THE RECEPTION OF EXISTENTIALIST PHILOSOPHY IN SOUTHERN URBAN LITERATURE (1954 - 1975)

Abstract

Existentialist philosophy is a humanistic philosophical school that emphasizes the role of the individual and the responsibility of existence, while encouraging each person to define themselves, seek meaning, and live with purpose. In twentieth-century Vietnamese literature, especially during the 1954 -1975 period in the South, existentialist philosophy penetrated deeply and exerted a profound influence on both literary theory - criticism and creative writing. This article examines the process of reception and influence of existentialist philosophy in Southern urban literature from two perspectives: (1) reception through research and translation; (2) influence on creative writing and literary criticism. By employing interdisciplinary methods (philosophy - literature), textual analysis, and discourse analysis, the study demonstrates that existentialist philosophy not only entered via academic channels, but was also localized and transformed into a distinctive “spiritual climate,” thereby contributing to the formation of a new mode of thought and aesthetics for Southern urban literature before 1975