The possibility of the soldier as an existentially authentic person

• Main Author: Justo, Napoleon Maria Casas
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2002
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1838
• Institution: De La Salle University

Abstract. Existentialism came to be as a philosophical movement that denied traditional philosophical values and systems, and focused more on the existing, concrete, and living individual. As the existentialist philosophers emphasized individuality, they resisted external influences in the form of the crowd , or the anonymous they. On the other hand, the soldier's way of life is in total contrast with this philosophical movement. The soldier is subjected to orders, duty, the chain of command, and external influences that dictate his or her own decisions. There is indeed, a conflict between conformity and individuality. This paper intends to clarify the issue of authenticity vis-a-vis the life of a soldier. IT is an attempt to view the life of a soldier from the existentialist perspective, and how this kind of life would fit within the context of existentialism. Authentic and inauthentic existence on the soldier's behalf would be clearly discussed and pointed out in order to answer the question: Can the soldier be an authentic being, in the light of the circumstances that govern his or her way of life This paper also include the author's own insights with regard to the soldier's way of life and his or her authentic stand. War firms and the author's personal experience in the military showed that the soldier's way of life are: 1) A soldier is always bounded by orders , 2) Adherence to duty, 3) Self-discipline and sacrifice, 4) Command responsibility and leadership, and 5) Preparedness to face death.