The Attitudes of the Great Philosophers to Existentialism - Essay Example

Levinas claimed that humans were unable to oppose a dreadful Holocaust. There can be no religious solution to the phenomenon of the Holocaust.  Therefore, these philosophers question the existence of God. Such an awful historical whip has made these philosophers reevaluate their attitude toward God and religion.

The reasons for God’s actions cannot be interpreted. Auschwitz's existence cannot be removed from our history; nevertheless, it is possible to prevent its future occurrence. With this regard, the essence of its existence should be found.

Concerning the basic concepts of human existence, such as freedom”, “responsibility” and “suffering”, Frankl suggests an interesting interpretation of these concepts from an existential perspective.  Frankl considers freedom from an existential perspective and he considers it together with the concept of responsibility.  The existential freedom of a person exists even whether he is politically free or not. Frankl relates freedom and responsibility in the following terms: "Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual" (Frankl).  Moreover, for Frankl, a person can find out the real meaning of his life only through suffering. In this case, an inner world of a person is purified.

Wiesel and Frankl endured the horrors of concentration camps. The greatest sin of humanity to these philosophers is indifference to the sufferings of people around them. Great inner power and existential strength were two basic pillars for the future existence of Holocaust survivors. To Frankl: “If a prisoner felt that he could no longer endure the realities of camp life, he found a way out in his mental life – an invaluable opportunity to dwell in the spiritual domain, the one that the SS were unable to destroy. Spiritual life strengthened the prisoner, helped him adapt, and thereby improved his chances of survival” (Frankl). Therefore, the core issue for any individual is to overcome a crisis of meaninglessness. Those people who survived the concentration camps had the power to oppose their existential frustration. The power of spirit is a crucial component for personal resistance to the cruelties of the world.