The existential and postmodern individual
Abstract
The theories of existentialism and postmodernism seem like very different ideas
at first glance. Existentialism is a philosophy of individuals, while postmodernism is a
theory focused more on society and less on individual existence. In this thesis, I will
show that both of these ideas can be merged together to be seen as an individual
philosophy. Using theories from each philosophical camp, I will describe both the
existential and postmodern being. I will explain characteristics of these individuals and
explain how they function in society. I will use several philosophers to explain this such
as Jean-Paul Sartre and Michel Foucault, and finally, I will discuss The Stranger by
Albert Camus. In The Stranger, the main character, Monsieur Meursault, exhibits the
qualities of both types of individuals. I will use him as an example of the type of person
that emerges from the philosophical ideas of existentialism and postmodernism. I
analyze Meursault through the eyes of both the existentialist and the postmodernist, and
conclude that Meursault personifies the traits and characteristics that are specific to these
philosophies.
Citation
Herring, Lesley Virginia (2005). The existential and postmodern individual. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /2371.