Why Existentialism Isn't a Philosophy

So what is it then?

Existentialism is a difficult concept to describe, so much so that some experts don’t even attempt to give an answer — because whatever claim you come up with to categorize an existentialist, it always ends in excluding other known existentialists.

And this is really getting at the heart of why existentialism is more of a mood or an attitude than it is a philosophy. Because unlike a well defined philosophy, existentialism doesn’t have a consistent set of principles or doctrines. It doesn’t have any checks and balances or really any rules — also because it’s not trying to convince you of anything using reason and logic.

So in this way, existentialism is more like art, poetry or music. It’s a mode of expression with a spiritual goal. And that goal, essentially, is to create meaning in life.

Now all that said, here is my attempt at defining, not what existentialism is, but more-so, what existentialists do.

(And don’t worry, it’s only 8 points long).

# 1: Existentialists are mainly preoccupied with immediate, tangible experience. The experience, for instance, of looking at the stars, a walk through the woods, the taste of a chocolate cake, or even a paper-cut (or the shiver down your spine at the thought of one).

# 2: They believe that humans are unique in their experience as being radically free. So unlike other animals and organisms, we can truly choose to do whatever we want, and become whatever we want.

# 3: However, because humans are radically free, capable of doing whatever we want, we are 100% responsible for anything and everything we do.

# 4: Which is a fact that causes this intense anxiety — a central feature in human experience.

# 5: However, in the same breath, the existentialists affirm we are only free within situations, or, the limits of our life-context, which includes variables like our history, biology and psychology.

# 6: But despite these limits, the existentialists find themselves always wanting more. For them, there is no such thing as excess when it comes to experience.

# 7: And thus, because of this tension, human existence is ambiguous: “at once boxed in by borders and yet transcendent and exhilarating.”

# 8: And so this sort of brings us back to # 1: An existentialist’s main concern is to concentrate on describing lived experience as it unfolds — because it’s in describing experience well that they hope to understand existence, and as well as awaken others to that end. So that they too might live more authentic lives.

(This list was inspired by the reading of Sarah Bakewell’s fascinating book, At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails).

I hope this list was helpful in providing more context to the essence of what existentialism was in the mid-1900s — that it’s more about what the existentialists themselves were involved in doing, and what they were concerned with.

Also, for more clarity, I’d highly recommend Bakewell’s book that I referenced above.