SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 4
Download to read offline
Existentialism: As a Philosophical Framework for Practicing Psychiatry
Abstract
Philosophy has to be a Concern of Psychiatrist. Philosophy’s job is to simplify. Existentialism has not received
as much attention as it deserves. In this paper evolution of philosophy will be dealt with briefly. Phenomenology
as a context of existentialism will be elaborated upon. Concepts consummated by Jean-Paul Sartre, e.g.
absurdity of being, existence vs. essence, free choice, bad faith etc. will be dealt with in detail. De-mystification
of consciousness as dealt with in existentialism will be taken into account. Being truthful to oneself is a tough
job. In therapy, self actualization remains the top priority job for psychiatrist. Freedom from dogma is not easy,
need a lot of intellectual exercise and struggle with oneself. Once free, life is more forceful and fulfilling.
Existentialist equivalent in literature like Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Metamorphosis
by Franz Kafka, and The Outsider by Albert Camus will be touched upon.
Man does not have bird’s eye view. So, what? The world seems as beautiful and informative. The dog does not
know how to handle computer. But, life is as charming. Do not set standards, crossing which, man will be
happy. ‘Being’ itself should give happiness. Achieving may be essential for one’s identity in the society, but one
should learn to enjoy simple things related to being.
Existentialism need to be studied by psychiatrist more avidly. In my opinion Sartre’s assimilation in psychiatric
thinking is overdue.
Psychiatrists deal with illnesses of mind. Mind is manifestation of biology presenting
as psychology with all overlaps and interactions with Philosophy. So, Philosophy has
to be concern of psychiatrist. Psychiatrists, by training, are doctors and during their
course they have never been exposed to Philosophy. Those who deal with human
minds can not do without Philosophy. Many have an idea that Philosophy makes
things complicated. On the contrary, the whole concept of philosophy is to simplify.
Because it simplifies complicated issues, at times, it looks complicated.
To have any understanding of Philosophy one has to have some basic idea of
evolution of Philosophical thinking. If you look at Epistemology with each new
thinker from Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche, Kant, Hegel,
Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Marx, Santayana, Russell to Sartre our understanding of life
got refined. And then there have been philosophers, like Socrates, Karl Marx and
Jean-Paul Sartre who brought down philosophy to commoner’s parlor.
Phenomenology acted as background on which Existentialism grew. We owe our
understanding of phenomenology to Immanuel Kant, Edmund Husserl, Karl Jasper.
The basic criteria of phenomenology is presuppositionlessness. Phenomenology is a
2
descriptive and not an explanatory undertaking. Phenomenology must keep itself
separate from genesis. Phenomenology is concerned with the forms of mental
experience, not the particular contents.
Study of phenomenology led towards analysis of life in new light giving rise to the
school of existentialism. Kierkegaard, Husserl, Jaspers, Marcel, Nietzsche, Heidegger,
Sartre, Merleu-Ponty, Martin Buber, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Miguel de
Unamuno, and Berdyaev they all enriched Existentialism in their own style. Sartre
was the most forceful exponent of Existentialism. Sartre’s best-know work is Being
and Nothingness, published originally in 1943. In this he introduces his famous
distinction between ‘being in-itself’ (matter) and ‘being for-itself’ (mind). His basic
position is that Being is self-revealing and cannot be denied. Then he elaborates upon
absurdity of being. Absurdity is a feeling which arises from the confrontation of the
world, which is irrational, with the hopeless but profound human desire to make sense
of our condition. The appropriate response to his situation is to live in full
consciousness of it. The next important thing he talks about is that existence precedes
essence. We should live full bit of our existence and enjoy our being. Existence is
more important than essence. Man does not have bird’s eye view. So, what? The
world seems as beautiful and informative. The dog does not know how to handle
computer. But so what? Life is as charming. By adding qualities to his being, he
makes his identity in the society which adds to his self esteem. His satisfaction from
life should not be dependent upon achievements only, rather he should be able to
derive simple pleasures of life just from being, by mere biology of it. Then he talks of
freedom of choice and bad faith. The issue of freedom and choice is of crucial
importance in existentialism. Sartre thinks that authentic choices are completely
undetermined, if we make our decisions merely by reference to an external moral code
or set of procedures. Then we are, of course, not arriving at authentic choices. Simone
de Beauvoir, his girl friend and partner in Philosophy elaborates “We regarded any
situation as raw material for our joint efforts and not as a factor conditioning them: we
imagined ourselves to be wholly independent agents. We had no external limitations,
no overriding authority, no imposed pattern of existence, we created our own likes
with the world, and freedom was the very essence of our existence.” Then Sartre says
3
that being free is like being condemned to be free. Being truthful to oneself is a tough
job. When comes to therapy, self actualization remains the top priority job for
psychiatrist. Freedom from dogma is not easy, need a lot of intellectual exercise and
struggle with oneself. Once free, life is more forceful and fulfilling.
We find existentialist equivalents in literature. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from
Underground, first published in 1864, has been depicted as a founding work of
existentialism. For Dostoevsky, war is the rebellion of the people against the idea that
reason guides everything. And thus, reason is the ultimate principle of guidance for
neither history nor mankind. Two most quoted books where existentialism is put forth
in best possible manner are The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka and The Outsider by
Albert Camus. Stark truth needs to be taken note of, whether we like or do not,
whether it helps or does not.
Summing up we can say, the general concern of existentialism is to give an account of
what it is like to exist as a human being in the world. Epistemologically, it is denied
that there can be an absolutely objective description of the world as it is, without the
intervention of human interests and actions. The world is ‘given’ and there is no
epistemological scepticism about its existence; it has to be described in relation to
ourselves. There is no fixed essence to which beings have to conform in order to
qualify as human beings; we are what we decide to be.
Whatever one feels about existentialism, there is no doubt that its influence in France
in the middle years of the twentieth century was enormous. By the time of his death
Sartre had become almost a cultural icon, his ideas inspiring a generation of
intellectuals, influencing moral and political thoughts, and also the expressive arts.
Finally, I don’t claim to be a pundit of Existentialism, but very little that I understand
of it, gives me an impression that psychiatrists need to learn a lot from existentialism.
In my opinion Sertre’s assimilation in psychiatric thinking is overdue.
Bibliography:
1. T.Z. Lavine, From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest, Bantam Books, 1984.
4
2. Jeremy Stangroom, Little book of big ideas: Philosophy, A&CIB, 2006.
3. Paul Strathern, The Essential Sartre, Virgin Books Ltd, 2002
4. Wade Baskin, The Wisdom of Sartre, Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., 2004.
5. Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, George Allen & Unwin Ltd,
1993.
6. Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, Pocket Books, a division of Simon &
Schuster, Inc. 1961.
Devashish Konar, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist,
Mental Health Care Centre,
Burdwan & Kolkata
M : 09434009113 / 09732221712
E-mail - devkon59@yahoo.com

