In many ways the history of existentialism is the history of psychology. Both are about our struggles and have deep roots going back to prehistory. Ancients from the Buddha to Socrates laid the groundwork. For our story, let’s start with Arthur Schopenhauer, born 1788.
Schopenhauer painted a bleak picture of life. He viewed life as driven by blind will, leading to suffering. While other traditions like Buddhism focus on alleviating suffering, he said our desires and pursuits only lead to disappointment. He embraced the darkness and advised a life of little to no pleasures and desires. This bleak outlook paved the way for the focus on existence and the absurd.
Søren Kierkegaard, born 1813, saw angst as a necessary guide to living authentically. He argued that life is a series of choices and a series of confrontations with anxiety. In my writing, I reframe his “leap of faith” toward his Christianity, as a leap of faith with each decision. His focus on angst laid the groundwork for the birth of psychology in 1879.
Friedrich Nietzsche, born 1844, took Schopenhauer’s pessimism and transformed it into individual creativity and self-overcoming. He shattered traditional values, famously proclaiming “God is dead,” urging humanity to create its own meaning.
Peter Zapffe, born 1899, took this further, seeing human consciousness itself as a tragic evolutionary misstep, too aware of its own futility. Finally, Albert Camus, born 1913, explored how to live authentically in an absurd, indifferent world, advocating rebellion against despair through personal freedom and joy.
The history of existentialism offers two paths: one leading to despair and nihilism; and the other sees our mental struggles as challenges to overcome, enabling us to live life fully and authentically.
