Existentialism is a modern philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, choice, anxiety, and responsibility. It asks how human beings should live when no ready-made answer is given.
Existentialism matters because it directly responds to the modern crisis of meaning. Sartre's claim that existence precedes essence means that human beings have no fixed essence in advance, but become themselves through choices. Camus faced the absurd and asked how one can rebel and live without ultimate guarantee. Philosophy asks whether existentialism overemphasizes individual freedom and neglects social structure. In modern society, choices multiply while certainty weakens, making existentialism still powerful. It reminds us that life cannot be handed entirely to environment, fate, or system. A person must take responsibility within finite conditions.
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