Using classic films, novels, and plays, Thomas E. Wartenberg explores the central ideas of Existentialism including freedom, authenticity, anxiety, and the Absurd. As well as discussing the ideas of such legendary thinkers as Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre, Wartenberg shows how Simone de Beauvoir and Franz Fanon use the theories of Existentialism to address gender and colonial oppression. This lively introduction reveals a vibrant mode of philosophical inquiry that pervades modern culture and addresses concerns at the heart of every human being.