More Related Content

What's hot

C:\My Documents\Existentialism
C:\My Documents\ExistentialismC:\My Documents\Existentialism
C:\My Documents\Existentialismguestf96e4fef
 
Existentialism
ExistentialismExistentialism
Existentialismewolterb
 
An Overview: Existentialism
An Overview: ExistentialismAn Overview: Existentialism
An Overview: ExistentialismQuest Coaching
 
Six basic themes of existentialism
Six basic themes of existentialismSix basic themes of existentialism
Six basic themes of existentialismShalimar Cruz
 
Extentialism and Education Part A
Extentialism and Education Part AExtentialism and Education Part A
Extentialism and Education Part AMaria Lorena Guray
 
Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...
Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...
Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...Université de Montréal
 
Existentialism vs Buddhism
Existentialism vs BuddhismExistentialism vs Buddhism
Existentialism vs BuddhismNutchawin
 
Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016
Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016
Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016Shirley Bautista
 
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...Juan Miguel Palero
 
Existentialism and Education Part A
Existentialism and Education Part AExistentialism and Education Part A
Existentialism and Education Part AMaria Lorena Guray
 
Existentialism is a Humanism - Sartre
Existentialism is a Humanism - SartreExistentialism is a Humanism - Sartre
Existentialism is a Humanism - SartreAvril Gutierrez
 
Introduction to the philosophy of the human person
Introduction to the philosophy of the human personIntroduction to the philosophy of the human person
Introduction to the philosophy of the human personThess Isidoro
 
TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12
TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12
TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12Gene Depps
 

What's hot (20)

EXISTENTIALISM
EXISTENTIALISMEXISTENTIALISM
EXISTENTIALISM
 
C:\My Documents\Existentialism
C:\My Documents\ExistentialismC:\My Documents\Existentialism
C:\My Documents\Existentialism
 
