Philosophical · nontheistic

Existentialism

No given essence, no external warrant, and therefore total responsibility for what you make of yourself. The highest value in the matrix on individual conscience, and it treats that as a burden rather than as a liberation.

What makes it unusual

The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.

A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the naturalFurther toward "nothing beyond the natural" than most traditions in the matrix.
C1 Survival of the selfends at deathFurther toward "ends at death" than most traditions in the matrix.
D2 Centrality of ritualoptional or absentFurther toward "optional or absent" than most traditions in the matrix.
A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or orderFurther toward "impersonal principle or order" than most traditions in the matrix.

All seventeen positions

Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.

The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.

position
tolerated variation

A · The divine

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists	nothing beyond the naturalSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.08	0.10
A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address	impersonal principle or orderSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.05	0.06
A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits	strictly oneSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.03	0.04
A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it	leaning wholly beyond the worldSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.20	0.15

B · Knowledge and authority

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience	reason and direct experienceSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.95	0.04
B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all	metaphorical, or no text at allSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.92	0.06
B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides	individual conscience decidesSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.98	0.02

C · Self and destiny

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form	ends at deathSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.05	0.06
C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return	one life, then judgmentSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.08	0.08
C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound	leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.72	0.16

D · Practice

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight	achieved by effort or insightSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.98	0.02
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent	optional or absentSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.92	0.06
D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated	leaning to be celebratedSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.68	0.16

E · World and others

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths	leaning many valid pathsSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.78	0.14
E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural	beginningless or naturalSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.95	0.04
E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice	an individual choiceSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.95	0.04
E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred	between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredSartre, Existentialism is a Humanism; de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity	0.38	0.18

Compared with

Where do you sit?

The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.