Existentialism
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 Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. The movement did not, however, develop its name or popularity until the 20th century when it was popularized by the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre and his partner Simone de Beauvoir. [1]
At its core, modern existentialism as expressed in culture today denies the dependency of human existence on God, and instead views human existence as an independent and meaningless form. [2]