Existentialism
- “what does existence precedes essence mean”
- “was camus an existentialist”
- “is existentialism depressing”
- “existentialism vs nihilism”
:: COMPARE ::
ExistentialismvsNihilism
The short answer
Existentialism starts where nihilism arrives — no given essence, no handed-down meaning — and then treats that as the beginning of obligation rather than the end of it. Same premise, opposite conclusion, which is why the two are constantly confused and never interchangeable.
Side by side
| Aspect | Existentialism | Nihilism |
|---|---|---|
| Premise | No given meaning | No given meaning |
| Conclusion | You're responsible | Nothing is warranted |
| Freedom is | A burden | Irrelevant |
| Has an ethics | Yes | No |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Existentialism rather than Nihilism are usually searching for phrases like “what does existence precedes essence mean”, “was camus an existentialist”, “is existentialism depressing”.
Nihilism
- “was nietzsche a nihilist”
- “what is nihilism simply”
- “types of nihilism”
- “nihilism vs absurdism”
Which came first
Nihilism. 1799 — Friedrich Jacobi uses the word in his open letter to Fichte to negatively characterise transcendental idealism - as an accusation, not a self-description. Earlier German uses are on record for Obereit (1787) and Jenisch (1796).
- 1799NihilismFriedrich Jacobi uses the word in his open letter to Fichte to negatively characterise transcendental idealism - as an accusation, not a self-description. Earlier German uses are on record for Obereit (1787) and Jenisch (1796).
- 1943ExistentialismGabriel Marcel introduces the term 'existentialism' — and notably applies it to people who had not chosen it.
Read either one in full