Existentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its seven leading figures, Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty and Camus, this Very Short Introduction provides a clear account of the key themes of the movement which emphasized individuality, free will, and personal responsibility in the modern world.

Drawing in the movement`s varied relationships with the arts, humanism, and politics, this book clarifies the philosophy and original meaning of `existentialism` - which has tended to be obscured by misappropriation. Placing it in its historical context, Thomas Flynn also highlights how existentialism is still relevant to us today.

Table of Contents:
1: Philosophy as a Way of Life
2: Becoming an Individual
3: Humanism, For and Against
4: Authenticity
5: A Chastened Individualism? Existentialism and Social Thought
6: What is Living and What is Dead in Existentialist Thought?

Author Information:
Thomas Flynn, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Philosophy, Emory University, USA