Existentialism is a philosophical movement that is generally considered a study that pursues meaning in existence and seeks value for the existing individual. Existentialism, unlike other fields of philosophy, does not treat the individual as a concept, and values individual subjectivity over objectivity. As a result, questions regarding the meaning of life and subjective experience are seen as being of paramount importance, above all other scientific and philosophical pursuits. Existentialism often is associated with anxiety, dread, awareness of death, and freedom. Famous existentialists include Sartre, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Camus, and Heidegger.

Existentialism emphasizes action, freedom, and decision as fundamental to human existence and is fundamentally opposed to the rationalist tradition and to positivism. That is, it argues against definitions of human beings either as primarily rational, knowing beings who relate to reality primarily as an object of knowledge, or for whom action can or ought to be regulated by rational principles, or as beings who can be defined in terms of their behavior as it looks to or is studied by others. More generally it rejects all of the Western rationalist definitions of being in terms of a rational principle or essence or as the most general feature that all existing things share in common. Existentialism tends to view human beings as subjects in an indifferent, objective, often ambiguous, and "absurd" universe in which meaning is not provided by the natural order, but rather can be created, however provisionally and unstably, by human beings' actions and interpretations.

Although there are certain common tendencies among existentialist thinkers, there are major differences and disagreements among them, and not all of them even affiliate themselves with or accept the validity of the term "existentialism". In German, the phrase Existenzphilosophie (philosophy of existence) is also used.

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Sometimes tiny glimmers of hope that perhaps I'm not alone in this world, can feel so much worse than knowing I am alone. #existentialism
seamstresser (Michelle Thompson) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:49:36 -0000
Sometimes tiny glimmers of hope that perhaps I'm not alone in this world, can feel so much worse than knowing I am alone. #existentialism
Checking out some of the films on VODO, such as Lionshare (http://bit.ly/6Z1H0J) and Legacy (http://bit.ly/4XEzDA)
existentialism (Brian Ng) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:30:48 -0000
Checking out some of the films on VODO, such as Lionshare (http://bit.ly/6Z1H0J) and Legacy (http://bit.ly/4XEzDA)
I *love* Fandango's 2 for 1 movie tickets with Visa Signature... helps the "Oh man I paid $10 for that?" sting hurt less.
existentialism (Brian Ng) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:27:19 -0000
I *love* Fandango's 2 for 1 movie tickets with Visa Signature... helps the "Oh man I paid $10 for that?" sting hurt less.
Photo: nicoletheresa: existentialism? http://tumblr.com/xxd4tpdip
kristennbabby (Kristen Corb) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:03:04 -0000
Photo: nicoletheresa: existentialism? http://tumblr.com/xxd4tpdip
@pierceurnudds You're into Kierkegaard and Nietzsche right? Considering reading up on existentialism, any suggestions?
nicklunn (Nick Lunn) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:01:31 -0000
@pierceurnudds You're into Kierkegaard and Nietzsche right? Considering reading up on existentialism, any suggestions?
Just got home from Whataburger... fun night... but way too damn crowded.
existentialism (Brian Ng) Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:05:45 -0000
Just got home from Whataburger... fun night... but way too damn crowded.

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