Unlock the mysteries of life with existentialism explained! Explore freedom, responsibility, and how to find your own meaning in today's world.
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Unlock the mysteries of existence! Dive into our simple yet profound guide on existentialism philosophy for beginners. Your journey starts here!
What is existentialism, really? A clear guide to the philosophy of existence — from Kierkegaard's leap of faith to Camus's absurd hero, and why it matters in the 21st century.
"Existence precedes essence." This simple yet revolutionary statement by Jean-Paul Sartre captures the heart of existentialism, one of philosophy's most influential and misunderstood movements. Born from the anxieties of post-war Europe, existentialism explained offers profound insights into human freedom, authenticity, and the challenge of creating meaning in an indifferent universe.
Whether you're familiar with existentialist thinkers like Camus, Kierkegaard, or Nietzsche, or you're simply seeking to understand this often-mysterious philosophy, this guide will clarify what existentialism really means and why it remains remarkably relevant to modern life.
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Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice. At its core, existentialism explained reveals a philosophy centered on a radical idea: humans are not born with a predetermined purpose or nature. Instead, we exist first, and then through our choices and actions, we create our own essence—our identity, values, and meaning.
Unlike traditional philosophies that might propose universal truths or inherent purposes, existentialists argue that each person must define their own values and meaning through authentic choices. This philosophy emerged prominently in the 19th and 20th centuries, though its roots stretch back further.
In traditional philosophy, essence (what something is) precedes existence (that something is). A knife, for example, is designed with a purpose before it exists. Existentialists flip this: humans exist first, then define themselves through their choices.
You're not born with a fixed nature or destiny. You're born as pure potential, and you become who you are through your decisions, actions, and commitments. This is simultaneously liberating and terrifying.
Existentialists assert that humans possess radical freedom—we're free to choose our actions, beliefs, and values. But freedom comes with a heavy burden: total responsibility for our choices.
You can't blame fate, God, society, or your upbringing for who you become. Even in constrained circumstances, you retain the freedom to choose your attitude and response. As Viktor Frankl, influenced by existentialist thought, discovered in Nazi concentration camps: the last human freedom is choosing one's attitude in any given circumstance.
Authenticity means living in accordance with your own values and accepting responsibility for your choices. An authentic person acknowledges their freedom and doesn't hide behind social roles or expectations.
Bad faith (mauvaise foi) is Sartre's term for self-deception—pretending you don't have freedom or that you must be a certain way. The waiter who over-identifies with his role, becoming the "essence" of a waiter rather than a free individual who happens to work as a waiter, exemplifies bad faith.
We all engage in bad faith sometimes—it's easier to hide behind roles and excuses than to accept the weight of our freedom. Existentialism challenges us to live more authentically.
Albert Camus explored the tension between our human need for meaning and the universe's apparent meaninglessness—what he called "the absurd." We crave purpose, answers, and significance, yet we inhabit a universe that offers none.
Rather than despairing or escaping into false hope, Camus argued we should embrace the absurd. We must imagine Sisyphus happy, he famously wrote, referring to the Greek myth of a man condemned to eternally roll a boulder uphill. Meaning comes not from the universe but from our rebellion against meaninglessness—our choice to create value and live fully despite the absurd.
Existentialists distinguish between everyday fear (of specific threats) and existential anxiety or dread—a deeper unease about freedom, choice, and our ultimate mortality.
This anxiety stems from recognizing that:
Rather than pathologizing this anxiety, existentialists see it as a sign of authentic awareness. It's uncomfortable but honest.
Often called the "father of existentialism," this Danish philosopher emphasized subjective truth, authentic faith, and the individual's relationship with God. Kierkegaard explored different life stages—aesthetic, ethical, and religious—and argued that true faith requires a "leap" beyond reason.
His key insight: truth is subjective. What matters isn't objective facts but how you passionately engage with existence.
Though he predated the formal existentialist movement, Nietzsche profoundly influenced it. His declaration that "God is dead" wasn't celebratory but diagnostic—he recognized that traditional religious frameworks for meaning were collapsing in modern society.
Nietzsche challenged people to create their own values (the "Übermensch" or "overman") and embrace life fully, even with its suffering and lack of inherent meaning.
