Existentialism
Existentialism is a philosophy that can be challenging to define. This is in part due to the fact that the leading figures in existentialism had many differences in the way they viewed the world. Existentialism is usually described as a way of trying to make sense out of life and the world. The classic question “what is the meaning of life” … Keep Reading → is at the heart of existentialism. Classic works on existentialism focus on the seemingly meaningless nature of life as well as the rights of individuals to determine their own value systems. Existentialists believe that who we are is not something that is pre-determined but rather something that is up to us. The leading figures associated with existentialism are Jean-Paul Sartre, Soren Kierkegaard, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Existentialism as a formal area of philosophy became well known in the second half of the 20th century. It is speculated that the challenges of the post-war era contributed to its rise in popularity.
