Existentialism Essay

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The basis of existentialism begins with the simple thought of “leading your own life”. Throughout the 20th century, existentialism (even though unrecognized) swept the nation and had the biggest effect on the course of American history. For years the country had focused more on the paces of building an economy and industrially developing itself. Yet, beginning with feminism, the existentialist movement echoed through the words of Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan. Next was the denial of freedom for major racial groups such as African Americans and other groups like Native Americans and the LGBT community; whose rights for equal citizenship and treatment shed the light during the period. Existentialism changed American culture, taking it from black and white traditions into the colorful years of the 1960’s and 70’s where the ideal made the most changes.
The “Second Wave” of feminism first emerges with existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and her book ‘Ethics of Ambiguity’ in which she expresses "how the human is always already restricted by the brute facts of his exis...

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