Joseph Pallattil
Existentialism is a branch of philosophy that deals with meaning and problems of the existence of particularly man’s own inner existence, freedom and values. Existentialism came into new thought and movement.
Existentialism, a philosophy of existence, an irrational trend in Modern Western philosophy that appeared in the 20th century in an attempt to create a new world outlook corresponding to the frame of mind of the intellectuals. As per a widely accepted definition, Existentialism might be characterized as a philosophical point of view that offers priority to existence over essence. Existentialism is basically, a response to and a voice of challenge against all the rationalistic and theoretical ways of thinking, especially the Hegelian way of thinking of unadulterated idea, that thinks of this universe of nature man as a helpless character in the great drama of God’s holiness and pure thought and man’s continual revelation and self-concept of God.
Every political or philosophical revolution / moment has a historical background and, in most cases, it has been observed that such beginnings are linked to religion. Because, religion is clearly related to human beings and it has got both types of influence in society, good or bad. However, it is well known that Christianity has proved to be the most influential religious faith and it has dominated a large number of people in the world. But in the Modern period there is a decline of religion in the west; that is, the period between Middle Ages and the present. This decline of religion implies that religion alone is not the ruler of human life. Furthermore, the Church (which is taken as the holy place) is no longer the last and undisputed Home of its being. The Church is closely related to symbols, images, dogmas and rites, which had the psychological validity of intermediate experience and contained the entire mental life of the western man within it. Westerners of that period lost concrete concentration with a transcendent realm of being the decline of religion. However, the reason for this change or decline is not a loss of faith, but for significant contradictions of science. As a result, in such a situation was bound to feel hopeless.
According to Sartre, the meaning of ‘existence precedes essence’ is that “man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world and defines Himself afterward”. It means that he faces his historicity and moulds himself accordingly. In this way, he plays a role to create his historical positions and creating own himself. “He will not be anything until later and then he will be what he makes himself.”
Sartre’s expression ‘existence precedes essence’, which describes the soul of the entire existential movement. Sartre has out dared the theme of classical philosophy that had always given an importance to impersonal essence over actual human existence, with a focus on the concrete human present. This is the rejection of the theme ‘universal human essence’ of traditional Philosophy, according to which, all human beings are copies or shadows of the universal and impersonal essence. By making such precedent to summarize the existentialists, such a declaration is that there has not a universal standard according to which man create our own existence or they have not a standard existence. But human beings make themselves through the practice of their personal freedom. Not at all like different elements where their fundamental properties are fixed from the earlier, individuals define themselves through their decisions and activities. Therefore, there is no such an essential essence, like human instinct or essence, which defines individuals. They do have not any model, blueprints, no abstract essence or ideal nature, which they will follow.