Existentialism
ExistentialismExistentialism
Existentialism
 
Philosophy of Education: Existentialism
Philosophy of Education: ExistentialismPhilosophy of Education: Existentialism
Philosophy of Education: Existentialism
 
An Overview: Existentialism
An Overview: ExistentialismAn Overview: Existentialism
An Overview: Existentialism
 
Existentialism
ExistentialismExistentialism
Existentialism
 
Six basic themes of existentialism
Six basic themes of existentialismSix basic themes of existentialism
Six basic themes of existentialism
 
Existentialism
Existentialism Existentialism
Existentialism
 
Existentialism
ExistentialismExistentialism
Existentialism
 
Extentialism and Education Part A
Extentialism and Education Part AExtentialism and Education Part A
Extentialism and Education Part A
 
Atheistic Existentialism
Atheistic ExistentialismAtheistic Existentialism
Atheistic Existentialism
 
Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...
Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...
Philosophy and Family Therapy: Intersubjectivity, Ethics, Biopolitics - IFTA ...
 
Existentialism vs Buddhism
Existentialism vs BuddhismExistentialism vs Buddhism
Existentialism vs Buddhism
 
Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016
Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016
Existentialism for final reporting sy 2015 2016
 
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person - Definition of Philosophi...
 
Existentialism and Education Part A
Existentialism and Education Part AExistentialism and Education Part A
Existentialism and Education Part A
 
Existentialism is a Humanism - Sartre
Existentialism is a Humanism - SartreExistentialism is a Humanism - Sartre
Existentialism is a Humanism - Sartre
 
Introduction to the philosophy of the human person
Introduction to the philosophy of the human personIntroduction to the philosophy of the human person
Introduction to the philosophy of the human person
 
TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12
TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12
TG.HUMMS Philo-Grade 12
 
SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource
SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared ResourceSociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource
SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource
 

Similar to Existentialism as a philosophical framework for practicing psychiatry

Example Of Existentialism
Example Of ExistentialismExample Of Existentialism
Example Of ExistentialismPaper Help UK
 
Existentialism In Literature And Science
Existentialism In Literature And ScienceExistentialism In Literature And Science
Existentialism In Literature And ScienceBeth Evans
 
The Influence Of The Introspection Movement
The Influence Of The Introspection MovementThe Influence Of The Introspection Movement
The Influence Of The Introspection MovementAngelica Ortiz
 
The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...
The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...
The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...Rauno Huttunen
 
Strengths Of Existentialism
Strengths Of ExistentialismStrengths Of Existentialism
Strengths Of ExistentialismJenny Calhoon
 
How Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That Exists
How Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That ExistsHow Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That Exists
How Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That ExistsSonia Sanchez
 

Similar to Existentialism as a philosophical framework for practicing psychiatry (20)

Existentialism
ExistentialismExistentialism
Existentialism
 
Weaknesses Of Existentialism
Weaknesses Of ExistentialismWeaknesses Of Existentialism
Weaknesses Of Existentialism
 
Example Of Existentialism
Example Of ExistentialismExample Of Existentialism
Example Of Existentialism
 
Existentialism Essay
Existentialism EssayExistentialism Essay
Existentialism Essay
 
Essay About The Philosophy Of Existentialism
Essay About The Philosophy Of ExistentialismEssay About The Philosophy Of Existentialism
Essay About The Philosophy Of Existentialism
 
Essay On Existentialism
Essay On ExistentialismEssay On Existentialism
Essay On Existentialism
 
B0323012014
B0323012014B0323012014
B0323012014
 
Existentialism In Literature And Science
Existentialism In Literature And ScienceExistentialism In Literature And Science
Existentialism In Literature And Science
 
Existentialism Paper
Existentialism PaperExistentialism Paper
Existentialism Paper
 
The Influence Of The Introspection Movement
The Influence Of The Introspection MovementThe Influence Of The Introspection Movement
The Influence Of The Introspection Movement
 
Existentialist Views On Death Essay
Existentialist Views On Death EssayExistentialist Views On Death Essay
Existentialist Views On Death Essay
 
Philosophy
PhilosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy
 
Essay About Existentialism
Essay About ExistentialismEssay About Existentialism
Essay About Existentialism
 
Philosophical Anthropology
Philosophical AnthropologyPhilosophical Anthropology
Philosophical Anthropology
 
The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...
The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...
The Sartre-Heidegger Controversy on Humanism and Its Importance to Critical P...
 
