Estoicismo e existencialismo: a eterna busca pelo sentido da vida

Abstract

The question of the meaning of life is an ancient theme that does not wrinkle, and the present work aims to propose an exercise in Philosophy as a moral practice of life by exploring this issue in light of Stoic philosophy and existentialist philosophy, particularly drawing from the perspectives of philosophers Seneca and Heidegger. Through bibliographic research, the Stoic system presents itself as a logical, physical, and ethical framework strongly supported by the use of reason and possessing a practical character. Its study is directed towards a happy life through the exercise of Philosophy as a practice of virtuous living. In Seneca's philosophy, the concept of time holds significant importance, with its manipulation seen as solely within human responsibility. Stoicism comprehends Nature as a living, rational, and harmonious organism; everything is cyclical, possessing a beginning, middle, and end. For this work, emphasis is placed on what exists within the interval. On the other hand, existentialism presents itself as a philosophy of freedom, focused on the human being as the protagonist responsible for their own history. In Heidegger's philosophy, the existentialist door opens with the notion of transcendence, where the human being perceives themselves as a living, ongoing, and unfinished project; a life in progress. Of interest for this work is the movement of the human being as a project of being, characterized by three conditions: being-with-the-world, being-with-others, and being-towards-death. The human being is the only creature conscious of its own finitude, and it is this awareness, which makes us human, that will be discussed in relation to justifying human existence, drawing from Stoicism and existentialism.