Phenomenology & Existentialism Vocabulary

the directedness of consciousness toward objects

“Husserl identified intentionality as the key feature of consciousness.”

Heidegger's term for human existence as 'being-there'

“Dasein is always already thrown into a world of meaning.”

the inseparability of human existence from its environment

“Being-in-the-world means we cannot be understood apart from our context.”

living according to one's own values rather than conforming

“Authenticity requires confronting our mortality and finitude.”

existential anxiety arising from awareness of freedom and mortality

“Kierkegaard saw angst as the dizziness of freedom.”

the conflict between human search for meaning and a meaningless universe

“Camus embraced absurdism: we must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

self-deception about one's freedom and responsibility

“The waiter who denies his freedom acts in bad faith.”

the condition of finding oneself already in a particular situation

“Thrownness means we don't choose our historical circumstances.”

the pre-reflective world of everyday lived experience

“Science abstracts from the lifeworld that makes it possible.”

the concrete facts of one's existence that limit possibility

“Facticity includes our body, past, and social situation.”