ABSTRACT
In 1946 Jean-Paul Sartre presented his ideas in a simplified form under the title of 'Existentialism and Humanism'. Existentialism is a philosophy of freedom but a specific, clearly defined freedom. Ontological freedom plays a key role in existentialism and must therefore play a key role in an existentialist approach to social work. As a theoretical framework, phenomenology cannot offer an ethics, ontology or social theory and so it is not entirely adequate as a philosophical basis for social work in its own right. Phenomenology is concerned with 'phenomena' which, taken literally, means 'appearances'. Phenomenologists stress the importance of perception and the relationship between appearance and reality. Phenomenology has influenced certain branches of psychology, sociology and philosophy. Karl Marx has made a major contribution to economics, political theory and sociology and it would be a grave injustice to detract from the value of his work.
