Definition of Existentialism

1. Noun. (philosophy) a 20th-century philosophical movement chiefly in Europe; assumes that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselves.

Exact synonyms: Existential Philosophy, Existentialist Philosophy
Category relationships: Philosophy
Generic synonyms: Philosophical Doctrine, Philosophical Theory
Examples of category: Depersonalisation, Depersonalization
Derivative terms: Existentialist

Definition of Existentialism

1. Noun. (philosophy not countable) A twentieth-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices, with foundations in the thought of Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and notably represented in the works of Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), Gabriel Marcel (1887-1973), Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80). ¹

2. Noun. (philosophy countable) The philosophical views of a particular thinker associated with the existentialist movement. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Existentialism

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Existentialism

1. A philosophical doctrine basic to existential psychology or existential psychiatry. It focuses on the individual's subjective awareness of his style of existence, his intimate interaction with himself, and his environment. (12 Dec 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Existentialism

existed
existence
existenceless
existences
existencies
existency
existent
existential
existential crisis
existential instantiation
existential operator
existential psychiatry
existential psychology
existential psychotherapy
existential quantifier
existentialism (current term)
existentialisms
existentialist
existentialist philosophy
existentialistically
existentialists
existentially
existents
exister
existers
existest
existeth
existible
existimation
existing

Literary usage of Existentialism

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Calcutta Review by University of Calcutta (1844)
"EXISTENTIALIST PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE (Based on original sources) HK DE CHAUDHURI existentialism: its meaning What does existentialism signify ? ..."

2. The Quest for Enlightenment: Articles from Back to Godhead Magazine by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (1997)
"In The Humanism of existentialism, he writes: "Atheistic existentialism, ... "existentialism isn't so atheistic that it wears itself out showing God doesn't ..."

3. How to Become a Hindu: A Guide for Seekers and Born Hindus = Hindu Kanthaṃ by Subramuniya, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (2000)
"O DO BELIEVE O DO NOT BELIEVE O ONCE BELIEVED O UNFAMILIAR existentialism existentialism arose in Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. ..."

4. Merging with Śiva: Hinduism's Contemporary Metaphysics = Śiva Sāyujy by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Subramuniya, Master Subramuniya (2002)
"Being; reality; that which is. existentialism: A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation ofthe individual experience in a hostile or ..."

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