Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now: Introduction to Existentialism

Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Introduction to Existentialism 2 Jul 2011, 11:01 am Existentialism may be difficult to explain, but it is possible to communicate some basic principles and concepts, both regarding what existentialism is and what it is not. On the one hand, there are certain ideas and principles which most existentialists agree on in some fashion; on the other hand, there are ideas and principles which most existentialists reject - even if they don't then agree on what to argue for in their place. It can also help to better understand existentialism by looking at how the various trends developed long before anything like a self-conscious existentialist philosophy was promoted. Existentialism existed before existentialists, but not in a single and coherent form; instead, it existed more as a critical attitude towards common assumptions and positions in traditional theology and philosophy.   What is Existentialism? Although often treated like a philosophical school of thought, it would be more accurate to describe existentialism as a trend or tendency that can be found throughout the history of philosophy. If existentialism were a theory, it would be unusual in that it would be a theory that is generally opposed to philosophical theories. What Isn't Existentialism? Because existentialism encompasses so many different trends and ideas that have appeared over the history of Western philosophy, it can be difficult to distinguish it from other movements and philosophical systems. Because of this, another way to look at existentialism is to examine what it isn't. Existentialists Before Existentialism Because existentialism is a trend or mood involving philosophical themes rather than a coherent system of philosophy, it is possible to trace through the past a number of precursors to the self-aware existentialism that developed in Europe during the early twentieth century. These precursors involved philosophers who may not have been existentialists themselves, but did explore existentialist themes and thereby paved the way for the creation of existentialism in the 20th century. « Existentialism | What is Existentialism? » You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.