At the core of existentialism is the primacy of individual existence, freedom and choice. It is a philosophical stance that operates from the basis that individuals have to create meaning for themselves through rational decisions, despite living in what is a deeply irrational world and universe. 

Individuals are ultimately free and must take personal responsibility for their lives. Existentialists believe that suffering and our inevitable demise are ever-present conditions. How then should you rise above these challenges and live your life? How do you escape what they believe is an inherent part of the human condition?

A core tenet of existentialism is that in the absence of clear meaning in life, the best way for individuals to find their own meaning is by embracing their existence in and of itself. 

Søren Kierkegaard, one of the foremost existentialist philosophers, argued that rationality was the best mechanism for individuals to counter their existential dread or their fear of being in the world. Only through the deployment of your freedom and choice can you rise above the challenges that will inherently plague the human condition. 

A crude summary of these ideas might be to say, despite all the challenges and trials you will likely face, you should always live life to the fullest. A cliché, yes, but one that has very important principles behind it.

Take a step back to consider how these concepts and ideas apply now as the world contends with the spread of Covid-19. The virus has claimed the lives of thousands of people and caused immense disruption globally. Existentialists would examine this phenomenon and place it squarely in alignment with their views that the human condition is characterised by suffering. As the global response has been to put societies into lockdown, individuals have had to contend with other themes explored by existentialists, such as boredom, alienation, dread, and life’s meaning and purpose. These are topics that Albert Camus wrote on extensively.

As individuals, we generally long for order and structure. Camus wrote that when this longing ultimately clashes with the world’s lack of order, the result is absurdity. His view was that we are confronted by this absurdity. As humans, we live in an indifferent, ambiguous and absurd universe where, despite our need for order, there is, in fact, no natural order that is provided. Instead, we create order through our own human actions and through this we also create meaning for ourselves. 

Covid-19 is indeed absurd. 

Consider how, just a year ago, everyone was living their lives as they have always done – and then the virus arrived. It can’t be justified or explained: it merely happened, and in so doing, thrust a whole new type of disorder on the world. 

Rest assured that this fear will also be temporary, and that across the world there are people who are dedicating their lives to finding a solution to the virus – and that ultimately they will succeed.

In his novel, The Plague, Camus describes the impact that a plague has on a fictional town. It completely uproots life, forces people out of their routines and makes them confront the beliefs they have about themselves, others and the institutions around them. So it has been with Covid-19, which has fundamentally disrupted our traditional style of living, forcing us to confront our own views about mortality, along with generating important questions about the role of the state in keeping us safe.

This can all come across as deeply gloomy if you let it weigh on you. Indeed, existentialists have often been criticised for their pessimism in the way they have expressed their views on the world and humanity. Many people desperately want to believe that life has a core meaning. Thus, when they are confronted with theories that argue life is meaningless, largely absurd and that an inherent part of the human condition is suffering, it can be quite depressing. 

With the current threat of Covid-19, many people have a real fear of dying – they are concerned for their lives and for the lives of their loved ones. Indeed, they might even have a fear of being in a world which has changed fundamentally; where they once felt their purpose was clear, now they feel lost.

What then is one to do?

Embrace this meaninglessness and nothingness; accept it as part of human existence, and do not fight it or allow it to overwhelm you. Embrace the absurd; the idea that in the absence of any clearly defined meaning in life, we will likely always continue searching for meaning. Deploy reason and rationality as prescribed by Kierkegaard to shape your life and to create meaning for yourself.

There is joy in this – joy in merely being alive and accepting one’s existence as something which should be celebrated regardless of whether there is meaning in it or not. It is a joy that will far outweigh the fear of death or the chaos and disorder that Covid-19 has brought to your individual existence.  

Rest assured that this fear will also be temporary, and that across the world there are people who are dedicating their lives to finding a solution to the virus – and that ultimately they will succeed.

Take comfort in knowing that as an individual you have the agency to shape your own existence, and that within itself, that should be embraced. 

In the words of the poet William Ernest Henley: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” DM