The frailty of our existence, the futile nature of life- that’s what one can contemplate on when the world bares itself to us. There is no inherent purpose to life, our existence is a pretence that feeds us with the drug of self-consciousness and ego, and ultimately annihilation is nature’s secret law of survival. Disturbing as these observations might look like, a close retrospection can make it more believable than any value system or faith that sustains us as beings trapped in the abyss of time. Rajit Roy
Over the years, the Joker from DC Universe has become a celebrated villain. His horrifying smile, his repulsive giggle has become a quintessential part of every account of the dark alleys of the comic book world. As Batman’s most challenging antagonist, the Joker has become a defining character in the Dark Knight’s renditions. However, there is another side to his story. For a student of philosophy, or in fact for anyone with a mind for introspection, the Joker has also been a fascinating study subject. His philosophy offers a heavy dose of nihilism and presents a worldview which, sadly enough, seems more relevant than ever. First, let’s look at his theory on morality. Their morals, their rules, it’s just a bad joke-dropped at the first sign of trouble. They are only as good as the world allows them to be. You will see when the stakes are down, these civilized people, they will eat each other. Doesn’t it seem more real than what is convenient? Our world is a world where each individual thrives on his own conscious decisions. Nonetheless, as animals (yes, that’s what we are despite of our self-delusions), we are prone to nature’s cruelty. Look what we have done to ourselves. We killed each other in the name of value systems that we had invented. We made bombs to blow each other up, justifying our choice through diplomacy of defense. Morality and ethics seem to be a grand scheme of deception that we invented to cope up with our own desperation and organic vindictiveness. The Joker just got it right. Moreover, perhaps the one phrase that I personally relate with the most- Everything burns! As Alfred remarks in The Dark Knight- “Some men aren’t looking for anything logical. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Not that I completely sympathize with the Joker’s pessimism, but yes, everything does burn away, isn’t it? The frailty of our existence, the futile nature of life- that’s what one can contemplate on when the world bares itself to us. There is no inherent purpose to life, our existence is a pretence that feeds us with the drug of self-consciousness and ego, and ultimately annihilation is nature’s secret law of survival. Disturbing as these observations might look like, a close retrospection can make it more believable than any value system or faith that sustains us as beings trapped in the abyss of time. Nevertheless, as the Joker remarks- Why so serious?
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Rajit Roy
An existential romantic, an agnostic and a prospective biologist. Archives
September 2018
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