Existentialism

1. Existence Precedes Essence: We Define Ourselves Through Choice

What do we mean by saying that existence precedes essence? We mean that man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world—and defines himself afterwards.

We are not predetermined. Unlike manufactured objects or beings with a divine blueprint, humans are born without a fixed nature or purpose. We are simply "there," thrown into existence, and only through our actions and choices do we create who we are. This means there is no inherent human nature that dictates our behavior or destiny.

Self-creation through action. Our essence, our definition, is not given to us; it is something we build moment by moment. Every choice we make, every action we take, contributes to the person we become. This ongoing process of self-definition is what makes human existence unique and distinct from the being of things.

Freedom to become. Because we are not bound by a predefined essence, we possess radical freedom. We are not limited by what we were yesterday or what others expect us to be. Our future is open, a realm of possibilities that we shape through our will and our deeds.

2. Anguish Reveals Our Radical Freedom

to learn to be anxious is an adventure which every human being must endure, in order that he may not perish either by never having been anxious, or to sink in anxiety; and therefore he who has learned rightly to be anxious has learned the ultimate.

Anxiety is not fear. Unlike fear, which has a specific object (a threat, a danger), anxiety has no definite object. It is a pervasive feeling that arises from our awareness of our own freedom and the lack of external guarantees or predetermined paths.

Consciousness of possibility. Anxiety is the feeling of confronting the sheer possibility of our own being. It is the dizzying realization that we are not fixed, that we could be otherwise, and that the future is not set. This awareness of our own contingency and the groundlessness of our choices is the core of anxiety.

The weight of freedom. This feeling is often uncomfortable because it highlights the burden of our freedom.

• We are responsible for our choices.
• There are no external values or rules to definitively guide us.
• Every decision is a leap into the unknown.
  Anxiety is the emotional resonance of this profound freedom and the accompanying lack of external support.

3. We Bear Absolute Responsibility for Ourselves and Humanity

man being condemned to be free carries the weight of the whole world on his shoulders; he is responsible for the world and for himself as a way of being.

No excuses. Because we are free and define ourselves through our choices, we are absolutely responsible for everything we are and everything we do. There is no external force, no predetermined nature, no past event that can serve as an excuse for our actions.

Choosing for all. Furthermore, in choosing for ourselves, we are also choosing for all of humanity. Every choice we make creates an image of the kind of person we believe one ought to be. This image, projected through our actions, serves as an example for others, making our personal responsibility universal.

The burden of choice. This overwhelming responsibility can be a source of anguish, as we realize that our individual decisions have implications far beyond ourselves.

• Choosing a career implies a certain value placed on that type of work.
• Deciding to marry implies a stance on relationships.
• Even small, seemingly insignificant choices contribute to the image of man we present to the world.
  We are the sole authors of our being, and in that authorship lies the total weight of our existence and its meaning.

4. The Absurd Arises from the Clash of Reason and an Indifferent World

At any streetcorner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face.

The human need for meaning. Humans possess a deep-seated need for order, meaning, and rationality. We seek to understand the world, to find purpose, and to believe that things happen for a reason.

The world's silence. However, when we confront the universe, we find it indifferent and silent. It offers no inherent meaning, no grand plan, no ultimate purpose. The natural world simply is, without regard for our human desires for significance.

The absurd encounter. The absurd is born from this fundamental conflict: the confrontation between our innate human need for meaning and the universe's cold, irrational silence. It is the feeling of being a stranger in a world that offers no answers to our most profound questions.

• Why are we here?
• What is the purpose of suffering?
• Is there any ultimate justice?
  The absurd is the recognition of this irreconcilable divorce between our longing for reason and the world's lack of it.

5. Bad Faith is Self-Deception About Our Freedom and Facticity

the goal of bad faith, as we said, is to put oneself out of reach; it is an escape.

Denying ambiguity. Bad faith is a form of self-deception where we attempt to escape the fundamental ambiguity of human existence. We are both a facticity (our given situation, past, body) and a transcendence (our freedom, our ability to go beyond the given). Bad faith tries to deny one or both of these aspects.

Playing a role. One common form of bad faith is to identify solely with our facticity, treating ourselves as if we were fixed objects defined by our past or our social roles. The waiter who is "just a waiter" or the woman who is "just a woman" denies their freedom to be otherwise. This provides a false sense of security by avoiding the responsibility of choice.

Denying the given. Conversely, one can deny facticity by pretending to be pure, unconditioned freedom, ignoring the limitations and realities of one's situation. This is equally bad faith, as it leads to unrealistic expectations and a refusal to engage with the world as it is. Bad faith is ultimately a flight from the anguish of freedom and responsibility.

6. "Hell is Other People": Conflict Defines Our Relations

Hell is— other people.

The Look. When another person looks at me, I become aware of myself as an object in their world. Their gaze fixes me, defines me, and potentially judges me. This experience of being seen by the Other is fundamental to our self-awareness but also a source of conflict.

Objectification and alienation. The Other's look can turn me into an object, stripping away my subjectivity and freedom in their perception. I become "the waiter," "the woman," "the coward," defined by their gaze rather than my own self-creation. This objectification is a form of alienation, as my being is, in a sense, stolen by the Other.

Struggle for recognition. Our relations with others are often characterized by a struggle for recognition, a desire to be seen as a free subject rather than a fixed object.

• Love can be an attempt to possess the other's freedom.
• Sadism seeks to reduce the other to a thing.
• Masochism attempts to become an object for the other.
  This inherent conflict in being-for-others makes genuine, non-conflicting relationships difficult, leading Sartre to the stark conclusion that "Hell is— other people."

