Existential angst is a condition of dread or anxiety that is related to the philosophy known as existentialism.
Existentialism is the belief that life has no meaning other than what people bring to it. All people thus have the freedom to choose any action, as well as the responsibility of accepting the consequences of that action. It is precisely this freedom and responsibility that causes existential angst. Moral people, existentialists argue, can have no other sensible response to the terrible burdens of their choices.
The English word “angst” derives from the same Latin root as “anguish” and “anxiety,” and conveys a similar meaning. The word has roughly the same definition and spelling in German, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages.
Existentialism is the belief that life has no meaning other than what people bring to it. All people thus have the freedom to choose any action, as well as the responsibility of accepting the consequences of that action. It is precisely this freedom and responsibility that causes existential angst. Moral people, existentialists argue, can have no other sensible response to the terrible burdens of their choices.
The English word “angst” derives from the same Latin root as “anguish” and “anxiety,” and conveys a similar meaning. The word has roughly the same definition and spelling in German, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages.