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Existentialism, a philosophical movement centered around individual freedom, choice, and the responsibility of giving meaning to life in the face of its absurdity, finds a particularly powerful echo when confronted with the most difficult moments of existence. What happens to the meaning of life when it is disrupted by the loss of a loved one, an incurable illness, a recent disability, or even the imminent end of life? These events highlight the deep tension between our desire to understand, to find meaning, and the apparent indifference of the universe.
The Absurd in the Face of Tragic Existence For existentialists, and particularly Albert Camus, the absurd is this confrontation between our human need to give meaning to existence and the irrationality of the world. Death, suffering, and illness seem to be events that embody this absurdity. We then find ourselves facing a dissonance: on the one hand, the need to live, to love, to understand, and on the other, events beyond our control that seem to escape any meaning.
Camus invites us to embrace the absurd without giving in to despair. In The Myth of Sisyphus, he concludes that, even if life is absurd, it is up to us to respond to it with commitment to revolt, freedom, and passion. This philosophy may seem cold or distant in the face of the emotional realities of illness or loss. However, Camus proposes that human dignity lies in this resistance, even in the face of the inevitable.
Spinoza's Approach: Understanding and Acceptance Baruch Spinoza, a 17th-century philosopher, offers another path. For Spinoza, understanding the nature of our emotions and experiences is essential to transcending them. His philosophy is based on the idea that everything in the universe, including our own emotions, is the product of natural laws. From this perspective, suffering, illness, and death are not absurd tragedies, but elements integrated into the nature of reality.
Spinoza advocates a form of active acceptance, where a deep understanding of the causes of suffering allows one to detach from it and live with serenity. According to him, freedom lies in this rational understanding of nature and our affects. This does not mean denying pain, but rather understanding it in a broader context, that of natural necessity.
For someone facing an incurable illness or the end of life, Spinoza's thought can offer a form of comfort, helping to understand these events not as injustices, but as inevitable aspects of existence. The challenge, of course, is to achieve this understanding at times when emotions seem overwhelming.
Georg Groddeck's Theories: The Role of the Subconscious in Illness Georg Groddeck, a German physician and psychoanalyst of the early 20th century, was interested in how the subconscious influences illness. According to him, some serious illnesses can be interpreted as "suicides" ordered by the subconscious, a way for the individual to inflict harm on themselves at an unconscious level.
Groddeck theorizes that the subconscious manages physiological aspects of the body much more deeply than we realize. For example, he talks about the subconscious control of blood supply and oxygen to certain parts of the body. In case of intense fear, this control could cause a collapse of certain bodily functions. Moreover, he suggests that diseases such as cancer could result from an overfeeding of certain cells, where the subconscious would push the body towards a dangerous imbalance.
In his view, the body reacts to internal emotional conflicts by producing physical symptoms, often severe. Illness then becomes a form of symbolic language, where the subconscious expresses what the conscious mind cannot articulate. This perspective opens up interesting reflections on how the psyche could influence health, especially in the face of traumatic events such as loss or illness.
Ambivalence and the Search for Meaning: Philosophical and Psychological Tools The complexity of these extreme situations - illness, loss, disability - often reinforces a feeling of ambivalence, a tug-of-war between the desire to find meaning and the apparent impossibility of doing so. In these moments, several tools can help navigate this complexity:
Rational acceptance (Spinoza): Understanding that these events are part of the laws of nature, that they are inevitable and are not punishments. By deepening this understanding, we can reduce the intensity of emotional pain.
Revolt and commitment (Camus): Refusing to give in to despair despite the absurdity of the situation. Continuing to live with passion and freedom, even in the face of the inevitable.
Exploration of the subconscious (Groddeck): Examining the underlying emotional dynamics that could influence illness or anxiety, understanding how the subconscious could react to trauma to encourage a form of psychological, and even physical, healing.
Conclusion Faced with suffering, illness, or loss, there is no single or universal answer to finding meaning in life. Existentialism offers us a path of revolt and freedom despite the absurd. Spinoza, for his part, guides us towards a rational and soothing understanding of events. Finally, Groddeck's perspective on the subconscious and illness suggests that our deep emotions can play a role in our physical health. In the ambivalence of these extreme experiences, these different philosophical and psychological approaches offer ways of thinking and tools to face uncertainty and pain.