On being and becoming : an existentialist approach to life / Jennifer Anna Gosetti-Ferencei.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-309) and index.

Existentialism in style and substance -- A philosophy for human existence -- Historical roots of existentialism -- Romantic upheavals, Modern movements -- Existentialism as literature: the twentieth century -- The self -- Others -- World -- Earth -- Being -- On imitation, inspiration, and authenticity -- On seeking and taking (and giving) advice -- Being in the crowd: anonymity, conformity, and individuality in modern life -- Into one's own, or on "finding" oneself -- I selfie, therefore I am: on self-imaging culture -- On being and waiting (tables), or, the roles we play -- Seizing the day: the present and presence -- Love in the time of existentialism -- Existential suffering, happiness, and hope -- Life as a work of art: the existential need for creativity.

" ... existentialism is a rich and diverse philosophy that encourages meaningful engagement with the world around us, offering a host of fascinating concepts that pertain to life as we experience it. The movement was as heterogeneous as it is now misunderstood, influenced by jazz music, involving diverse thinkers from around the world, challenging received ideas about the meaning of human existence. Part of the difficulty in defining existentialism is that it was never a unified philosophy, but came to identify a set of shared concerns about the meaning and possibility of human freedom, as it may be expressed in authentic choices, actions, and projects. With existentialism, concrete, lived experience of the single individual emerged from the shadow of abstract systems and long-defended traditions, and became subject-matter in its own right for philosophical inquiry. Far from solipsistic, Gosetti-Ferencei shows that existentialist attention to the human self can be intertwined with ways of conceiving the world, our being with others, the earth, and the encompassing concept of being. [This book] unpacks this philosophical movement's insights, and reveals how its core ideas promote creative responses to the question of life's meaning."--Dust jacket flap.