What Is Existentialism in French Philosophy (and Why Does It Matter for Bioethics)?
French existentialism is a philosophical movement that emerged in mid-20th century France, centered on the conviction that human beings create their own meaning through free choice and action in an otherwise indifferent universe. Rather than appealing to divine command, natural law, or universal reason, this tradition places radical responsibility on individuals to define their existence through concrete decisions. The movement is most closely associated with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, and Maurice Merleauau-Ponty, intellectuals whose work transformed not only academic philosophy but literature, politics, and …

