Existentialism

[Oralee]

Existentialism in its purest form is any [philosophy] which states that existence precedes essence; that is to say, that there is no inherent purpose in life (though normally this is not carried through to [nihilism].). It also states that the physical world does not necessarily precede the conscious state, as a conscious mind must find itself in a world to attain consciousness in any meaningful state.

[Luis Fok]

you can use this word in pretty much any context and it will make you sound pretentious and/or confuse the person youre talking to.

its a technique refined and highly over-utilized by [pseudo-intellectuals].

[Kai]

there is no spoon

[Greta]

A philosophy which emphasizes the importance of choice. It suggests that we only exist (as human beings) if we make our own decisions independently of outside influence. However, while this freedom allows us complete control over our own destinies, it also suggests that we are the sole control over our destinies and are, as a result, isolated from God, society, and ourselves. This leads many to the conclusion that existentialism is depressing.

[Sommer]

there is a spoon
but you dont have to acknowledge it if you dont particularly want to.

see [wickywicky]
and then click on my other definitions by patty-o-pinch-me-youdie

[Merna]

yolo for philosophers

[Zipporah Schumaker]

The philosophy concerning the theory of the isolation of the individual in an indifferent world.

[Lanell]

The other definition here is correct to a certain extent but it is really much more than that. It stresses individuality and freedom of choice but it also stresses an individuals responsibility to the choices he makes. Also discards all religion as a means to control human behavior. Existentialism is still a current movement but its most influential members came in the early 1900s. They include Sartre, Camus and Dostoevsky.

[Merna]

a system of ideas made famous by Jean Paul Sartre in the 1940s in which the world has no meaning and each person is alone and completely responsible for their own actions, by which they make their own character