There has never been general agreement on the defnition of existentialism.

The
term is often seen as a historical convenience as it was frst applied to many
philosophers in hindsight, long after they had died. In fact, while existentialism is
generally considered to have originated with Kierkegaard, the frst prominent
existentialist philosopher to adopt the term as a self-description was Jean-a!l
"artre. "artre p!rports the idea that which #all existentialists have in common is the
f!ndamental doctrine that existence precedes essence#, as scholar $rederick
%opleston explains.
&'()
*ccording to philosopher "teven %rowell, defning
existentialism has been relatively di+c!lt, and he arg!es that it is better
!nderstood as a general approach !sed to re,ect certain systematic philosophies
rather than as a systematic philosophy itself.
&-)
"artre himself, in a lect!re delivered
in './(, described existentialism as #the attempt to draw all the conse0!ences from
a position of consistent atheism#.
&