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Both romanticism and existentialism may be considered as philosophy and literary movements. If I understand it correctly, both romanticism and existentialism see opposition between society and individual, consider authenticity of an individual as one of the highest values. What is the difference between them?

Marina
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    A critical difference is existentialism's maxim "*existence is prior to essence*" while romanticism apparently still attaches to the emotional romantic essence of human beings and thus the whole society. Also usually romanticists are nostalgic about pre-industrial era while existentialists may not look back... – Double Knot Jul 21 '22 at 01:29
  • @DoubleKnot You are talking about different aspects. Existentialism is also emotional, and romanticism would agree that a man forms his essence. – Marina Jul 21 '22 at 05:56
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    I'm not rejecting emotional aspect of existentialism on a whole though individual existentialists could choose less or almost no emotions on their own, in this sense it's more general than romanticism... – Double Knot Jul 21 '22 at 06:32
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    "[Romanticism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850. Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism, idealization of nature, suspicion of science and industrialization, and glorification of the past with a strong preference for the medieval rather than the classical." – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Jul 21 '22 at 07:53
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    "[Existentialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on the subjective experience of thinking, feeling, and acting" – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Jul 21 '22 at 07:53
  • Difference in time: beginning vs end of 19th Century, scope: more generally artistic vs philosophical, and tradition: interest for medieval past vs contemporary. – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Jul 21 '22 at 07:55
  • @MauroALLEGRANZA It seems, you confirm that, from philosophy point of view, there is no essential difference? One is more of this, another is more of that. But if you take one author, you would not be sure to which movement he belongs, if there is no reference on recent events, right? – Marina Jul 21 '22 at 10:49
  • No; Goethe is beginning 19th Century and is not an Existentialist while e.g. Sartre has nothing to do with Romanticism. If you strip away time and space and culture and... what is left is only one fundamental distinction: Plato vs Aristotle. – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Jul 21 '22 at 11:14
  • @MauroALLEGRANZA You distinguish them by time. I know there is difference in time, Ok? It is settled? Is there a difference in philosophy, this is my question. But you need to compare questions they both asks, and how they answer them. – Marina Jul 21 '22 at 11:27
  • @MauroALLEGRANZA Sartre called Dostoyevsky existential philosopher. Dostoyevsky died in 1881, long before the term was invented, he never wrote philosophy. So, can we call Goethe existentialist? – Marina Jul 21 '22 at 11:31
  • @MauroALLEGRANZA Can we call Dostoyevsky romanticist? – Marina Jul 21 '22 at 11:52
  • No, [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoevsky) was a novelist and journalist that we can consider a forerunner and inspirational for existentialists: "Modern cultural movements such as the surrealists, the existentialists and the Beats cite Dostoevsky as an influence, and he is cited as the forerunner of Russian symbolism, existentialism, expressionism and psychoanalysis." – Mauro ALLEGRANZA Jul 21 '22 at 12:00
  • @MauroALLEGRANZA You can check: in Wikipedia (Existentialism), Dostoyevsky is listed as one of the foremost existentialists, because Sartre called him that. Not an inspiration, but an existentialist. – Marina Jul 21 '22 at 12:21

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