Existentialism is a term applied to the work of a number of philosophers since the 19th century who, despite large differences in their positions, generally focused on the condition of human existence, and an individual’s emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts, or the meaning or purpose of life.
Existentialist themes are displayed in the Theatre of the Absurd, notably in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, in which two men divert themselves while they wait expectantly for someone (or something) named Godot who never arrives.
Franz Kafka ‘s works, in which themes of alienation and persecution are repeatedly emphasized, permeate the apparent hopelessness•and absurdity that are considered emblematic of existentialism.
Jean-Paul Sartre ‘s 1938 novel Nausea was “steeped in Existential ideas”, and is considered an accessible way of grasping his philosophical stance. Since 1970, much cultural activity in art, cinema, and literature contains postmodernist and existentialist elements.
a. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) as an Existentialist Philosopher. Kierkegaard was many things: philosopher, religious writer, satirist, psychologist, journalist, literary critic and generally considered the 'father' of existentialism.
Existentialism in its currently recognizable form was inspired by the 19th Century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, the German philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers (1883 - 1969) and Edmund Husserl, and writers like the Russian Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 - 1881) and the Czech Franz Kafka ( ...
List of existentialistsNameLivedOccupationKarl JaspersFebruary 23, 1883 – February 26, 1969PhilosopherFranz KafkaJuly 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924NovelistWalter KaufmannJuly 1, 1921 – September 4, 1980PhilosopherSøren KierkegaardMay 5, 1813 – November 11, 1855Theologian, philosopher, author55 more rows
Sartre's theory of existentialism states that “existence precedes essence”, that is only by existing and acting a certain way do we give meaning to our lives. According to him, there is no fixed design for how a human being should be and no God to give us a purpose.
Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre was a French novelist, playwright, and philosopher. A leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy, he was an exponent of a philosophy of existence known as existentialism. His most notable works included Nausea (1938), Being and Nothingness (1943), and Existentialism and Humanism (1946).
Existentialism (/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm/ /ˌɛksəˈstɛntʃəˌlɪzəm/) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on the subjective experience of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Kant's critical philosophy represents a rudimentary existentialism, or a proto-existentialism, in the following respects: He emphasizes human finitude, limits our knowledge, and argues that human consciousness is characterized by mineness (Jemeinigkeit).
The principal representatives of German existentialism in the 20th century were Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers; those of French personalistic existentialism were Gabriel Marcel and Jean-Paul Sartre; that of French phenomenology were Maurice Merleau-Ponty; that of Spanish existentialism was José Ortega y Gasset; that ...
Søren Kierkegaard (1813–55) is often called the father of existentialism because he was the first modern philosopher to explore several of the themes that would eventually characterize the existentialist movement in philosophy in the first half of the 20th century.
Nietzsche's contribution to existentialism was the idea that men must accept that they are part of a material world, regardless of what else might exist. As part of this world, men must live as if there is nothing else beyond life. A failure to live, to take risks, is a failure to realize human potential.
The experience of the war and the encounter with Merleau-Ponty contributed to awakening Sartre's interest in the political dimension of human existence: Sartre thus further developed his existentialist understanding of human beings in a way which is compatible with Marxism.
Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism.
Existentialism is a term applied to the work of a number of philosophers since the 19th century who, despite large differences in their positions, generally focused on the condition of human existence, and an individual’s emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts, or the meaning or purpose of life.
Existential philosophers often focused more on what is subjective, such as beliefs and religion, or human states, feelings, and emotions, such as freedom, pain, guilt, and regret, as opposed to analyzing objective knowledge, language, or science. Existentialist perspectives are also found in literature to varying degrees.
Jean-Paul Sartre wrote No Exit in 1944, an existentialist play originally published in French as Huis Clos (meaning “In Camera” or “behind closed doors”) which is the source of the popular quote, “Hell is other people.”. The play begins with a Valet leading a man into a room that the audience soon realizes is in hell.
Since 1970, much cultural activity in art, cinema, and literature contains postmodernist and existentialist elements.