Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence and freedom and responsibility. It became popular after World War II as a way for humans to assert individuality. Major existentialist thinkers include Soren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus. Existentialism focuses on the conditions of human existence like emotions, actions, and the search for meaning or purpose in life. Existentialists believe that humans have free will and create their own values and identities through their choices and actions for which they are fully responsible.

1. Existentialism

2. Definition
ex·is·ten·tial·ism
A philosophical theory or approach that
emphasizes the existence of the
individual person as a free and
responsible agent determining their
own development through acts of the
will

3. History
 Existentialism became popular in post
World War years as a way for humans to
reassert the importance of individuality
and freedom.
 Became a well known philosophical and
cultural movement from 1930’s-1970’s.
 Existential themes have been discussed
throughout philosophy and literature:
Socrates- “Be true to thyself”

4. Existentialists
Soren Kiekergaard
 Viewed as Father of Existentialism
 Felt individual was responsible for giving
life meaning and living that life
passionately
 Focused on subjective experiences of
humans rather than the objective truths
provided by math and science

5. Jean-Paul Sartre
 In 1945, adopted Existential term to
describe his philosophy
 Major concept of his philosophy was
freedom and responsibility
“Man first of all exists, encounters himself,
surges up in the world and defines himself
afterward.”

6. Existentialism is Living
the search for meaning in existentialism is
the search for self…

7. Existentialism is not dark.
 It is not depressing. It is about life.
Existentialists believe in living — and in
fighting for life. Camus, Sartre, and even
Nietzsche were involved in various wars
because they believed passionately in
fighting for the survival of their nations
and peoples. The politics of existentialists
varies, but each seeks the most individual
freedom for people within a society.

8. Karl Jaspers
 “Existenz philosophy” is the way
of thought by means of which a
man seeks to become himself.

9. The three writers who appear invariably on
every list of existentialists — Jaspers,
Heidegger, and Sartre — are not in
agreement on essentials.
By the time we consider adding Rilke, Kafka,
and Camus, it becomes plain that one
essential feature shared by all these men is
individualism.
-Existentialism; Kaufmann, p. 11

10. Existentialism
Focuses on conditions of human existence:
 Emotions
 Actions
 Responsibilities
 Thoughts
 Meaning or purpose of life

11. The underlying concepts of existentialism
are simple:
 Mankind has free will.
 Life is a series of choices, creating stress.
 Few decisions are without any negative
consequences.
 Some things are irrational or absurd,
without explanation.
 If one makes a decision, he or she must
follow through.

12. Existentialism (broadly defined) is a set of
philosophical systems concerned with free
will, choice, and personal responsibility.
Because we make choices based on our
experiences, beliefs, and biases, those
choices are unique to us — and made
without an objective form of truth.
There are no “universal” guidelines for most
decisions.
Even trusting science is often a “leap of
faith.”

13. The existentialists conclude that human
choice is subjective; individuals must make
their own choices without help from such
external standards as laws, ethical rules, or
traditions. Because individuals make their
own choices, they are free; but because
they freely choose, they are completely
responsible for their choices.
The existentialists emphasize that freedom
is necessarily accompanied by responsibility.

14. “condemned to be
free.”
…since individuals are forced to choose for
themselves, they have their freedom — and
therefore their responsibility — thrust upon
them.

15. For existentialism, responsibility
is the dark side of freedom
The realization that one is completely
responsible for their decisions, actions, and
beliefs can lead to acute anxiety. The
existentialists criticize flight from freedom and
responsibility as self-deception. Individuals
must accept full responsibility for their
behaviour, no matter how difficult. To live
meaningfully and authentically you must
become fully aware of the true character of the
human situation and bravely accept it.

16. Beliefs of Existentialists
 Existence precedes essence
 Human essence is determined through life
choices
 Tragic experiences or insightful moments can
cause humans to question meaning of life.
 We make “pillars” in our identity. Basing
one’s identity solely on a “pillar” with a
condition can lead to living in despair.
 Philosophy encourages preservation in spite
of absurdity

17. Beliefs of Existentialists
 Human beings create their own values
through choice. These values help them
create a meaning for their life. Their
identity is defined by actions and their
responsibility for those actions.
 Humans have freedom, but with that
freedom comes the responsibility we have
to make choices. Each choice can lead to
a success or a failure.

18. Beliefs of Existentialists
 Humans take a “leap of faith” that no
matter the outcome, success or failure,
they will make it.
 We live in angst. We have no one to
blame for our choices but ourselves. This
responsibility can lead to dread and
anxiety over choosing.
 If you choose not to make a choice, you
are not living authentically.

19. Beliefs of Existentialists
 A limitation and condition of our freedom
is our facticity, or mode of “not being”.
Our past consists of things one can’t
chose (birthplace, parents, etc.) and we
depend on values we develop in our past.
We are a part of our past, present and
future self. Not one self lives
independently.

20. Existentialism does not support any of the
following:
 The good life is one of wealth, pleasure,
or honor.
 Social approval and social structure trump
the individual.
 Accept what is and that is enough in life.
 Science can and will make everything
better.
 People are good by nature, ruined by
society or external forces.

21. Franz Kafka
 Absurdist, Jewish
 Similar to Camus, Sartre, in depictions of
cruel fate.
 Kafka presents a world that is at once real
and dreamlike and in which individuals
burdened with guilt, isolation, and anxiety
make a futile search for personal
salvation.


22. Albert Camus
 Existentialist / Absurdist, Atheist
 French Resistance member during WWII
 Brought “humanism” to his existentialism.
 His belief that man’s condition is absurd
identified him with the existentialists, but
he denied allegiance to that group; his
works express rather a courageous
humanism.

23. The characters in his novels and plays,
although keenly aware of the
meaninglessness of the human condition,
assert their humanity by rebelling against
their circumstances.
{Paraphrase of Kaufmann} Camus marks
the finale of existentialism… an attempt to
move beyond what Sartre had defined.
Camus cannot be called an existentialist, but
his ideas evolved alongside those of Sartre
and existentialism.