Existentialism is a philosophical movement that developed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One of the first things one may notice about existentialism is the confusion and disagreement of what it actually is. This is because those who developed it have conflicting ideas. Walter Kaufman, one of the leading existential scholars says, "Certainly, existentialism is not a school of thought nor reducible to any set of tenets. The two writers who appear invariable on every list of existentialists, Heidegger and Sartre, are not in agreement on essentials. By the time we consider adding Rilke, Kafka, and Camus, it becomes plain that one essential feature shared by all these men is their "perfervid individualism." Therefore, a precise definition is impossible, however, it suggests one major theme, a stress on individual existence and the subsequent development of personal essence.
             Man is the only known being, according to existentialists, that defines itself merely through the act of living. In other words, first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Freedom of choice, through which each human being creates their own nature, is one of the basic themes. Because individuals are free to choose their own path, existentialists have argued that they must accept the risk and responsibility of their actions. This creation of the essence is an ongoing phenomenon because each individual is responsible for all mankind. Each decision and therefore each action define what mankind is or will be. Because of this great responsibility that each man has, there can be no excuses for his actions. Man is fully aware that he is responsible for not only himself, but for all other men and this responsibility causes anguish in all men. He goes further with this, saying that all individuals must act as though all of mankind is watching and being guided by what he does.
             Every person spends a lifetime chang...