Existentialism

EXISTENTIALISM
Paul Kleinman
The individual and the human experience
Existentialism is not a school of thought so much as a trend that

appears throughout philosophy during the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. Prior to this time, philosophical thought had grown to
become increasingly more complex and abstract. In dealing with
ideas of nature and truth, philosophers began to exclude the
importance of human beings.
However, starting with Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich
Nietzsche in the nineteenth century, several philosophers emerged
placing a newfound focus on the human experience. Though there
are significant differences between philosophers of existentialism
(a term that would not be used until the twentieth century), the one
common theme among all of them is the notion that philosophy
should focus on the experience of human existence in this world.
In other words, existentialism seeks out the meaning of life and
finding oneself.
COMMON THEMES OF EXISTENTIALISM
Though existentialist thought varies from philosopher to

philosopher, there are several common themes. One of the key
ideas of existentialism is that the meaning of life and discovering
oneself can only be attained by free will, personal responsibility,
and choice.
The Individual
Existentialism deals with the question of what it means to exist
as a human being. Existentialists believe that humans have been
thrown into this universe, and therefore it is existing in this world,
and not consciousness, that is the ultimate reality. A person is an
individual who has the ability to think and act independently and
should be defined by his actual life. It is through an individual’s
own consciousness that values and purpose are determined.
Choice
Existentialist philosophers believe that all humans have free will.
The ability to have free will leads to life choices. Structures and
values of society have no control over a person. Personal choices
are unique to every individual and are based on outlook, beliefs,
and experiences, not external forces or society. Based on these
choices, people begin to discover who and what they are. There is
no purpose for desires such as wealth, honor, or pleasure, for these
are not responsible for having a good life.
The notion of personal responsibility is a key component of
existentialism. It is entirely up to the individual to make
decisions—and these decisions are not without their own
consequences and stress. However, it is in the moments when an
individual fights against his very nature that he is at his best. In
essence, the very choices we make in life determine our nature,
and there are things in this world that are unnatural and irrational.
Anxiety
Existentialists place great emphasis on moments when truths
about our existence and nature bring a new awareness into what
life means. These existential moments of crisis produce feelings of
anxiety, angst, and dread afterward, and are the result of the
freedom and independent responsibility we all have.
Because humans have been thrown into this universe, there is a
certain meaninglessness to our existence. Our freedom means we
are uncertain of the future, and our lives are determined by the
choices we make. We believe we have an understanding about the
universe around us, and when we discover something that tells us
differently, we experience an existential crisis that forces us to
re-evaluate aspects of our lives. The only way to have meaning
and value is through making choices and taking responsibility.
Authenticity
To be authentic, one must truly be in harmony with his freedom.
In existentialism, the notion of authenticity means really coming to
terms with oneself, and then living accordingly. One must be able
to come to terms with his identity while also not letting his
background and history play a part in his decision-making process.
Making choices should be done based on one’s values, so that
there is a responsibility that comes with the decision-making
process.
If one does not live within a balance of his freedom, he is
inauthentic. It is in the inauthentic experience that people allow
ideas like determinism, believing choices are meaningless, and
acting as “one should” to persuade their choice-making.
The Absurd
Absurdity is one of the most famous notions affiliated with
existentialism. It is often argued in existentialism that there is no
reason to exist and that nature has no design. While sciences and
metaphysics might be able to provide an understanding of the
natural world, these provide more of a description than an actual
explanation, and don’t provide any insight into meaning or value.
According to existentialism, as humans, we should come to terms
with this fact and realize that the ability to understand the world is
impossible to achieve. The world has no meaning other than the
meaning that we provide it.
Furthermore, if an individual makes a choice, it is based on a
reason. However, since one can never truly understand meaning,
the reasoning is absurd, and so too is the decision to follow
through with the choice.
RELIGION AND EXISTENTIALISM
While there are some very famous Christian and Jewish

philosophers who use existentialist themes in their work, on the
whole, existentialism is commonly associated with atheism. This
does not mean that all atheists are necessarily existentialists; rather,
those who subscribe to existentialist thought are often atheists.
Why is this the case? Existentialism does not set out to prove
that God does or does not exist. Rather, the main ideas and themes
of existentialism (such as complete freedom) simply do not mesh
well with the notion of there being an omnipotent, omnipresent,
omniscient, and omnibenevolent being. Even those existentialists
who maintain a belief in a higher being agree that religion is
suspicious. Existentialism asks human beings to search and
discover their meaning and purpose from within themselves, and
this is not possible if they believe in some external force
controlling humanity.

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EXISTENTIALISM

The individual and the human experience

Existentialism is not a school of thought so much as a trend that

COMMON THEMES OF EXISTENTIALISM

Though existentialist thought varies from philosopher to

RELIGION AND EXISTENTIALISM

While there are some very famous Christian and Jewish

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