Final answer:
Absurdism is the philosophy that considers the universe indifferent to human concerns and often cruel, emphasizing the conflict between the human search for meaning and the meaningless world.
Step-by-step explanation:
The universe is indifferent to human concerns and often perceived as cruel and malevolent is a concept most closely aligned with absurdism. Absurdism posits that there is an inherent conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the silent, indifferent universe that offers no such answers. This philosophy was prominent in the works of Albert Camus, who suggested that the absence of meaning might lead one to contemplate nihilism, but the right response is to live with the acknowledgment of the Absurd. The purpose of life, then, would not be dictated by any transcendental or innate meaning, but rather a result of the personal meaning one creates in defiance of the Absurd. About the provided information, existentialism focuses on the human condition and centers on individual freedom and the construction of meaning, strongly influenced by the phenomenological roots and the philosophy of human freedom. Jean-Paul Sartre, a key figure in existentialist philosophy, explored the implications of human freedom and the accompanying responsibility. Meanwhile, realism in art and philosophy attempted to represent subject matter truthfully without artificiality, whereas naturalism was a style in which characters are depicted as products of their environment and heredity, which can sometimes make it seem like they have no control over their actions.