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6 essential books on existentialist philosophy

Author: Mike Colagrossi / Source: Big Think

Existentialism deals with the search to find meaning through free will and choice, among other things.
Philosophers considered existentialists hailed mostly from Europe in the 19th and 20th century.
Many existentialists believe that humans should make their own worth regardless of rules, laws or tradition.
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There is a wide variety of diverse ideologies that makes up the existentialist school of thought. These views may vary, but each is concerned with the individual and their freedom within the world and society. In the realm of philosophy, existentialism is one of those labels that came after the fact in order to describe a wide variety of a set of similar ideals.

Many of the ideas in the so-called existentialist strain are difficult for some people to deal with and will put your mind to the test. Some wallow in the pure dread of an uncaring world and others laugh in the face of suspected meaningless. But that’s the fun of it anyhow.

So if you make it through all of these books without developing a crippling hollowness inside your soul or blackened void (you decide,) well then head on over to this diverse metaphysical book list for some lighter reading… and develop that philosophical palette even more! Or not because well… who cares anyways? But ye I also say! Ascend to greater heights and become greater than yourself and say yes to the day. And as you’ll see existentialism is quite diverse.

Here are six essential books on existentialism philosophy.

The Stranger

The writings of Albert Camus are the premier oeuvre of existentialist literature. The Stranger follows the story of a regular guy, Meursault, who is unintentionally drawn into a murder on an Algerian beach. Translated into English by Matthew Ward, the novel explores what Camus himself referred to as “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.” Anything by Camus will leave you in awe, but The Stranger really delivers.

The famous opening lines “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know,” set the stage as emotionless and removed Meursault drifts through the absurd situations he’s placed in.

Throughout his books, Camus would eventually develop a philosophy he considered absurdism. “The Absurd” being the conflict between man’s tendency to seek meaning paired with the usual inability to ever find anything purely meaningful in an irrational existence. This is best explained in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus.

Albert Camus believed that the best life lived should embrace this inherent contradiction.

It was previously a question of finding out whether or not life had to have a meaning to be lived. It now becomes clear on the contrary that it will be lived all the better if it has no meaning.

Being and Nothingness

Novelist, playwright, and biographer Jean-Paul Sartre is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most profound philosophers of the 20th century. Being and Nothingness is a fundamental text of existentialism. It’s also a hefty read for those not already familiar with a lot of philosophical texts.

Sartre begins his roaring treatise first on the subject of nothingness, which he contrasts to the fact that it is supported by being, although it does not have it. Eventually he establishes two main points which are considered Being-for-itself and Being-for-others.

The most important theme of the book deals with the idea of people fleeing from their own freedom. Sartre’s philosophy and main ideas are formed at the bedrock by his knowledge on a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, biology, physics, among others — at least up to the time he wrote this book in 1943.

For Sartre, humans define their meaning and have absolute control and freedom over all of their choices. He considers the following a basic statement of fact.

“I must be without remorse or regrets as I am without excuse; for from the instant of my upsurge into being, I carry the weight of the world by myself alone without help, engaged in a world for which I bear the whole responsibility without being able, whatever I do, to tear myself away from this responsibility for an instant.”