Essays On Existentialism
Essays On ExistentialismEssays On Existentialism
Essays On Existentialism
 
Essay Existentialism
Essay ExistentialismEssay Existentialism
Essay Existentialism
 
Strengths Of Existentialism
Strengths Of ExistentialismStrengths Of Existentialism
Strengths Of Existentialism
 
Existentialism Essays
Existentialism EssaysExistentialism Essays
Existentialism Essays
 
How Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That Exists
How Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That ExistsHow Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That Exists
How Solipsism Is The Belief That The Self Is All That Exists
 

More from Devashish Konar

Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptx
Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptxBiopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptx
Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptxDevashish Konar
 
Preventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric Front
Preventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric FrontPreventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric Front
Preventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric FrontDevashish Konar
 
Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury role of industry -
Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury  role of industry -Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury  role of industry -
Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury role of industry -Devashish Konar
 
Iacapap workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...
Iacapap  workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...Iacapap  workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...
Iacapap workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...Devashish Konar
 
Regeneration of mind and brain
Regeneration of mind and brainRegeneration of mind and brain
Regeneration of mind and brainDevashish Konar
 
Workshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacology
Workshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacologyWorkshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacology
Workshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacologyDevashish Konar
 
Executive dysfuntion in ADHD
Executive dysfuntion in ADHDExecutive dysfuntion in ADHD
Executive dysfuntion in ADHDDevashish Konar
 
Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder
Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder  Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder
Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder Devashish Konar
 
Volume neurotransmission
Volume neurotransmissionVolume neurotransmission
Volume neurotransmissionDevashish Konar
 
Tricks of managing bipolar disorder
Tricks of managing bipolar disorderTricks of managing bipolar disorder
Tricks of managing bipolar disorderDevashish Konar
 
Same sex relations the journey over time
Same sex relations the journey over timeSame sex relations the journey over time
Same sex relations the journey over timeDevashish Konar
 
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...Devashish Konar
 
POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...
POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...
POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...Devashish Konar
 
Evolution of human brain & mind
Evolution of human brain & mindEvolution of human brain & mind
Evolution of human brain & mindDevashish Konar
 
Be an advocate of children
Be an advocate of childrenBe an advocate of children
Be an advocate of childrenDevashish Konar
 

More from Devashish Konar (17)

Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptx
Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptxBiopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptx
Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry- Revisited.pptx
 
Preventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric Front
Preventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric FrontPreventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric Front
Preventive psychiatry in india: Preventing on Child Psychiatric Front
 
Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury role of industry -
Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury  role of industry -Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury  role of industry -
Road map for social psychiatry in 21 st centrury role of industry -
 
Iacapap workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...
Iacapap  workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...Iacapap  workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...
Iacapap workshop on PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: PERSPECTIVE FR...
 
Regeneration of mind and brain
Regeneration of mind and brainRegeneration of mind and brain
Regeneration of mind and brain
 
Workshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacology
Workshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacologyWorkshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacology
Workshop on child and adolescent psychopharmacology
 
Executive dysfuntion in ADHD
Executive dysfuntion in ADHDExecutive dysfuntion in ADHD
Executive dysfuntion in ADHD
 
Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder
Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder  Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder
Neurobiological understanding of anxiety disorder
 
Volume neurotransmission
Volume neurotransmissionVolume neurotransmission
Volume neurotransmission
 
Tricks of managing bipolar disorder
Tricks of managing bipolar disorderTricks of managing bipolar disorder
Tricks of managing bipolar disorder
 
Same sex relations the journey over time
Same sex relations the journey over timeSame sex relations the journey over time
Same sex relations the journey over time
 
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...
STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE WHILE PRESCRIBING PSYCHOTROPICS TO CHILDREN IN DEVEL...
 
POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...
POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...
POSITIVE PARENTING : PERSPECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING WITH INDIAN EMP...
 
