Existentialism is a 20th-century philosophical movement that emphasizes the unique, unrepeatable nature of human existence, which cannot be fully expressed through concepts or abstractions. The essence of existential thought lies in the personal, individual perspective of the thinker, detached from universal norms and criteria of truth, which form the foundation of rationality. Existential philosophy centers on individuality. According to existentialists, traditional cultural forms (knowledge, morality, art) have historically served as impersonal foundations for human activity in philosophy. However, only individual human experiences (or their moments) can be considered authentic and cannot be conceptualized as universals. These cultural forms do not provide stability or clarity in human life. The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard is considered the founder of existential philosophy.
Existentialism, as a philosophical movement, took shape in early 20th-century Germany with figures like Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers. It was influenced by Lebensphilosophie (philosophy of life, F. Nietzsche) and phenomenology (E. Husserl). Existentialists argued that phenomenology should move beyond objective reflection to analyze the structures of existence (such as historicity, being-with-others, being-toward-death, fear, and anonymity). Heidegger called these structures "existentials." Jaspers contended that objective knowledge is limited, as science only recognizes the being of objects that can be externally examined. True existence can only be revealed by the individual, often in moments of intense experience (death, struggle, suffering, guilt). External life conditions (culture, history) do not guarantee stability; only what holds significance in the face of death is genuinely existential.
After World War II, existentialist ideas spread widely in France, becoming a leading philosophical movement through thinkers like Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Gabriel Marcel. Camus saw life as the one value that cannot be negated by absurdity, with rebellion against absurdity and existential conditions as his primary concerns. Marcel, like Jaspers, connected his philosophical concepts with a religious worldview, asserting that people exist not in isolation but in relationship with others and with God; selfishness toward others and the world aligns with abstract, objective thinking.
Jean-Paul Sartre represented atheistic existentialism. Sartre argued that humans must realize themselves and require freedom to do so. For him, the nonexistence of God places responsibility for freedom squarely on the individual. Thus, the true reality and existence of humanity, for Sartre, is humanism.
Existential therapy draws heavily on the ideas and principles developed by existential philosophers. Just as existential philosophy emphasizes individual experience and subjective meaning over universal truths, existential therapy centers on the individual’s personal experience and unique life narrative. It sees each person’s experience as unique and resists generalizing or categorizing mental health issues in the way traditional psychological frameworks often do. Existential therapy prioritizes the concept of authenticity—living in a way that is true to one’s own values and nature. Philosophers like Heidegger and Sartre discussed authentic versus inauthentic existence, a core idea in existential therapy, which aims to help individuals live more authentically by examining and embracing their true desires and values.
Death is viewed as a fundamental part of the human experience, shaping how people find meaning, make choices, and experience life. Existential therapy is grounded in what are known as the givens or ultimate concerns of human life: death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. Death is one of these core realities, a non-negotiable fact that every individual must come to terms with in some way. Therapy often focuses on how awareness of mortality affects a person’s mental and emotional state, encouraging honest reflection on how mortality shapes one’s worldview.
Through exploring mortality we often find greater clarity, motivation, and a deeper commitment to living authentically, despite (or because of) life’s transience. □