Existentialism
Europe, nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Existentialism studies situated existence, choice, and the relationship between freedom and responsibility.
Historical context
The label covers nineteenth-century predecessors and twentieth-century European debates. In France it was especially associated with the public reception of Sartre and Beauvoir after the Second World War.
Overview
The notion of situation brings inherited conditions together with possibilities for action. Freedom is examined alongside responsibility, relations to others, and circumstances that limit available choices.
Main claims
Concrete, situated existence is a starting point for thinking about choice and responsibility.
Debates and nuances
The tradition brings together thinkers with different religious, ethical, and metaphysical commitments.
This entry provides educational context.