Evolution of human brain & mind
Evolution of human brain & mindEvolution of human brain & mind
Evolution of human brain & mind
 
Be an advocate of children
Be an advocate of childrenBe an advocate of children
Be an advocate of children
 
Landscape of psychiatry
Landscape of psychiatryLandscape of psychiatry
Landscape of psychiatry
 
Parenting
ParentingParenting
Parenting
 

Recently uploaded

All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...
All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...
All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...iqra tube
 
The_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear God
The_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear GodThe_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear God
The_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear GodNetwork Bible Fellowship
 
Easter Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptx
Easter Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptxEaster Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptx
Easter Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptxStephen Palm
 
DP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidates
DP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidatesDP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidates
DP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidatesBengt & Maarit de Paulis
 
DP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short vers
DP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short versDP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short vers
DP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short versBengt & Maarit de Paulis
 
Old Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptx
Old Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptxOld Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptx
Old Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptxInnovator Marbun
 
The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...
The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...
The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...Cometan
 
Free eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdf
Free eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdfFree eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdf
Free eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdfOH TEIK BIN
 
Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24
Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24
Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24deerfootcoc
 
365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...
365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...
365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...Eizijesu Obahaiye
 
Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]
Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]
Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]iqra tube
 
SERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINI
SERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINISERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINI
SERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINISantanu Das
 

Recently uploaded (13)

All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...
All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...
All About Zakah for Muslim Americans - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidance...
 
The_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear God
The_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear GodThe_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear God
The_Chronological_Life_of_Christ_Part_93_Fear God
 
Easter Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptx
Easter Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptxEaster Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptx
Easter Apocalypse_Palm Sunday_Rev. 7.pptx
 
DP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidates
DP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidatesDP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidates
DP & Jesus Marriage - 2 potential candidates
 
DP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short vers
DP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short versDP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short vers
DP & Nostradamus-Fatima-Bailey-Branham-Ford - Short vers
 
Old Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptx
Old Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptxOld Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptx
Old Age but fruitful and meaningful.pptx
 
The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...
The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...
The Mormon & Quaker Moons of Lancashire: Stories of Religious Conversion & Mi...
 
Free eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdf
Free eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdfFree eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdf
Free eBook ~Short Inspirational Stories - The Benefits.pdf
 
Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24
Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24
Deerfoot Church of Christ Bulletin 3 24 24
 
365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...
365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...
365 Days of Thanking God_ Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving Everyday (Revis...
 
Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]
Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]
Islamic Finance 101 - Dr. Main Alqudah [https://www.guidancecollege.org/]
 
SERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINI
SERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINISERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINI
SERPENT COIL: THE AWAKENING OF KUNDALINI
 
English - The 1st Book of Adam and Eve.pdf
English - The 1st Book of Adam and Eve.pdfEnglish - The 1st Book of Adam and Eve.pdf
English - The 1st Book of Adam and Eve.pdf
 

