Existentialism was in part a reaction to modernism, but its roots can be traced to ancient philosophical traditions ranging from Zoroastrianism and Judaism, Buddhism and Platonism (Flynn). The essence of existentialism is authenticity of experience, asking the philosopher to undergo deep introspection. However, existentialism is perhaps most famous for its probing questions about what Friedrich Nietzsche called the "tension of the soul," (2). Known colloquially as existential angst, the "tension
Abstract: In this paper we hope to discuss existentialism and how this philosophical theory has developed over the years. After World War 2, this theory became increasingly popular and some of the great philosophers such as Freidrich Nietzsche, Soren Kierkegaard can be said to be the founders of this theory although they, in their lifetime, never accepted this. Therefore they are sometimes called precursors of this movement. Other major philosophers like Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin
Branches of philosophy The following branches are the main areas of study: • Metaphysics investigates the nature of being and the world. Traditional branches are cosmology and ontology. • Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, and whether knowledge is possible. Among its central concerns has been the challenge posed by skepticism and the relationships between truth, belief, and justification. • Ethics, or 'moral philosophy', is concerned with questions of how