existentialism

Existentialism: Two of the most famous Existentialist writers were Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and Albert Camus (1913-1960). Existentialism stressed individuality, commitment, and choice, and that the meaning of life is not given but is created by each individual person. People have to take responsibility, and are therefore responsible for their own dilemmas. These ideas were applied to what was going on at the time: war, collaboration and resistance, genocide, and the development of weapons of mass destruction. The existentialists’ writings were accessible and easy to understand, which contributed to their large popularity. Existentialism then was applied to race and gender, saying that they became what they were due to experiences and situations.