Can someone explain Existentialism to me real quick?
Like what is it and what was it a reaction against
Need that second part otherwise I might be like "well duh"
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existentialism is like "you decide what things mean" and it was a response to "god is dead so nothing means anything anymore"
I like this summary. One wrinkle is that its originator, Kierkegaard, was a Christian (and preceded Nietzsche).
I think of Kierkegaard as a romanticism-style reaction against 'let's make everything scientific/objective/social', defending personal passion + personal idiosyncrasy.
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Kierkegaard's ideal: make yourself crazy to maximize passion/devotion/enthusiasm.
Nietzsche's ideal: have fun, do what you want, make cool shit, be badass.
Sartre's ideal: make your life a game of Calvinball. stop trying to *be* any fixed thing; glory in your freedom.
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