6. Sixth Lecture: Thrownness as a Barrier to Truth
I wrote this lecture almost a decade ago and have gradually modified it over time. However, while the fundamental idearemained the same, its initial phrasing was far less clear than it later became Through parallel explorations of the psychological significance of religious thought, I came to realize that existential freedom — one of the greatest sources of anxiety—is, in essence, nothing more than an endless process of marginalization. Or rather, it is made possible only through an infinite chain of marginalization — a structure reminiscent of the "turtles all the way down" metaphor.
This marginalization occurs when the central pillar — the foundational structure that provides stability — is absent. If one permits the comparison, it is akin to the absence of Moses' staff, a missing force that could part the chaos and establish order. This, in turn, ties the idea directly to religion. In the simplest terms, we fear freedom because it is a source of uncontrollable anxiety. The antidote to this fear lies in clarity of central values — a clarity that, in most cases, can only be achieved through religion.
In this levcture, we will examine aspects of inherited biological wisdom that enable human beings to cope with thrownness and existential freedom. To fully grasp the nature of thrownness—as an integral part of Evolutionary Truth—we will first define it alongside existential freedom. In the latter half of the lecture, we will explore the concept of hierarchies as an antidote to thrownness.
The term "thrownness" in the context of this book has a broader meaning than Heidegger’s "Geworfenheit."Heidegger’s concept is certainly included, but our understanding extends beyond it. Throughout history, major existential, modern, and postmodern philosophers have described the human condition as being "thrown" into the world.
Sartre saw it as inescapable facticity, which plays a crucial role in Heidegger’s Geworfenheit.
Camus’ notion of "The Absurd" portrays the individual as thrown into a meaningless world.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty framed it in terms of embodiment—our existence is grounded in our physical being.
Nietzsche, through the concept of eternal recurrence, presented the inescapable repetition of existence.
Postmodernists emphasized how individuals are shaped by social forces.
Lyotard warned against metanarratives that suppress individuality.
Deleuze highlighted the arbitrary nature of existence.
Foucault demonstrated how power structures shape identity.
In our framework, thrownness is, first and foremost, the irreversible fact that each person is "thrown" into existence without prior consent. We did not choose to be here. Moreover, we inherit personal attributes as pure facticity—unchangeable aspects such as the time and place of our birth, socioeconomic status, cultural background, gender, and race.
The Psychological Layer of Thrownness
From a psychological perspective, this existential condition introduces another layer of contradictions.
We are always embedded within a larger whole—a society, a nation, a family.
We inherit parents (rarely ideal) and an upbringing we cannot escape.
We must accept our past as a cold fact while simultaneously striving to define ourselves as separate individuals.
Recognizing oneself as an autonomous self in opposition to the world is no simple task. A psychoanalytic perspectivemight argue that the moment we conceptualize ourselves as an independent unit, we begin moving away from our true selves. This happens as we construct an idealized self-image, which then shapes our future self-perception (subjectivity levels S₁–S₃).
Lacan described this process as the "Mirror Stage" — the moment when a child first recognizes their own reflection and, in doing so, develops an externalized, idealized self-concept. This initial act of self-awareness is also a form of self-alienation.
Thrownness and the Permanence of Change
Beyond its social and psychological dimensions, thrownness is also bound to the fundamental nature of change. Life itself is an ever-evolving process, and from a philosophical perspective, this introduces another source of existential tension—the pressure to constantly transform.
Applying Hegelian dialectics, we can see this dynamic at play within philosophical traditions themselves. Consider the following paradox:
One could argue that Heidegger’s concept of "Being" and Hegel’s "Absolute Spirit" are unchanging and eternal — aligning them with Parmenides, who saw reality as fundamentally static and permanent.
However, Heidegger’s Dasein (human existence) is also defined by constant evolution and transformation. Likewise, Hegel’s dialectics — which is built upon oppositional movement — is, at its core, an expression of change. In this sense, both thinkers could be viewed as Heraclitean, affirming that flux is the essence of reality.
A dialectical synthesis of these perspectives reveals that permanence and change are not mutually exclusive. Rather, constant change itself is the only permanent truth.
Thus, in confronting thrownness, we are ultimately led to accept the paradox of perpetual transformation—a realization that shapes the foundation of Evolutionary Truth.
Existential Freedom: The Burden of Uncertainty
Simultaneously, as autonomous individuals, we are doomed to existential freedom, which, along with thrownness, is an inherent property of Evolutionary Truth. We must confront the uncertainty of reality, adapting to the chaotic conditions of our existence.
However, existential freedom should not be confused with freedom to do something, freedom from something, or even free will. Sam Harris is not wrong in arguing that the interplay of genetic, environmental, and social factors, along with the unconscious processes that shape human behavior, renders the notion of free will an illusion. In the traditional sense of overcoming external constraints, this perspective is valid.
Yet, existential freedom refers to something different — it is the weight of absolute uncertainty that emerges when all external structures fall away, and one encounters the essence of being in its purest form. Consider, for example, the solitary experience of reflecting on one's existence in the wilderness. In such moments, the absence of external restrictions does not necessarily lead to a sense of liberation; rather, it can produce profound anxiety — an acute awareness of the lack of inherent structure in existence.
This concept of freedom is closer to Kierkegaard’s understanding of "existence" — a condition into which one is thrown and must struggle to make sense of. It also aligns with Sartre’s notion of being "condemned to be free", wherein absolute freedom demands absolute responsibility. In this context, Nietzsche’s perspective becomes relevant: he saw individual freedom as inseparable from the obligation to create meaning out of suffering — a necessity dictated by the condition we call life.
Thus, existential freedom always carries with it a cold sense of chaos — a vast void that must be shaped into something comprehensible in order to sustain our continued existence.
Existential Freedom in Psychoanalytic Thought
From a Lacanian psychoanalytic perspective, "freedom" belongs to the realm of the Real — the primal domain of unfiltered drives and raw existence. According to Lacan, we encounter the Real only through trauma, dreams, or rare, intense experiences —moments when the symbolic structures of meaning collapse, exposing us to the underlying chaos of being.
However, much like temporality and the inevitability of death, the weight of thrownness and the anxiety-inducing uncertainty of existential freedom remain ever-present in the background of everyday life. We may not always be consciously aware of these forces, but they shape our existence at every moment.
Thus, we must continuously navigate two fundamental existential challenges:
Our inherent tragic limitation — the inescapable constraints of thrownness.
The chaotic uncertainty that surrounds us — the boundless, structureless void of existential freedom.
Only by engaging with both forces can we grapple with the fundamental nature of our being and construct a framework that allows us to exist within the complexity of reality.
