WHO coined the term existentialism and what is it?

Answer 1

Jean-Paul Sartre coined the term, though the concepts were in discussion for nearly a century prior by men like Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, and Kafka, among many others. It is essentially the belief that life has no higher purpose, no inherent value, and that it is the duty of every man to give his own life purpose and define his own values.

I highly recommend Sartre's "Existentialism is a Humanism" - it's a short, concise snapshot of existentialism as a belief system.

Answer 2

The term "existentialism" was coined by the French philosopher Gabriel Marcel in the 20th century. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that focuses on individual freedom, choice, and the experience of living in the world as a human being, particularly in the face of existential crises such as death, meaninglessness, and responsibility. Key thinkers associated with existentialism include Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Friedrich Nietzsche.