A Definition of Existentialism

Existentialism is a European philosophy regarding the fundamentals of existing within the world. It presents us with a bleak but empowering insight into the human condition that highlights the emptiness of existence, while simultaneaously presenting us with the power to imbue our own lives with meaning and depth.

It has its roots in the mid 19th century with the work of Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard's ideas were then carried forward, most notably, by Edmund Husserl, Frederick Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre. Existentialism can be loosely defined by the following concepts:

Unity

Existentialism denies the concept of the world being made up of an internal, subjective and mental world and an outer, objective and 'real' world. It holds that our minds our fundamentally intentional, in that every thought and feeling we have is directly bound up with an object in the world.

Freedom

Existentialism claims that all people have the fundamental freedom to choose how to respond in any given situation. In any endeavour, no matter how much resistance one encounters, it is ultimately oneself that decides to give up or to persevere.

Meaninglessness

Existentialism claims that all meaning is imposed upon the world by us and that it itself does not contain meaning. We decide meanings that fit with our future projects. If one's future project is to quit one's job, then each failing by one's employer could be interpreted as confirmation that you are making the right decision.

The Other

Existentialism claims that other people are an unavoidable reality of our world. We are inherently bound up with other people and are in a constant state of flux between being an object for the other and the other becoming an object to us. Relationships are at their most cherished when neither person relates to the other as an object.

Existentialim has been gradualy developed, through the works of thinkers such as Victor Frankle, Irvin Yalom and, more recently, Emmy van Deurzen, into a theoretical foundation for psychotherapy. Click here to discover more about Existential Psychotherapy.