Final answer:
The existential problem concerns the philosophical enquiry into human existence, freedom, and responsibility within existentialism. Key concepts include the belief that existence precedes essence and individuals are free to create their own meaning and identity. Existentialists like Sartre and Camus defined real things and emphasized our responsibility in shaping the world.
Step-by-step explanation:
The existential problem refers to a range of questions and dilemmas regarding human existence and freedom within existentialist thought. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual freedom, choice, and subjective experience while rejecting deterministic constraints. It posits that humans create meaning in an otherwise meaningless world through their actions and decisions. A core tenet of existentialism, emphasized by thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, is that 'existence precedes essence', suggesting that people exist first and then forge their own identities and values through engagement with the world.
Existentialists differentiate between two types of being: being-for-itself (conscious and free) and being-in-itself (non-conscious). The focus on human freedom and responsibility leads to the conclusion that individuals are not only free to shape their own lives but are also responsible for the choices they make. Existentialism asserts that meaning and values are subjective; hence, ethical decisions may sometimes be made contrary to abstract principles when confronted with the reality of human suffering.
During post-World War II, the existentialist views influenced the Abstract Expressionists, who found value in the creation process as a means of asserting one's existence. Similarly, Albert Camus discusses the notion of existential freedom by confronting the fundamental question of life's worth and the constant human choice not to commit sui cide, thereby affirming life over death every day. This framework of freedom and choice remains pertinent in contemporary discussions of personal and societal values.