Final answer:
Existentialism emphasizes individual freedom and responsibility in creating life's meaning, which can lead to a crisis due to the overwhelming weight of these existential choices and inherent responsibilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Existentialism can lead to an existential crisis because it emphasizes the individual's absolute freedom and responsibility. This philosophical perspective proposes that individuals create the meanings and essence of their lives through their choices and actions. The realization of this unbounded freedom and the weight of creating one's meaning can be overwhelming, leading to a sense of existential dread or crisis.
The tremendous responsibility for one's life without external frameworks to follow can induce a feeling of 'fear and trembling', a term famously used by Søren Kierkegaard. Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus underlined the extreme freedom humans have to choose to continue their existence each day.
This realization strikes at the core of our being, often causing intense psychological discomfort as one grapples with the inherent responsibilities of their freedom. With each choice representing a statement of value, individuals may become acutely aware of the transient nature of their existence and the lack of intrinsic meaning, prompting an existential crisis.