Whether as an individual or as a whole, existence has absolute value, and it is also the basis of all values. Existence precedes life and the meaning of life. In this sense, no one and no reason can deprive people of their right to exist. It is precisely because of the absoluteness of this existence that everyone has a strong motivation or instinct to maintain their own existence or security with a normal mentality. This defensive motivation or instinct is also one of the most fundamental driving forces in life.
Intentionality of existence
Xun Ziyun: "Fire and water are alive but not alive, plants are alive but ignorant, and animals know but have no intention;" People are angry, lively, knowledgeable and have a sense of justice, so they are the most expensive in the world. "That is to say, inorganic substances (fire and water) are lifeless. Only when they develop into plants can they have life, but they have no psychology; Animals have psychology when they are developed, but they have no social "righteousness"; Man has only spirit, life, knowledge and righteousness, that is, the unity of body, psychology and sociality. Man's existence as a human being is different from that of plants and animals. First of all, human existence is a kind of "intentional existence", and its existence mode and significance are guided by consciousness, not by feeling. As a conscious animal, there are essential differences between human life and animal life. It is because of man's consciousness that he has the potential of freedom, so man has changed the situation that other creatures are completely dependent on the environment, unlike other creatures, which are directly dependent on the environment and completely belong to the environment; People can change the environment according to their own requirements, and even use their lives to dominate the environment. The basis of intentionality is "freedom of will". A person with free will can only become a real person if he has real intentions.
The cultural essence of existence
The ancients once said generously: "the benefits of a lady's slave are not as good as that of a tiger and a leopard;" Arm strength is not as strong as black bear; The illness of running is not as good as that of elk; It can be seen that the function of animal constitution is much more specialized or specialized than that of human beings, while human organs do not point to a specific object and activity, which can be said to be some congenital defects in physiology. And this kind of congenital deficiency constitutes the development premise of human strong vitality. First of all, "lack of expertise" forces human beings to rely on the strength of groups to fight against other species. As Xunzi said, "strength is not like cattle, walking is not like horses, and cattle and horses are used together." What is this? "In this process, it has promoted the generation of language, the creation of tools and the development of culture. Without the help of cultural power, human beings, as natural species, cannot survive in natural competition. It is in this sense that Glenn defines human beings as cultural animals, while Cahill calls human beings "symbolic animals" who can create culture. When people add "meaning" of "culture" and "gene" of "symbol" to natural works in a purely biological sense, people will have a real human world.
Timeliness of existence
Heidegger called man "being", that is, he exists in the world concretely. One of the most important features is timeliness. Influenced by Bergson's thought, Heidegger thinks that the original real time is limited and that time is infinite, which is a misunderstanding given by science or just the time in the eyes of ordinary people. Timeliness includes existence, existence and present. Unlike Bergson and Dilthey, he emphasized that existence will play the most important role among the three, and people can get there first. The end of life is the end of life. "Heidegger believes that only by recognizing one's own death can real existence become possible." Bergson emphasized that life is an endless stream of consciousness, and what maintains the essence of life is a continuity, which is actually time. "Life is not so much a space existence as a time existence. Not a position, but a change. Not quantity, but quality. "
The linguistic essence of existence
Sapir, a master of modern language, believes that language is not only a tool and shell of thinking, but also a way of thinking, which strongly determines people's understanding of things around them. People's understanding of the "real world" is based on people's language habits, and different languages reflect people's different world pictures. For example, the word "fish" is very rich in the language of people living by the sea, while people living in cold areas often use "snow" to describe it. People must use language to understand the world and develop themselves. Cassirer believes that the human world is a world of symbols and also a world of culture.
The uniqueness of existence
There are no two identical leaves and no two identical people in the world. This refers not only to people's physical characteristics, but also to people's mental characteristics and individual behavior habits. It is the uniqueness of human beings that endows human existence with unique value. The uniqueness of human beings points out that the value of human beings lies in themselves, in striving to realize their potential, and not anywhere else. Nietzsche believes that everyone has his own unique way of life. "Defend life through style. A life with style is a kind of power, and this power no longer needs to be proved. " In other words, the existence of an individual with a unique style is its own proof. The uniqueness of individual life is constantly developing and changing. It relies on its own continuous development to further form, realize and carry forward the unique value of its own life. It is these individuals with unique personalities that make up our pluralistic, diverse and colorful society, which is full of vigor and vitality.
Transcendence of existence
Life is a transcendental existence. Life philosophers believe that the transcendence of life is manifested in the innate energy and vitality of life. The process of life is a process of constantly surpassing life itself and growing and developing itself. The meaning of life is more than that. It not only creates more life to renew itself from time to time, but also creates inanimate things from itself, which have their own laws and meanings, just like education, culture, art and science. Transcendence is the transcendence of time. People are in the present, but what is of great significance to people is the future. People can advance, plan themselves, choose themselves, and surpass themselves ideologically. Compared with animals, the environment of human activities is infinitely open, and people can go beyond the current environment and move towards a more open environment. The transcendence of existence points out the freedom and initiative of human beings in front of life, which is the essence of human existence. Everyone expresses his life, value, experience, meaning and so on, which is a unique way of life.