Like nihilism, existentialism starts with a claim that there is no fundamental meaning or morality. But in existentialism, people must create their own meaning and morality. In philosophical terms: “existence precedes essence.” That is, things exist first without meaning or value. They only have value because we choose to create meaning or value for them. Existential ethics: your actions have consequences, but the consequences are unknowable. Even though you desire to do what’s right, there is no objective morality to follow (part of existential angst). You are forced to invent some sort of meaning-giving basis for life that can tell you what to care about. This might include constructing a kind of “morality” to follow.
I like how existentialism emphasizes that there is no inherent meaning or morality and that we have to create our own. It’s interesting because it puts the responsibility for living a meaningful life entirely on the individual, which can feel both freeing and overwhelming. This idea kind of lead me into thinking about how my values and choices are created by myself.