Perhaps the most famous existentialist, Sartre developed atheistic existentialism to its fullest. His philosophy emphasized radical freedom, responsibility, and the project of self-creation.
Key concepts include:
Camus explored the absurd—the conflict between our need for meaning and the universe's silence. Though he rejected the label "existentialist," his work is closely associated with the movement.
In The Myth of Sisyphus, he argued that the fundamental philosophical question is whether to commit suicide in the face of life's meaninglessness. His answer: we must revolt against the absurd by living fully and creating our own meaning.
A pioneering feminist philosopher and Sartre's longtime partner, de Beauvoir applied existentialist principles to examine women's oppression. Her groundbreaking work The Second Sex argued that "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman"—gender is constructed through social conditioning, not biological destiny.
She emphasized that women, like all humans, must claim their freedom and resist being defined solely by others' expectations.
Existentialism explained offers a framework for making authentic life decisions. Rather than following family expectations, social conventions, or chasing prestige, ask: "What do I genuinely value? What life would I create if I fully owned my freedom?"
This doesn't make choices easier—existential freedom is heavy. But it clarifies that you're responsible for your path, and that's empowering.
Existentialism encourages authentic relationships where both people acknowledge each other's freedom rather than trying to possess or define each other. It warns against losing yourself in relationships or defining yourself entirely through others' eyes.
Existential therapy, developed by thinkers like Viktor Frankl, Rollo May, and Irvin Yalom, applies existential principles to psychological healing. This approach helps people:
Rather than seeing anxiety as merely pathological, existential therapy recognizes that some anxiety reflects honest confrontation with existence's fundamental realities.
Existentialists don't shy away from death but see awareness of mortality as essential to authentic living. When you recognize that your time is limited, you're more likely to live intentionally rather than drifting through life in bad faith.
Heidegger's concept of "being-toward-death" suggests that acknowledging death helps us seize our unique existence rather than living inauthentically.
"Existentialism is pessimistic and depressing" - While existentialists confront difficult truths (mortality, meaninglessness, radical responsibility), many found this liberating rather than depressing. Camus insisted we must imagine Sisyphus happy. Nietzsche celebrated life-affirmation.
"Existentialists believe nothing matters" - Quite the opposite. Because we create meaning rather than discovering it pre-made, our choices matter enormously. We're responsible for the values we create and live by.
"Existentialism is just nihilism" - Nihilism says nothing has meaning or value. Existentialism says the universe doesn't provide meaning, so we must create it. That's fundamentally different.
"Existentialism promotes selfish individualism" - While existentialism emphasizes individual freedom, many existentialists (especially Sartre and de Beauvoir) also emphasized social responsibility. Your choices affect others, and authentic living includes recognizing our interconnectedness.
Existentialism includes both religious and atheistic strands. Kierkegaard was deeply Christian, while Sartre was atheist. What unites them is emphasis on personal choice and subjective experience over abstract doctrine.
Religious existentialists argue that authentic faith requires a personal "leap" beyond rational proof. You can't inherit genuine faith or accept it passively—you must choose it despite uncertainty.
Atheistic existentialists argue that without God, we're even more radically free and responsible for creating meaning.
Critics argue that existentialism:
These critiques have merit, though existentialists would argue that even within constraints, we retain some freedom in how we respond and what we value.
How can you apply existentialism explained to your daily life?
In our modern world of:
Existentialism explained offers crucial wisdom. It teaches us to:
Existentialism won't make life easy or comfortable. It offers something more valuable: a framework for living honestly and fully in a world without inherent meaning, transforming that apparent void into a canvas for authentic self-creation.
Existentialism ultimately presents a challenge: Will you own your freedom and responsibility, or hide in bad faith? Will you create authentic meaning, or drift through life following scripts written by others?
These aren't comfortable questions. But as existentialists understood, comfort often comes at the cost of authenticity. The examined life, the authentic life, the freely chosen life—these require courage.
As Sartre wrote: "Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."
That condemnation is also a liberation. In accepting it, we claim our full humanity—not as finished products or predetermined essences, but as beings perpetually creating ourselves through our choices, moment by moment, until death.
That's existentialism explained: terrifying, liberating, and profoundly human.
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