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Laegmacoc t1_j01d2pr wrote

Reply to comment by soulstudios in Existence is infinitely richer than our descriptions of it. So, rather than cling to reductive explanations that only ‘close’ life’s possibilities, we should ‘open’ reality by seeing ourselves as perpetual students | Interview with Black Existentialist Lewis Gordon by philosophybreak

I came here to post this! True existentialism shouldn’t need an adjective… if we are horrifyingly alone in our existence, clinging to skin groups adds to the absurdity. This is very much loving the dents and scars of your sisyphusian boulder.

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ndhl83 t1_j0305do wrote

Oof...the very notion that (in this case, blackness) would be a "dent in your sisyphusian boulder" begs the notion that "blackness" is a flaw one is saddled with.

Rather than speak againat it, you've managed to reinforce the notion that sometimes a differentiation based on inherent starting point is needed...the "black experience" is predicted on both living it but also having it imposed on you, at birth, by a larger societal group who wants to "other" you from the get go, before you even have a chance to form your own identity.

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Capricancerous t1_j0328pl wrote

Read Black Skin, White Masks for a unique blend of existentialism stemming from Sartre as well as a depiction of the particular experience of blackness as colonized subject. He actually talks about the overlap of existential freedom and breaking free of forms of white guilt for the white person as well as feelings of black interiority for the black person.

There are unifying things about existential experience, but also definitive experiences of racial oppression, historically or otherwise.

I think there are a lot of nuanced takes from vantage points other than the main European existentialists and absurdist(s).

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Laegmacoc t1_j04f62y wrote

Sounds like an interesting read! I’ll check it out.

Philosophy is how we interface with the world, so I agree that the argument is nuanced. It has to be or it’s useless. Camus’ famous quote “the only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion,” for me, is the action at the conversation’s end. Everything else are scars on our personal boulder for us all to fawn on, proselytize about, and so on… which is all apart of the absurdity (to me), but it makes for spirited conversation… 🤓

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