceived by someone.
So, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? According to Berkeley, the answer is no. The tree only exists because it is being perceived by God.
(Slide 11: Image of a person in a cage)
Professor: Let’s consider the interplay between free will and determinism, a philosophical tug-of-war that’s been going on for centuries. Are we truly the authors of our own destinies, or are our actions simply the inevitable outcome of a chain of cause and effect?
Think about Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. Raskolnikov, a destitute student, murders an old pawnbroker. He believes he’s justified in doing so, that he’s an "extraordinary man" who is above the law. But after committing the crime, he’s wracked with guilt and paranoia.
(Slide 12: Excerpt from Crime and Punishment)
“I only killed a louse, Sonya, a useless, loathsome, harmful creature.”
“Is that a right thing to kill? Is that right?”Professor: Did Raskolnikov freely choose to commit the murder, or was he driven by his circumstances, his poverty, his philosophical beliefs? Was he a victim of determinism, or was he responsible for his actions?
Philosophy Connection: Determinism vs. Libertarianism
The debate between free will and determinism is a complex one. Determinism is the view that all events are causally determined by prior events. This means that our actions are not truly free, but rather the inevitable consequence of a chain of cause and effect.
Libertarianism, on the other hand, is the view that we have genuine free will. We are capable of making choices that are not determined by prior events. We have the power to choose our own actions and create our own destinies.
(Slide 13: Image of a brain with glowing synapses)
Professor: Now, let’s talk about consciousness. What is it? Where does it come from? And why do we have it? These are questions that philosophers and scientists have been pondering for centuries.
Consider Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Charlie Gordon is a mentally disabled man who undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. As Charlie becomes smarter, he begins to understand the world in new and profound ways. He develops a sense of self-awareness, and he begins to question his place in the world.
(Slide 14: Excerpt from Flowers for Algernon)
"How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibility, who would not take advantage of a man born without arms or legs or eyes--how such people think nothing of abusing a man born with low intelligence."Professor: What does it mean to be conscious? Is it simply a matter of having a certain level of intelligence? Or is there something more to it?
Philosophy Connection: Materialism vs. Dualism
The debate about consciousness often revolves around the question of materialism versus dualism. Materialism is the view that everything is ultimately physical. This means that consciousness is simply a product of brain activity. There is no separate soul or mind.
Dualism, on the other hand, is the view that the mind and body are distinct entities. This means that consciousness is not simply a product of brain activity, but rather a separate substance or property.
(Slide 15: Image of a person contemplating their reflection)
Professor: Finally, let’s touch on the concept of identity. Who are you? What makes you you? Is your identity fixed and unchanging, or is it fluid and constantly evolving?
Think about Orlando by Virginia Woolf. Orlando is a poet who lives for centuries and changes sex along the way. As Orlando’s body changes, so does their sense of self. They experience the world in new and different ways, and they develop a new understanding of what it means to be a man and a woman.
(Slide 16: Excerpt from Orlando)
"Clothes have more important offices than merely to keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world's view of us."Professor: How is identity shaped by our social contexts, our experiences, and our relationships with others?
Philosophy Connection: Essentialism vs. Social Constructionism
The debate about identity often revolves around the question of essentialism versus social constructionism. Essentialism is the view that identity is based on fixed and inherent qualities. This means that there is a true self that exists independently of our social and cultural contexts.
Social constructionism, on the other hand, is the view that identity is socially constructed. This means that our identities are shaped by our interactions with others and by the social and cultural norms that we internalize.
(Slide 17: Image of a person juggling many different ideas)
Professor: So, there you have it! A whirlwind tour of some of the fundamental questions about existence. I know it’s a lot to take in, but don’t worry. We’ll be exploring these ideas in more depth throughout the semester.
Remember, the goal of this course isn’t to find definitive answers to these questions. It’s to learn how to think critically about them, to engage with them in a meaningful way, and to develop your own understanding of what it means to be human.
And if you happen to stumble upon the meaning of life along the way, please let me know. I’ve been looking for it for years!
(Slide 18: Final slide with a picture of the professor winking and a text bubble saying "Don’t panic! (Too much.)")
Professor: Now, go forth and ponder! And try to get some sleep. You’ll need it. Class dismissed!
