Existentialism

Existentialism is a body of thought that emerged during the WWII years. Many writers and artists were disillusioned with the world and embarked on an intellectual journey to search for meaning. As we read Albert Camus' The Stranger, be aware of Monsieur Mersault's struggle for fulfillment and meaning.

Consider the following Existential Principle:

“Existence Precedes Essence”

Sartre's slogan—“existence precedes essence”—may serve to introduce what is most distinctive of existentialism, namely, the idea that no general, non-formal account of what it means to be human can be given, since that meaning is decided in and through existing itself. Existence is “self-making-in-a-situation” (Fackenheim 1961:37). In contrast to other entities, whose essential properties are fixed by the kind of entities they are, what is essential to a human being—what makes her who she is—is not fixed by her type but by what she makes of herself, who she becomes.[4] The fundamental contribution of existential thought lies in the idea that one's identity is constituted neither by nature nor by culture, since to “exist” is precisely to constitute such an identity. It is in light of this idea that key existential notions such as facticity, transcendence (project), alienation, and authenticity must be understood. (Stanford University, 2004)