Dialectics of the Existential Essence of an Individual

Abstract

This article identifies and analyses key determinants of the creation of an individual’s existential world. It substantiates the proposition that existence is an objective and universal phenomenon of the human soul, an integral part of the essence of humans as biosocial beings. Based on the works
of such classical existentialists as J.-P. Sartre, K. Jaspers and A. Camus, luminaries of psychology C. Jung, J. Piaget and L.S. Vygotsky as well as existential writers F.M. Dostoevsky, J. Salinger, S. Becket, A. Platonov and Ch. Aitmatov and others, the paper defines existence as a conscious inner world of an individual’s experiences, primarily negative, i.e. one’s fear, awareness of one’s worthlessness, feeling of being unwanted, negative attitude of others, being ignored and not understood by others, etc. However, according to the author, there is also a positive existence, which consists in the willingness of an existential person to fight for his/her self-realization and self-affirmation, to be like Sisyphus. The author holds the viewpoint that an individual’s existence is a result of a contradiction between his/her individuality, natural egoism and the requirements of the social environment, facing a person at every stage of socialization. The paper argues that, unlike S. Freud’s unconscious, the irrational layer of the human psyche, existence is a factor of an individual’s consciousness, an understanding of the contradictory attitude of the environment towards him/her. Another task of this article was to identify ways and forms of dialectical “overcoming” of existential tension. The author believes that the social environment, an atmosphere of indifference towards individuals or consideration for each person, a friendly or hostile atmosphere in a group of people play a decisive role in producing either a negative or a positive existence. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly conduct sociological surveys on the issues of existence within groups of people, strive to establish a friendly atmosphere, etc.