Uncovering the Path of Existentialism's Ascendancy to Influence

In the tumultuous period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a philosophical movement known as existentialism arose as a response to the profound challenges posed by industrialisation, political upheaval, and the devastation of world wars. This movement, which continues to influence our understanding of freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning, emerged as a means to grapple with the existential questions that plagued Europe during this time.

The Industrial Revolution, with its mechanistic worldview rooted in Cartesian dualism, paved the way for a disconnection between humans and intrinsic meaning. As nature was reduced to an object for exploitation, humans found themselves alienated from their purpose and freedom in a world increasingly dominated by industrial capitalism and technological control.

Political upheaval, marked by revolutions, the collapse of imperial orders, and the rise of totalitarian ideologies, created widespread crises of meaning. As traditional religious and metaphysical certainties eroded, people sought new frameworks to understand freedom, authenticity, and individual responsibility. Existentialism, with its focus on individual freedom and the search for meaning in an uncertain world, directly addressed these needs.

The catastrophic scale of destruction and moral crisis wrought by both world wars profoundly challenged Enlightenment ideals of progress and reason. Existentialist thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir emerged in this context, blending phenomenology with humanistic concerns to explore radical freedom, alienation, and the demand for authentic existence despite absurdity. The intense experiences of war and occupation heightened awareness of human vulnerability and the urgency to create meaning through freedom and choice.

The devastation of World War II had a profound effect on Europe, leading many to question the purpose of human existence and find solace in existentialism as a way to make sense of a world that seemed meaningless and cruel. The rise of existentialism paralleled the post-war disillusionment with traditional institutions, particularly religion and politics. After World War II, existentialism became a dominant intellectual and cultural force in Europe and beyond, resonating with a generation searching for answers in the wake of global conflict.

Existentialism gained popularity in literature and philosophy, leading to a shift in intellectual and cultural discussions. Philosophers began to systematize existentialism, with key figures like Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Albert Camus making significant contributions. Sartre's concept of "bad faith" described how individuals deceive themselves to avoid confronting the full responsibility of their freedom, while Simone de Beauvoir made significant contributions to existentialism, particularly with her feminist existentialism, as seen in her groundbreaking work, "The Second Sex."

The Industrial Revolution also contributed to existentialist concerns about the loss of individual meaning and the struggle for personal freedom due to dehumanization. The existentialist movement served as a call to reclaim human agency, authenticity, and the ability to create meaning in a world that often seemed indifferent or hostile.

In summary, the Industrial Revolution’s mechanistic worldview, political upheaval’s crisis of meaning, and the world wars’ existential devastation collectively catalyzed the emergence and growth of existentialism as a response to modernity’s pressing questions about human existence and freedom. This movement, which continues to influence our understanding of freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning, reminds us that meaning is not given; it must be created.

[1] Taylor, C. (2007). Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [2] Huxley, A. (1929). Brave New World Revisited. New York: Harper & Brothers. [3] Sartre, J.-P. (1960). Existentialism and Human Emotions. New York: Philosophical Library.

The disconnection between humans and intrinsic meaning during the Industrial Revolution, as nature was reduced to an object for exploitation, ignited the existentialist movement's focus on the search for meaning and personal freedom.
Existentialism, emerging in response to the profound challenges of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sought to address society's crises of meaning and authenticity that arose from the erosion of traditional religious and metaphysical certainties.
Its emphasis on individual freedom and the demand for authentic existence, combined with radical exploration of human nature, consciousness, and culture, made existentialism a potent response to the existential questions that plagued Europe during this period.
The world wars' destruction and moral crises further reinforced the existentialist ethos, pushing thinkers like Sartre, de Beauvoir, and other prominent existentialists to tackle issues related to freedom, concrete human situations, and the absurdity inherent in modern life.
As existentialism gained traction in literature and philosophy, it opened up new avenues of intellectual and cultural discussion and influenced various aspects of society, from beliefs and values to politics and general news.
The existentialist ideas of philosophy continued to infiltrate various domains, even beyond Europe, and became an essential part of our understanding of human nature, freedom, and the search for meaning in the tumultuous, uncertain, and often cruel world.
Existentialism served as a clarion call for individuals to reclaim their agency and strive to create their own meanings in life, acting as a powerful reminder that meaning is an active, ongoing pursuit rather than a static and predetermined construct.