Existentialism is commonly perceived as a philosophy for edgy people who believe that nothing matters because “God is dead,” there are no absolute truths, and you essentially have no meaning that precedes your existence. Perhaps, we are familiar with the term “existential crisis” as a way of expressing our confusion, anxiety, and fear over our own identity or being.
While the current popular understanding of existentialism is associated with atheism, the father of existentialism is often known as the Christian philosopher, Kierkegaard — although I’m unsure of the extent to which his knowledge aligns with biblical truths. Kierkegaard emphasized faith in his philosophy, yet he is in the same “existential philosopher” category as Nietzsche, a man that rejects God. Considering the broad spectrum of existential philosophers, I’ve learned that it might be unfair to simplify existentialism to one definitive way of thinking. Instead, I tried to shift my focus on the important questions the existential philosopher seriously engages with: what does it mean to exist as an individual, and how should one live?
On a different note, I felt that the few existential philosophers I’ve learned about hold beliefs that are fundamentally different from mine. As I was taking these classes, I realized I was dismissing existentialism under the presumption that my thinking is always right. My reflective writing isn’t meant to arrive at a conclusion or an answer about the purpose of my life, which I believe I already have. It is my best effort to honestly engage with the existentialist, as one might interact with a friend, with humility and gentle curiosity.
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