How could existentialism have wound up being such an influential and successful philosophy?

Question

How could existentialism have wound up being such an influential and successful philosophy?

Answer 1

Successful? That's a particularly Western and not necessarily accurate interpretation.

Philosophy and existentialism are in part the dabblings of the white, the middle class/wealthy and males.

Only 13% or so of the world's population has ever been to post-secondary education. Even fewer have studied philosophy. Even fewer have actually known anything about existentialism other than a few intro paragraphs in a few common texts.

Further, it wasn't until the wealth and abundance of the 1930s that people actually had the time to sit and ponder things like "boredom" or "nothingness". The typical person today doens't have the time or money to fully engage in philosophy.

Answer 2

People have been more and more dissatisfied with their lives. They believe that once they find the meaning in their life, or of their existence, then they will be happy. The goal of existentialism is to help people determine their need in this world, and to hopefully satisfy it.  

Answer 3

To judge truth by the number of its believers is a big mistake.

Mans search for meanings (philosophy) leads to where the truth seeker of courage will follow, as with existential--beings of eternal existence, past, present, and future.

Answer 4

It is not difficult to see this if you look at the historical context.

Answer 5

Because of how successful prior philosophy had been on the influence of mankind.  When novel ways of thinking have become so well cemented into the consciousness of man, that he began to take them for granted, existentialism found a welcome place.

Answer 6

Existentialism accurately described the post industrial materialistic age, those wielding the power to create / manufacture benefited from the movement.