Existentialism is often studied by students with little or no background in philosophy either as an introduction to the idea of studying philosophy or as part of a literary course. Although it is often an attractive topic for students interested in thinking about questions of 'self' or 'being', it also requires them to study difficult thinkers and texts. This emGuideem emfor the Perplexedem begins with the question of 'What is Existentialism' and then moves on to provide a brief analysis of the key thinkers, writers and texts - both philosophical and literary - central to existentialism. Chapters focus particularly on Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre and Camus but also discuss other philosophers and writers such as Nietzsche, Dostoevsky and Kafka. The second section of the emGuideem introduces key topics associated with existentialist thought Self, Consciousness, the question of God and Commitment. Each chapter explains the concepts and debates and provides guidance on reading and analys