List of existentialists

Existentialism is a movement withinContinental philosophythat developed in

the late-19th and 20th centuries. As a loose philosophical school, some persons
associated with Existentialism explicitly rejected the label (e.g. Martin
Heidegger), and others are not remembered primarily as philosophers, but as
writers (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) or theologians (Paul Tillich). It is related to
several movements within Continental philosophy including Phenomenology,
Nihilism, Absurdism and Post-modernism.

Many of the founding figures of

Existentialism represent its diverse
background (clockwise from top left):
Dane Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855)
was a theologian, German Friedrich
Nietzsche (1844–1900) an anti-
establishment wandering academic,
Czech Franz Kafka (1883–1924) a short
story writer and factory manager, and
Russian Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881)
a novelist.
 Name Lived Nationality Occupation Notes
Nicola July 15, 1901 –
Italy Philosopher Also associated with Neopositivism
Abbagnano September 9, 1990
Hannah October 14, 1906 – Also associated with Phenomenology,
Germany Philosopher
Arendt[1] December 4, 1975 associate of Heidegger

Abdel
February 17, 1917 –
Rahman Egypt Philosopher
July 25, 2002
Badawi
Hazel December 16, 1915 – Philosopher,
United States Translated Sartre into English
Barnes March 18, 2008 author
May 10, 1886 –
Karl Barth Switzerland Theologian Founder of Neo-Orthodoxy
December 10, 1968
Nikolai March 18, 1874 – Theologian,
Russia Christian Existentialist
Berdyaev March 25, 1948 philosopher
December 18, 1946 –
Steve Biko South Africa Activist
September 12, 1977
Martin February 8, 1878 –
Germany Theologian Worked with Rosenzweig
Buber June 13, 1965
Rudolf August 20, 1884 –
Germany Theologian
Bultmann July 30, 1976
October 16, 1906 –
Dino Buzzati Italy Author Also associated with magical realism
January 28, 1972
Founded Les Temps modernes with de
Albert November 27, 1913 – Philosopher,
France Beauvoir and Sartre; developer of the
Camus January 4, 1960 author
Absurdism
Jane Welsh July 14, 1801 – April United
Essayist Wife of Thomas Carlyle
Carlyle 21, 1866 Kingdom
Thomas December 4, 1795 – United Author,
Husband of Jane Welsh Carlyle
Carlyle February 5, 1881 Kingdom historian
April 8, 1911 – June Philosopher,
Emil Cioran Romania Also associated with Pessimism
20, 1995 essayist
Founded Les Temps modernes with
Simone de January 9, 1908 – Philosopher,
France Camus and Sartre; predecessor of
Beauvoir April 14, 1986 anthropologist
second-wave feminism
Philosopher, Author of Inwardness and Existence:
Walter A.
November 9, 1942 – United States playwright, Subjectivity in/and Hegel, Heidegger,
Davis
cultural critic Marx and Freud
Fyodor November 11, 1821 –
Russia Novelist Foundational figure of Existentialism
Dostoyevsky February 9, 1881
Also associated with Phenomenology,
co-founded the Society for
William A. 1919 – October 16,
United States Philosopher Phenomenology and Existential
Earle 1988
Philosophy with Wild and James M.
Edie
Ralph May 1, 1913 – April Wrote Invisible Man, associate of
United States Novelist
Ellison[2] 16, 1994 Wright

France Philosopher,
Frantz July 20, 1925 –
(Martinique), anthropologist, Also associated with Marxism
Fanon December 6, 1961
Algeria psychiatrist
Vilém May 12, 1920 –
Czechoslovakia Philosopher Also associated with Phenomenology
Flusser November 17, 1991
Benjamin November 14, 1898 – Romania Author, poet,
Fondane October 2 or 3, 1944 film director
James
April 23, 1818 – United
Anthony Historian
October 20, 1894 Kingdom
Froude
Alberto October 10, 1901 – Known for his artistic style and the
Switzerland Artist
Giacometti January 11, 1966 existential crisis within.
Juozas
1915–1994 Lithuania Philosopher Christian Existentialist
Girnius
Also associated with Africana
Lewis
1962–present United States Philosopher philosophy, Black Existentialism, and
Gordon
Phenomenology
Also associated with Phenomenology
Martin September 26, 1889 –
Germany Philosopher and Hermeneutics, associate of Arendt,
Heidegger May 26, 1976
rejected the label of "Existentialist"
Edmund April 8, 1859 – April Austria,
Philosopher Founder of Phenomenology
Husserl 26, 1938 Germany
June 16, 1890 – Philosopher,
Nae Ionescu Romania
March 15, 1940 mathematician
Eugène November 26, 1909 - Playwright,
Romania Foundational figure of Absurdism
Ionesco March 28, 1994 essayist
William January 11, 1842 – Philosopher,
United States Foundational figure of Pragmatism
James[1] August 26, 1910 psychologist

