Philippine E-Journals

Elements of Existentialism in Modern Asian Fiction

Mita Luz De Manuel

Discipline: Philosophy

 

Abstract:

The urge for self-analysis has been with humankind since time immemorial--the mystery of his being, his existence, and his situation in the world have been a constant source of fascination. Socrates' famous imperative, "Know thyself," was followed by the corollary "The unexamined life is not worth living." These ideas have been echoed in the writings of the great theologians, philosophers and novelists from Saint Augustine on through Montaigne and Blaise Pascal, and have found expression in the various philosophies of the different schools of existentialism.