One of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century, existentialism has had more impact on literature and the arts than any other school of thought. Focusing on the leading figures of existentialism, including Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Camus, Thomas Flynn offers a concise account of existentialism, explaining the key themes of individuality, free will, and personal responsibility, which marked the movement as a way of life, not just a way of thinking. Flynn sets the philosophy of existentialism in context, from the early phenomenologists, to its rise in the 40's and 50's, and the connections with National Socialism, Communism, and Feminism. He identifies the original definition of "existentialism," which tends to be obscured by misappropriation, and highlights how the philosophy is still relevant in our world today.

作为二十世纪领先的哲学运动之一，存在主义对文学和艺术的影响超过了任何其他思想流派。托马斯-弗林重点介绍了存在主义的主要人物，包括萨特、尼采、海德格尔、克尔凯郭尔、德-波伏瓦、梅洛-庞蒂和加缪，他对存在主义进行了简明的阐述，解释了个性、自由意志和个人责任等关键主题，这些主题标志着该运动是一种生活方式而不仅仅是一种思维方式。弗林将存在主义哲学置于背景之中，从早期的现象学家到其在40和50年代的崛起，以及与国家社会主义、共产主义和女权主义的联系。他指出了 "存在主义 "的原始定义，该定义往往被误用所掩盖，并强调了该哲学在我们今天的世界中仍然具有相关性。