Existentialism
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Existentialism is a philosophical and cultural movement. One of its central concepts is that a human being's "existence precedes essence." Generally, this says 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.
Philosophical Movement
The earliest existentialist was the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The movement did not, however, develop its name or popularity until the 20th century when it was popularized by the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre.[1]
At its core, existentialism denies the dependency of human existence on God, and instead views human existence as an independent and meaningless form.[2]