# Is Existentialism an obsolete philosophy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-existentialism-an-obsolete-philosophy/543528>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 17, 2010, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-existentialism-an-obsolete-philosophy/543528 "2010-06-17T08:08:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-existentialism-an-obsolete-philosophy/543528/21 "2010-09-08T17:45:45Z")

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> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#):
>
> I just posted this in the is-existentialism-a-religion thread, forgetting that this one even existed. Oh well, it was a small joy to disrupt yet another endless thrash about theism/atheism.
> 
> Anyway:
> 
> I think existentialism is the best possible philosophy for the current age, or any age short of utopia. Why?
> 
> Because when you come right down to it, it’s just you and the bullshit. And you don’t matter.
> 
> But if you fight the bullshit, you at least _mean_ something - even if you _matter_ nothing.

That attitude gives unwarranted cosmic importance to the human condition. The optimal philosophy should remain the same whether we’re living in utopia or not.

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**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-existentialism-an-obsolete-philosophy/543528/22 "2010-10-01T02:10:10Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> That attitude gives unwarranted cosmic importance to the human condition. The optimal philosophy should remain the same whether we’re living in utopia or not.

How is this? Existentialism doesn’t discriminate based on where you are. For me, as a college student, it means that if I decide to drink on a Thursday night instead of studying, that’s well and good, _as long as I accept the consequences for doing so_. If a farmer in the Andes decides not to work his fields for a day, it’s exactly the same - existentialism is about agency and accepting the responsibilities that come with this, regardless of situation.

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