Existentialism trivia

Existentialism Mini Quiz

Test your knowledge with these top questions!

Question 1

What is the central premise of existentialism?

Existentialism focuses on individual freedom and responsibility, emphasizing the importance of personal choice and authenticity.

Question 2

Which author of The Second Sex wrote that "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman"?

The Vatican placed this book on its list of prohibited books in 1956 due to its radical challenges to traditional gender roles and religious morality.

Question 3

Which existentialist philosopher is known for the idea of 'absurdism' in his works?

Albert Camus popularized the concept of 'absurdism' in his works, highlighting the inescapable contradictions of human existence.

Question 4

Named after the author of The Trial, what term describes nightmarish and complex bureaucracies?

Kafka's career at the Workers' Accident Insurance Institute exposed him to the dense bureaucracy that inspired his surreal depictions in The Trial.

Question 5

Which existentialist philosopher famously wrote 'Being and Nothingness'?

Jean-Paul Sartre's 'Being and Nothingness' was published in 1943 during the Nazi occupation of France, showing his defiance and resilience.

Question 6

Which author of Being and Nothingness was the 1st person to voluntarily turn down a Nobel Prize in Literature?

Sartre declined the 1964 prize because he believed a writer should not be turned into an institution. Boris Pasternak declined in 1958, but did so under government pressure.

Question 7

Who is considered the father of existentialism?

Søren Kierkegaard is considered the father of existentialism for his pioneering ideas on individuality and subjective experience.

Question 8

Which 3-word phrase suggests that humans define their own meaning through choices rather than a fixed nature?

Jean-Paul Sartre used this phrase to argue that unlike a tool designed for a task, humans exist first and then define their purpose through their own choices.

Question 9

Which French author wrote Being and Nothingness at the Café de Flore?

Sartre wrote at the Café de Flore for hours each day during the German occupation of Paris because the cafe was heated while his own apartment was not.

Question 10

Which Danish thinker explored the "leap of faith" in his writings?

Soren Kierkegaard is regarded as the father of existentialism. He argued that the leap of faith is a subjective commitment that cannot be justified by reason alone.