Word
existentialism
Meanings
A philosophical movement emphasizing individual freedom, choice, and responsibility, especially in an uncertain or meaningless-seeming world.
A set of themes in literature, art, or film that highlight anxiety, alienation, and the need to create personal meaning through choices.
Definition
Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses on individual freedom, choice, and the search for meaning in a world without guaranteed purpose.
Existentialism is a modern philosophical movement that emphasizes personal responsibility and the reality of making choices under uncertainty. It explores how people create meaning through their actions rather than relying on fixed moral or religious certainties. In existentialism, feelings like anxiety or alienation can be seen as natural responses to freedom and ambiguity.
Examples
- In her thesis, she argues that existentialism reframes anxiety as a rational response to radical freedom.
- During the seminar, I found existentialism persuasive because it refuses to offer comfort through easy certainties.
- They discussed existentialism while watching the film, noting how the protagonist keeps choosing despite repeated failure.
- He turned to existentialism after the move abroad left him feeling unmoored and responsible for redefining his priorities.
Common mistake
Learners often misspell the word as "existancealism" or confuse it with "existential" (the adjective) when they need the noun "existentialism."
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