What is Existentialism?
[[File:Jean-Paul Sartre FP.JPG|thumb|[[Jean-Paul Sartre]] (1905–1980), one of the main existentialist philosophers]] '''Existentialism''' is a way of thinking that focuses on what it means for people to [[existence|exist]]. It is a [[philosophical movement]]. It became well known in books and movies of the [[19th century|19th]] and [[20th century|20th centuries]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Abbagnano|first=Nicola|title=Existentialism|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=October 20, 2020|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/existentialism }}</ref> Existentialism is known for dealing with [[nihilism|nihilistic]] problems, but is generally still a kind of {{definition with link|link=Nihilism#Anti-nihilism|anti-nihilism|to be against nihilism}}.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Pratt|first=Alan|title=Nihilism|encyclopedia=Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy|url-status=live|url=https://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/ |archive-date=2010-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412132711/http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/n/nihilism.htm }}</ref> It says that humans have [[Free will|will]] and [[consciousness]], but they live in a world that does not. The [[wikt:premise|premise]] that people must make choices about their life while knowing they are [[mortal]] is what existentialism is all about.<ref name=Bullock/> It was started by the [[Denmark|Danish]] philosopher [[Søren Kierkegaard]] (1813{{ndash}}1855).<ref name=Bullock>Bullock, Alan & Trombley, Stephen 1999. ''The new Fontana dictionary of modern thought''. 3rd ed, Fontana, London. p297/8 {{ISBN|0-00-255871-8}}</ref> Kierkegaard was a very religious man, but existentialism in the 20th century became more and more [[atheism|atheistic]].<ref name=Bullock/> Most of its main thinkers and writers were in [[continental Europe|mainland Europe]]. For example, [[Jean-Paul Sartre]] spent most of the [[Second World War]] in a [[German prison camp]], reading the philosophy of [[Martin Heidegger]].<ref name=Leslie>Stevenson, Leslie & Haberman, David L. ''Ten theories of h