Views of Existentialism

A detailed Summary of Views of Existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that developed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One of the first things one may notice about existentialism is the confusion and disagreement of what it actually is. This is because those who developed it have conflicting ideas. Walter Kaufman, one of the leading existential scholars says, "Certainly, existentialism is not a school of thought nor reducible to any set of tenets. The two writers who appear invariable on every list of existentialists, 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 their "perfervid individualism." Therefore, a precise definition is impossible, however, it suggests one major theme, a stress on individual existence and the subsequent development of personal essence.

Man is the only known being, according to existentialists, that defines itself merely through the act of living. In other words, first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Freedom of choice, through which each human being creates their own nature, is one of the basic themes. Because individuals are free

The basic existentialist standpoint is that existence precedes essence. Man is a conscious subject, rather than a thing to be predicted or manipulated, he exists as a conscious being, and not in accordance with any definition, essence, generalization, or system. Existentialism says I am nothing but my own conscious existence. A second existentialist theme is that of anxiety, or the sense of anguish, a generalized uneasiness, and a fear or dread that is not directed to any specific object. Anguish is the dread of emptiness of human existence. It is the claim that anguish is the underlying, all-pervasive, universal condition of human existence.

Every person spends a lifetime changing his or her essence. Without life there can be no meaning, the search for meaning in existentialism is the search for self. In other words, we define ourselves by living; killing yourself would indicate you have chosen to have no meaning. Existentialists believe in living, in fact fighting for life.

In order to understand the current meaning of existentialism, one must first understand that the American view of existentialism is derived from the writings of political activists, not intellectual purists. Americans learned the term "existential" after World War II. The term is credited to Jean-Paul Sartre to describe his own philosophies, but it was actually coined by Kierkegaard when he described his "existential dialectic." It was not until the late 1950's that the term was applied broadly to several divergent schools of thought.

to choose their own path, existentialists have argued that they must accept the risk and responsibility of their actions. This

Some common words found in the essay are:
Kafka Camus, Christians Pascal, Christianity Judaism, Blaise Pascal, Jean-Paul Sartre, Walter Kaufman, , Heidegger Sartre, human existence, War II, Pascal Kierkegaard, existentialist theme, meaning existentialism, spent life, existentialists believe, applied broadly,

Approximate Word count = 1120
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous