Existentialism

Existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that developed during the 19th and 20th century, which emphasizes the individual existence, freedom and choice. Existentialism basically states, man exits and defines himself and the world in his own way and wanders between choice, freedom and existential ways. Existentialism proposes that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life, just simply existing, until he made decisive choice about his own

future.

Walter Kaufmann, one developer of existentialism stated " existentialism is not a school of thought nor reducible to any set of tenets" . Kaufmann was not the only one to have this belief, philosophers such as Martin Heidegger and Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, along with many others shared the belief that existentialism means individualism.

Philosopher Heidegger gave people to understand existentialism by stating " there is no predefined essence to humanity except that which we make for ourselves". Due to existentialism not acknowledging the power of God or any other earth ruler for morality to be established for human beings, leading them to feel free to do as they wish.

To be an existential one must have characteristics such as nothingness, where one cannot be held accountable for the world around them, it is an awareness of nothing. Nothingness causes them to escape by ignoring or denying their responsibilities in life. Also one must arrive from nothingness to absurdity when request for a meaning. To exist as a human being is bizarre, and absurd according to the philosophers behind existentialism. Another characteristic relates to ethics, to be existential one's ethics must be based on truths and facts, which leads to acts to be only judged on prove. Choice is anther trait one must obtain, choice allows one to choose what they feel is right or wrong. It is believed in existentialism that few decisions are without any negative consequences.

Existentialism is a fate for those who don't rely of fates such as a God or chance, they allow themselves to be their self rules and establish their own life constitutions. Without its philosophical analysis existentialism is just giving man the free will of choice, thus one must choose how they live their life.