Which philosophy is based on the idea that people give meaning to their lives through their choices and actions?

Existentialism is grounded in the belief that individuals create their own meaning and essence through their choices and actions. This philosophy asserts that existence precedes essence, emphasizing personal responsibility and the importance of free will in determining one’s path and identity. In existentialist thought, life has no predetermined purpose; instead, it is up to each person to find significance through their experiences, decisions, and engagement with the world.

In contrast, essentialism posits that individuals have a predetermined essence or nature that they must fulfill, which contrasts sharply with the existentialist focus on individual choice. Universalism emphasizes concepts that transcend individual or cultural differences, which differs from the existentialist idea of personal creation of meaning. Pragmatism values practical consequences and the usefulness of ideas, rather than the existentialist focus on subjective meaning-making. Thus, the emphasis on choice and individual meaning in existentialism distinctly aligns with the philosophy in question.