# Existentialism Existentialists frequently explore issues related to meaning, and purpose. They are concerned with the nature of human existence and the meaning of life. They are also concerned with the limits of human knowledge and the nature of reality. "Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on the lived experience of the thinking, feeling, acting individual" (Darwind & al 2002). It was first explored by 19th and 20th century European philosophers who shared an emphasis on the human subject. They regarded the traditional systematic or academic philosophies, in style and content, as too abstract and remote from concrete human experience. A core element of existentialism is _authenticity_. [[Each individual, not society or religion, is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely, or authentically]] The main idea of existentialism during World War II was developed by [[Jean-Paul Sartre]] under the influence of [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]], and [[Martin Heidegger]]. It influenced many disciplines besides philosophy: theology, drama, art, literature, psychology, etc. In the view of the existentialist, the individual's starting point has been called the [[Existensial angst]].