National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level 2 (NCAC II) Practice Exam Exam

Which philosophical movement emphasizes personal responsibility in the context of one's own life?

1. Humanism

2. Existentialism

3. Behaviorism

4. Structuralism

The correct answer is: Existentialism

The philosophical movement centered on personal responsibility in the context of one's own life is existentialism. This philosophy posits that individuals are free and must take personal responsibility for their actions and choices. Existentialists emphasize the importance of personal agency and the idea that people create their own meaning and values in a life that may inherently lack them. This focus on individual choice and responsibility is fundamental to understanding human existence according to existentialist thought. In contrast, while humanism values individual dignity and worth, it does not emphasize the same level of personal responsibility regarding one’s own existence in the same way. Behaviorism concentrates on observable behaviors and external stimuli rather than internal choices, which is quite different from the introspection of existentialism. Structuralism seeks to understand human behavior in terms of overarching structures and systems rather than individual agency, which does not align with the emphasis on personal responsibility found in existential thought.