Existentialism

 Existentialism

At its core, existentialism is a philosophy obsessed with a single, liberating, and sometimes terrifying question: Now that you are here, what are you going to do with it?

​Unlike older philosophical traditions that looked to nature, God, or universal laws to define what a human being "should" be, existentialism flips the script. It argues that you aren't born with a blueprint.

​Here are the core concepts that define this way of thinking:

​1. "Existence precedes essence"

​This is the movement's ultimate tagline, coined by Jean-Paul Sartre. Think of a manufactured object, like a paperknife: its purpose (its essence) was designed before the physical object was actually made (its existence).

​For human beings, existentialists argue it’s the exact opposite. You exist first—you pop into the world, show up, act—and only through your choices do you define your "essence," your character, and your purpose.

​2. Radical Freedom and "Angst"

​Because there is no pre-written script, you are entirely free. But in existentialism, freedom isn't just about doing whatever you want; it’s a heavy burden. You are "condemned to be free," because every choice you make is entirely on you. There is no "the universe made me do it" or "it was just fate." This realization often triggers existential dread or angst—the anxiety of realizing how much responsibility you actually carry.

​3. The Fight Against "Bad Faith"

​Sartre used the term bad faith (mauvaise foi) to describe when people pretend they don't have freedom. If you stay in a career you hate or adopt beliefs you don't care about simply because "that's just what people do," you are living in bad faith. It's playing a role rather than living authentically.

​4. The Absurd

​Particularly championed by Albert Camus, the Absurd is the collision between two things:

  1. ​The human desire for inherent meaning, order, and purpose.
  2. ​A cold, silent universe that offers absolutely none.

​Camus argued that we shouldn't despair or turn to false certainties when we face the Absurd. Instead, we should accept it and live defiantly anyway—creating our own meaning in spite of the silence.

​"Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself."

— Jean-Paul Sartre


​Ultimately, existentialism isn't about wallowing in meaninglessness. It’s an active, demanding philosophy. It strips away external excuses and hands the wheel entirely back to the individual, viewing life as a blank canvas that requires conscious, authentic action to fill.

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