Existentialism as a philosophical framework for practicing psychiatry

  • 1. Existentialism: As a Philosophical Framework for Practicing Psychiatry Abstract Philosophy has to be a Concern of Psychiatrist. Philosophy’s job is to simplify. Existentialism has not received as much attention as it deserves. In this paper evolution of philosophy will be dealt with briefly. Phenomenology as a context of existentialism will be elaborated upon. Concepts consummated by Jean-Paul Sartre, e.g. absurdity of being, existence vs. essence, free choice, bad faith etc. will be dealt with in detail. De-mystification of consciousness as dealt with in existentialism will be taken into account. Being truthful to oneself is a tough job. In therapy, self actualization remains the top priority job for psychiatrist. Freedom from dogma is not easy, need a lot of intellectual exercise and struggle with oneself. Once free, life is more forceful and fulfilling. Existentialist equivalent in literature like Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and The Outsider by Albert Camus will be touched upon. Man does not have bird’s eye view. So, what? The world seems as beautiful and informative. The dog does not know how to handle computer. But, life is as charming. Do not set standards, crossing which, man will be happy. ‘Being’ itself should give happiness. Achieving may be essential for one’s identity in the society, but one should learn to enjoy simple things related to being. Existentialism need to be studied by psychiatrist more avidly. In my opinion Sartre’s assimilation in psychiatric thinking is overdue. Psychiatrists deal with illnesses of mind. Mind is manifestation of biology presenting as psychology with all overlaps and interactions with Philosophy. So, Philosophy has to be concern of psychiatrist. Psychiatrists, by training, are doctors and during their course they have never been exposed to Philosophy. Those who deal with human minds can not do without Philosophy. Many have an idea that Philosophy makes things complicated. On the contrary, the whole concept of philosophy is to simplify. Because it simplifies complicated issues, at times, it looks complicated. To have any understanding of Philosophy one has to have some basic idea of evolution of Philosophical thinking. If you look at Epistemology with each new thinker from Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Marx, Santayana, Russell to Sartre our understanding of life got refined. And then there have been philosophers, like Socrates, Karl Marx and Jean-Paul Sartre who brought down philosophy to commoner’s parlor. Phenomenology acted as background on which Existentialism grew. We owe our understanding of phenomenology to Immanuel Kant, Edmund Husserl, Karl Jasper. The basic criteria of phenomenology is presuppositionlessness. Phenomenology is a
  • 2. 2 descriptive and not an explanatory undertaking. Phenomenology must keep itself separate from genesis. Phenomenology is concerned with the forms of mental experience, not the particular contents. Study of phenomenology led towards analysis of life in new light giving rise to the school of existentialism. Kierkegaard, Husserl, Jaspers, Marcel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleu-Ponty, Martin Buber, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Miguel de Unamuno, and Berdyaev they all enriched Existentialism in their own style. Sartre was the most forceful exponent of Existentialism. Sartre’s best-know work is Being and Nothingness, published originally in 1943. In this he introduces his famous distinction between ‘being in-itself’ (matter) and ‘being for-itself’ (mind). His basic position is that Being is self-revealing and cannot be denied. Then he elaborates upon absurdity of being. Absurdity is a feeling which arises from the confrontation of the world, which is irrational, with the hopeless but profound human desire to make sense of our condition. The appropriate response to his situation is to live in full consciousness of it. The next important thing he talks about is that existence precedes essence. We should live full bit of our existence and enjoy our being. Existence is more important than essence. Man does not have bird’s eye view. So, what? The world seems as beautiful and informative. The dog does not know how to handle computer. But so what? Life is as charming. By adding qualities to his being, he makes his identity in the society which adds to his self esteem. His satisfaction from life should not be dependent upon achievements only, rather he should be able to derive simple pleasures of life just from being, by mere biology of it. Then he talks of freedom of choice and bad faith. The issue of freedom and choice is of crucial importance in existentialism. Sartre thinks that authentic choices are completely undetermined, if we make our decisions merely by reference to an external moral code or set of procedures. Then we are, of course, not arriving at authentic choices. Simone de Beauvoir, his girl friend and partner in Philosophy elaborates “We regarded any situation as raw material for our joint efforts and not as a factor conditioning them: we imagined ourselves to be wholly independent agents. We had no external limitations, no overriding authority, no imposed pattern of existence, we created our own likes with the world, and freedom was the very essence of our existence.” Then Sartre says
  • 3. 3 that being free is like being condemned to be free. Being truthful to oneself is a tough job. When comes to therapy, self actualization remains the top priority job for psychiatrist. Freedom from dogma is not easy, need a lot of intellectual exercise and struggle with oneself. Once free, life is more forceful and fulfilling. We find existentialist equivalents in literature. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, first published in 1864, has been depicted as a founding work of existentialism. For Dostoevsky, war is the rebellion of the people against the idea that reason guides everything. And thus, reason is the ultimate principle of guidance for neither history nor mankind. Two most quoted books where existentialism is put forth in best possible manner are The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka and The Outsider by Albert Camus. Stark truth needs to be taken note of, whether we like or do not, whether it helps or does not. Summing up we can say, the general concern of existentialism is to give an account of what it is like to exist as a human being in the world. Epistemologically, it is denied that there can be an absolutely objective description of the world as it is, without the intervention of human interests and actions. The world is ‘given’ and there is no epistemological scepticism about its existence; it has to be described in relation to ourselves. There is no fixed essence to which beings have to conform in order to qualify as human beings; we are what we decide to be. Whatever one feels about existentialism, there is no doubt that its influence in France in the middle years of the twentieth century was enormous. By the time of his death Sartre had become almost a cultural icon, his ideas inspiring a generation of intellectuals, influencing moral and political thoughts, and also the expressive arts. Finally, I don’t claim to be a pundit of Existentialism, but very little that I understand of it, gives me an impression that psychiatrists need to learn a lot from existentialism. In my opinion Sertre’s assimilation in psychiatric thinking is overdue. Bibliography: 1. T.Z. Lavine, From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest, Bantam Books, 1984.
  • 4. 4 2. Jeremy Stangroom, Little book of big ideas: Philosophy, A&CIB, 2006. 3. Paul Strathern, The Essential Sartre, Virgin Books Ltd, 2002 4. Wade Baskin, The Wisdom of Sartre, Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., 2004. 5. Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1993. 6. Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1961. Devashish Konar, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist, Mental Health Care Centre, Burdwan & Kolkata M : 09434009113 / 09732221712 E-mail - devkon59@yahoo.com