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Key Concepts in Existentialism
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Existence Precedes Essence
This concept conveys that individuals first exist without predetermined purpose or essence and must then create meaning through action.
The Absurd
Refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any in a purposeless, meaningless universe.
Authenticity
This means living in accordance with one's self-generated values and understanding, as opposed to living in accordance with societal pressures or external standards.
Bad Faith
A concept where individuals deceive themselves to escape the anxiety that comes with the freedom of choice and responsibility for one's own actions.
Facticity
This refers to the concrete details against the background of which human freedom exists and is limited, such as birthplace, age, and the historical context.
Angst
A profound form of anxiety or dread invoking the individual's confrontation with the absurdity of existence and their own freedom and responsibility.
The Other
The concept of the 'Other' elucidates how individuals or groups define themselves in opposition to others, which can result in feelings of alienation.
Nihilism
A philosophical viewpoint that denies any objective meaning or intrinsic value in life, with the belief that life is devoid of purpose, value, or truth.
Existential Anguish
The feeling of dread that arises from accepting the burden of our own freedom and the responsibility for making choices that shape our existence.
Throwness
A term used to describe the random and unintentional nature of one's birth into a specific time, place, and situation, which is not chosen.
Dasein
A term used by Heidegger to describe the experience of being that is aware of and must confront its own existence and mortality.
Being-toward-death
An individual's acknowledgement of their own finite life, which can lead to a more authentic existence by confronting mortality directly.
The Look
The experience of realizing that one is not the only free subject, but can also be an object in someone else's world. It's central to Sartre's idea of intersubjectivity.
Absurd Hero
A character who perseveres to seek meaning in life despite knowing that the universe is indifferent and meaningless, emphasizing the human spirit.
Freedom
In existentialism, the idea that each person has the freedom to shape their own life through choices, despite existential limits like facticity.
Existential Crisis
A period of psychological upheaval precipitated by a person's confrontation with the existential aspects of life, such as meaning, purpose, and death.
Existential Freedom
The recognition of the inherent capacity for choice and agency inherent to human beings, which comes with existential responsibility.
Existential Guilt
The feeling of having compromised one's own potential to become oneself, or the sense of having failed to fully take responsibility for one's life.
The Will to Power
Nietzsche's concept describing the drive of individuals to assert and express themselves and shape their own experiences despite inherent meaninglessness.
Existential Psychotherapy
A form of psychotherapy that uses the concepts of existential philosophy to explore and alleviate an individual's anxiety, despair, and feelings of meaninglessness.
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