Existentialism

Existentialism is a view in philosophy that is usually contrasted with essentialism (separate entry). Unlike essentialism, which places an emphasis on the essence of a thing over its existence, existentialism asserts that existence has precedence - as is demonstrated in Sartre’s statement: “Existence precedes essence”. Take the example of a microwave: the essence, which would be the utility/function of the microwave, of the device takes precedence over its existence simply because the plan and intent for the use of the machine was always to be a microwave and to heat up food. However, many existentialists postulate that human existence is different, and - unlike a microwave - there is not a predetermined purpose, all that humans have is existence (thus: it is up to humans to form an ‘essence’ and meaning). Rising out of the historical context of the second World War, and the many political and social upheavals during the same time, existentialism attempted to answer fundamental questions about human existence and essence. Though, the existentialist not only focuses on what human’s essence and meaning throughout life is, but also how humans create their meaning, how they experience the world, how they grapple with human nature, how subjective experiences form human reality, etc. In this way, existentialism has the potential to be quite liberating, which is definitely expressed through Sartre's statement that existentialism is a humanism, if we treat it as such. Though existentialism is a fairly new movement, similar questions have been around since antiquity (often through thinkers involved with the Stoics) and the Medieval thinkers (certain theologians dealt with the silence of the universe and seeming abandonment of God from the world). And continuing with that trend, though a small number of philosophers officially label themselves as ‘existentialists’ - there has been a shift in contemporary philosophy that deals more closely with existentialist questions, centering on human meaning and the purpose for existence.