7. "God is Dead": The Loss of Absolute Values

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

Loss of foundation. Nietzsche's famous declaration signifies the decline of traditional religious belief and, with it, the loss of a transcendent source of meaning and values. If God, the ultimate guarantor of truth and morality, does not exist, then there are no absolute, objective values "out there" in the universe.

The problem of nihilism. This realization leads to nihilism, the belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. The highest values, once grounded in the divine, now "devalue themselves." This presents a crisis for humanity, as the traditional framework for morality and meaning collapses.

Creating new values. The death of God is not necessarily a cause for despair, but a challenge. It means that humans are now free—and responsible—to create their own values and meanings.

• We must decide what is good and evil.
• We must forge our own purpose.
• We must build our own world of significance.
  This task is daunting, but it is also the source of human dignity and the possibility of authentic self-creation in a post-theistic world.

8. Authenticity Requires Confronting Our Own Being

The thing is to understand myself, to see what God truly wishes me to do; the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea I can live and die for.

Beyond the "They". Authenticity is the state of being true to oneself, not in the sense of conforming to a fixed nature, but in the sense of actively choosing and living one's own possibilities. It involves breaking away from the anonymous conformity of "the they" (das Man), the public, the crowd, which dictates how one should think, feel, and act.

Assuming one's facticity and freedom. Authenticity requires acknowledging and integrating both one's facticity (one's given situation, past, limitations) and one's freedom (one's ability to transcend the given and choose). It is the courageous acceptance of the ambiguity of being a situated freedom.

Living one's truth. To be authentic is to live in accordance with the truth one finds for oneself, even if this truth is subjective and not universally verifiable.

• It is a commitment to one's chosen project.
• It is facing the anguish and responsibility that come with freedom.
• It is resisting the temptation to fall into bad faith or lose oneself in the crowd.
  Authenticity is a dynamic process of self-creation and self-affirmation in the face of a meaningless or indifferent world.

9. Life is Will to Power: A Drive for Growth and Overcoming

What is good? Everything that heightens the feeling of power in man, the will to power, power itself.

Beyond good and evil. Nietzsche challenges traditional morality, arguing that it is often based on ressentiment and weakness (slave morality). He proposes a revaluation of values based on the "will to power," which is not merely political domination but a fundamental drive for growth, self-overcoming, and the affirmation of life.

Affirming life. The will to power is the impulse to expand, to create, to master oneself and one's environment. It is the force behind all striving, all achievement, and all forms of life.

• It is the artist creating a masterpiece.
• It is the athlete pushing physical limits.
• It is the philosopher forging new ideas.
  Good is what enhances this power; bad is what hinders it.

Becoming who you are. This drive is intimately linked to the idea of self-creation. To live according to the will to power is to constantly strive to become more than one is, to overcome one's limitations, and to affirm one's existence in the face of suffering and the absurd. It is a call to embrace the challenges of life and to find joy in the process of becoming.

10. Truth is Subjectivity: Finding Meaning for Oneself

subjectivity is truth.

Beyond objective truth. Kierkegaard argues against the Hegelian notion of objective, systematic truth that can be grasped impersonally. For existential matters, truth is not a matter of detached knowledge but of passionate, personal appropriation.

The importance of the "How". What matters is not what one believes (the objective content) but how one relates to that belief (the subjective attitude). A person who relates to an idol with infinite passion may be closer to truth than someone who adheres to the "true God" without genuine inwardness or commitment.

Passion and inwardness. Subjective truth is found in the intensity of one's inwardness, in the passion with which one embraces a belief or a way of life.

• It is the commitment that makes a belief true for the individual.
• It is the willingness to live and die for an idea.
• It is the daring venture of faith in the face of objective uncertainty.
  This does not mean that objective facts are irrelevant, but that for the most crucial questions of existence, truth is ultimately a matter of personal, passionate engagement.

11. The Crowd is Untruth: The Individual Stands Alone

wherever there is a crowd there is untruth.

Loss of self. Kierkegaard vehemently criticizes "the crowd," "the public," or "the they" (Heidegger) as the realm of inauthenticity and untruth. Losing oneself in the anonymity of the collective leads to a diffusion of responsibility and a conformity that stifles genuine individuality and subjective truth.

Anonymity and irresponsibility. In the crowd, the individual becomes a mere function, losing the sharp edges of personal responsibility and unique being. Actions are attributed to "everyone" or "no one," allowing individuals to evade the weight of their own choices.

The call to be "that Individual". Against the untruth of the crowd, existentialism emphasizes the importance of the solitary individual.

• Truth is found in inwardness, not public opinion.
• Responsibility is personal, not collective.
• Authentic existence requires standing alone, even against the majority.
  This does not necessarily mean physical isolation, but a spiritual detachment from the dictates of the anonymous mass, a commitment to finding one's own truth and bearing one's own responsibility.

12. Facing Death is Essential to Understanding Life

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.

The ultimate limit. Death is the unavoidable end of every human life, the ultimate limit to our possibilities and projects. Confronting our own mortality is a fundamental existential task.

Revealing the meaning of life. The awareness of death highlights the finitude and contingency of our existence, stripping away illusions and forcing us to confront the question of life's meaning. Camus argues that the decision of whether or not life is worth living, in the face of death, is the most serious philosophical problem.

Authentic being-toward-death. Heidegger describes authentic existence as "being-toward-death," not in a morbid sense, but as a courageous acceptance of our finitude and the possibilities it opens up.

• It individualizes us, tearing us away from the anonymity of the "they."
• It reveals our ownmost possibility, which cannot be taken away by others.
• It is lived in anguish, the awareness of our being delivered over to nothingness.
  By integrating the certainty of death into our lives, we can live more authentically, appreciating the preciousness of each moment and the weight of our freedom.

Last updated: May 4, 2025