A Critical Assessment Of Nigerian Federalism

A Critical Assessment Of Nigerian Federalism

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of The Study

Soren Kierkegaard is regarded as the father of contemporary existentialism. Existentialism, according toJ.I. Omoregbe( 39) deals “ with concrete actuality as opposed to substance ”. This means, for the existentialists, actuality precedes substance. Kierkegaard, described by Wittgenstein( cited in Pattison, 1) is “ by far the most profound thinker of the last century ”. His notion of mortal actuality stems from the fact that Hegel metaphysical idealism presented mortal actuality in an abstract, objective form. Kierkegaard saw Hegel’s gospel “ as shy because it shifted attention down from the concrete existent to the conception of universal ”( Ozumba 86). For Ozumba( 86) this implies that Hegel “ simply invited humans to suppose rather of seeing them as existent being that should be involved in opinions and commitment that have bearing to their individuality and actuality ”. Kierkegaard’s study also served as a response against academic gospel.

In his response, Kierkegaard erected his empirical study in such a manner that it tended to come “ a explanation of issue and an appeal to choose, an attempt to get men to see their empirical situation and the great druthers with which they’re faced ”( Copleston 336). Kierkegaard’s hunt was to dismiss the generality of mortal actuality from abstract object to questions that defy the existent as an being being. Questions similar as What’s the meaning of mortal life? How can one live genuinely as a mortal person? What’s the meaning of mortal freedom? How can one use his freedom in the face of moral chaos?, are material. Kierkegaard understood actuality as a distinctive way of being, and that humans frequently concentrate on study of a group to the detriment of their own unique individuality. Other than being an authentic existent, he’s thus contained in the crowd, therefore, losing his individual tone to abstract ideal and societal control. In this sense, what it means, thus, to be an authentic human being forms energetic question egging this exploration on Soren Kierkegaard.

Statement Of The Problem

The question of mortal actuality has attracted so numerous considerations. There are some who approached it from the point of view of its asininity and meaninglessness. utmost of similar people are atheists like Martin Heidegger, with Albert Camus and Jean Paul Sartre who played down veritably much, the substance of mortal actuality as Hegel also did. still, there’s the other group of existentialists who bandied mortal actuality as a worthwhile adventure. similar include the principal author of contemporary existentialism in the person of Soren Kierkegaard. These proponents expounded certain empirical tenets which according to Lescoe( 9) are geared towards “ assaying the introductory structures of mortal actuality and to call individualities to an mindfulness of their actuality in its essential freedom ”.

The problem of mortal actuality is related wholly to this conception of freedom. Its use and abuse makes and mars man independently. This is because freedom remains the pivot upon which man asserts himself. It’s his relationship to this that categorizes him either as authentic or fake existent. therefore, the measure of the meaningfulness or meaninglessness of life is largely private but whichever way it’s determined by the degree of commitment which one puts in as he tries to assert himself by the exercise of freedom.

Another question to be examined then remains whether one can live genuinely when one has no authentic relation to the community which Kierkegaard regard as the crowd? It also takes into consideration the question of freedom and choice, man’s hunt for empirical meaning and Kierkegaard’s analysis of man’s stages on life way.

It’s thus in a shot to clarify some of these mind- broil issues that the experimenter is out to expose what Kierkegaard considers to be the hand or the standard of meaningful mortal actuality. With this in view, the work is a battle of man with the naked data of his freedom and duty through which he makes the stylish out of his life as an existent.