What is the first principle of existentialism?

He existentialism It is a historical current of thought that begins in the 19th century and reaches its peak in the second half of the 20th century. As a basis, It aims to focus the philosophical gaze on the theme itself.

The look existentialist It returns the consideration of the subject and his way of existing in the face of the universe as an individual and individualized experience. Therefore, you will be interested in investigating the reason for existence and the way to assimilate it.

Its authors understand human existence as a situated phenomenon, and that is why they intend to do so study the very condition of existence in terms of its possibilities.

This may concern, for example, the analysis of the most common and fundamental situations in which man finds himself.

For existentialists ANDexistence precedes the essence and the human being It is free and independent of any abstract category. From this, freedom must be exercised by individual responsibility and implies full awareness that personal decisions and actions influence the social environment.

From its origin, existentialism is opposed to both rationalism and empiricism, focused on the valorization of reason and knowledge as a transcendent principle. He also opposes the hegemony of reason as the foundation of philosophical reflection.

From the point of view of movement, human experience cannot be conditioned to absolutization of one of its aspects, since rational thought as an absolute principle denies subjectivity, passions and instincts, as human as conscience. This also gives it an anti-academic character in opposition to positivism.

What is the central theme of existentialism?

Existentialism is a philosophy that has managed to survive other currents of the era in which it emerged, despite being considered the thought of a time of crisis that has already been overcome. However, its influence is still very important Nowadays.

It is not a homogeneous or unified nor systematized philosophical school, but its followers are mainly characterized by counter-reactions traditional philosophy.

Existentialism has been attributed to experiential character. This philosophical current discusses and proposes solutions to problems inherent to the human condition, such as the absurdity of living, the meaning and insignificance of being, the dilemma of wars, the eternal theme of time, freedom, both physical and metaphysical, God-man relationship, atheism, nature of man, life and death.

And it tries to reveal what surrounds humanity, making a detailed description of it material and abstract medium in which the individual develops to help him reach his own understanding to find a justification for his existence.

existentialism From the beginning, the West’s inability to order this violent transformation was noted. The existentialists of the 20th century –including Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus– those who lived through the Second World War were faced with evidence of the decline of moral and ethical systems based on abstract values.