Marcel's philosophical inquiry begins with his own personal experiences of music, drama, and art. He sees drama and philosophy as revealing humanity's longing for communication, love, and meaning. Marcel believes being can only be grasped through an individual's presence and experience in the world. His philosophy examines the mystery of being, rejecting rationalist views that try to reduce being to abstract concepts. For Marcel, secondary reflection is needed to reconquer the unity between an individual and their experiences in the world, grasping the mystery of being through recollection rather than objective analysis.