Existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries, exploring questions of individual existence, freedom, choice, and meaning. While its roots can be traced to Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, it became a major intellectual force through the works of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, and Martin Heidegger.

Existentialism holds that existence precedes essence — that humans are not born with a predetermined nature but must create meaning through their choices and actions. Kierkegaard, the "father of existentialism," explored the anguish of choice and the leap of faith. Nietzsche confronted the "death of God" and called for the creation of new values through the will to power and the ideal of the Ubermensch. Schopenhauer, a precursor, analyzed the world as driven by a blind, irrational Will and sought release through aesthetic contemplation and compassion.

Central themes include authenticity, absurdity, anxiety, freedom, responsibility, and the confrontation with mortality. Existentialist thought has profoundly influenced literature, psychology, theology, and the arts.