February 23, 1883 –

Karl Jaspers Germany Philosopher Also associated with Neo-Kantianism
February 26, 1969
July 3, 1883 – June 3, Austria–
Franz Kafka Novelist Foundational figure of Existentialism
1924 Hungary
Walter July 1, 1921 – Translated Hegel, Goethe, Buber and
United States Philosopher
Kaufmann September 4, 1980 Nietzsche into English
Theologian,
Søren May 5, 1813 – Foundational figure of Existentialism,
Denmark philosopher,
Kierkegaard November 11, 1855 Christian Existentialist
author
Ladislav August 8, 1878 – April Philosopher, Also associated with Subjective
Czechoslovakia
Klíma 19, 1928 novelist idealism
Emmanuel January 12, 1906 – Lithuania, Philosopher,
Studied with Heidegger and Husserl
Levinas December 25, 1995 France theologian
also associated with Absurdism and
Ash Lieb [3] August 22, 1982 – Australia novelist
Nihilism
John June 27, 1919 – May United
Theologian Christian Existentialist
Macquarrie 28, 2007 Kingdom
Vytautas June 5, 1921 –
Lithuania Poet
Mačernis October 7, 1944
Naguib December 11, 1911 –
Egypt Novelist
Mahfouz August 30, 2006
Gabriel December 7, 1889 – Theologian,
France Christian Existentialist
Marcel October 8, 1973 philosopher
Maurice
March 14, 1908 – Also associated with Phenomenology,
Merleau- France Philosopher
May 3, 1961 associate of de Beauvoir and Sartre
Ponty
Friedrich October 15, 1844 – Foundational figure of Existentialism,
Germany Philosopher
Nietzsche August 25, 1900 also associated with Nihilism
José Ortega May 9, 1883 – Also associated with Perspectivism,
Spain Philosopher
y Gasset October 18, 1955 Pragmatism, Vitalism, and Historicism
 Viktor 1894–1969 Ukraine Novelist,
Petrov anthropologist
Franz December 26, 1887 – Theologian,
Germany Worked with Buber
Rosenzweig December 10, 1929 philosopher
Vicente-
January 10, 1916 –
Ferreira-Da Brazil Philosopher
1963
Silva
Philosopher, Also associated with Marxism, co-
Jean-Paul June 21, 1905 – April
France novelist, founded Les Temps modernes with de
Sartre 15, 1980
activist Beauvoir and Camus
Aous April 22, 1908 – April Politician,
Palestine
Shakra 1, 1992 philosopher
January 31, 1866 –
Lev Shestov Russia, France Philosopher Also associated with Irrationalism
November 19, 1938
Joseph B. February 27, 1903 –
United States Rabbi
Soloveitchik April 9, 1993
August 20, 1886 – United States, Theologian,
Paul Tillich Christian Existentialist
October 22, 1965 Germany philosopher
Also associated with Marxism, studied
Rick Turner 1942–1978 South Africa Philosopher
with Sartre
Novelist,
Miguel de September 29, 1864 – essayist,
Spain
Unamuno December 31, 1936 dramatist,
philosopher
Originally associated withEmpiricism,
Realism, and Pragmatism; later
associated with Phenomenology; co-
John Daniel April 10, 1902 –
United States Philosopher founded the Society for
Wild October 23, 1972
Phenomenology and Existential
Philosophy with Earle andJames M.
Edie
June 26, 1931 – United
Colin Wilson Author Wrote The Outsider
December 5, 2013 Kingdom
Richard September 4, 1908 – Associated with Black Existentialism,
United States Author
Wright November 28, 1960 associate of Ellison
Peter
December 18, 1899 –
Wessel Norway Philosopher Founded biosophy
October 12, 1990
Zapffe

Pre-Existentialist philosophers
Several thinkers who lived prior to the rise of Existentialism have been retroactively considered proto-Existentialists for their
approach to philosophy and lifestyle.
 Name Lived Nationality Occupation Notes
Augustine of November 13, 354 – At various times associated with
Algeria Theologian
Hippo[1][4] August 28, 430 Neoplatonism, Doctor of the Church

Giacomo June 29, 1798 – Poet, writer and Romanticism, classicism and
Italy
Leopardi[5] June 14, 1837 philosopher pessimism

Islamic philosopher associated with

Mulla Sadra 1571–1636 Persia Philosopher Illuminationism and transcendent
theosophy
Mathematician,
Blaise June 19, 1623 – physicist,
France
Pascal[4] August 19, 1662 philosopher,
theologian
Jean-Jacques June 28, 1712 – Foundational figure of social contract
Switzerland Philosopher
Rousseau[1] July 2, 1778 theory, French Revolution, socialism

Socrates[1] 469–399 BC Greece Philosopher Founder of Western philosophy

fl. 3rd century BC – Philosophical school influenced by

Stoics[1] Greece –
AD 529 Socrates through Plato
Henry David July 12, 1817 – May United Foundational figure of
Author, poet
Thoreau[1] 6, 1862 States Transcendentalism

Arthur February 22, 1788 Post-kantian Philosophy, German

Germany Philosopher
Schopenhauer – Sep 21,1860 idealism

References
1. Murchland, Bernard (2008),The Arrow That Flies by Night(Paperback) (1st ed.), United States:University Press of
America, ISBN 0-7618-4031-1
2. Marino, Gordon (April 13, 2004),Basic Writings of Existentialism(Paperback), Modern Library Classics(1st ed.),
United States: Modern Library, ISBN 0-375-75989-1
3. Trey Whitman, "Transgressive fiction", Bent books, New Zealand 2016ISBN 978-0-473-35229-5
4. Earnshaw, Seven (2006), Existentialism: A Guide for the Perplexed(Paperback), Guides for the Perplexed (First
ed.), Continuum International Publishing Group, p. 2, ISBN 0-8264-8530-8
5. (in Italian) Giovanni Fornero, Recensione a "Le origini storiche dell'esistenzialismo" di Nicola Abbagnano
(http://ww
w.giovannifornero.net/index.php?pagina=storia&sezione=art_abbagnano&sottosezione=origini)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_existentialists&oldid=787145519

"

This page was last edited on 23 June 2017, at 18:22.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.