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'''Existentialism''' is a chiefly 20th century philosophy which denies the dependency of human existence on [[God]] and views human existence as an independent and meaningless form.<ref>Existentialism Today[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/#5]</ref> It asserts that we do not have fundamental attributes, such as morality or a soul, and that humans develop these attributes in a meaningless manner as their lives progress.  Beyond that, existentialism means different things to different people and thus can often be the subject of debate by students of atheistic philosophy.

'''Existentialism''' is a chiefly 20th century philosophy that emphasizes existence for its own sake alone, disregarding God and morality and almost anything else.  Descartes famously declared, "I think there I am"; but an existentialist might exclaim, "I am therefore I think."  Arbitrary actions are a favorite of existentialists, as they resist moral codes of behavior.

 

Existentialism denies the dependency of human existence on [[God]] and views human existence as an independent and meaningless form.<ref>Existentialism Today[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/#5]</ref> It asserts that we do not have fundamental attributes, such as morality or a soul, and that humans develop these attributes in a meaningless manner as their lives progress.  Beyond that, existentialism means different things to different people and thus can often be the subject of debate by students of atheistic philosophy.

The name derives form one of its central concepts, the notion that a [[human]] being's "existence precedes essence."   

The name derives form one of its central concepts, the notion that a [[human]] being's "existence precedes essence."