Jean-Paul Sartre
(1905 - 1980)

Context and Influence

Historical Period
    - WW II
    - Cold War

Political
    - Anti-Fascist
    - Anti-Capitalism/Imperialism
    - Pro-Socialism/Democracy

Humanities
    - Literature
    - Philosophy

A philosophy of human existence

Roots

Defense

Definition

Existence precedes Essence

Existence: that it is

Essence: what it is; that which makes it what it is; the defining aspect

"[M]an . . . is indefinable . . . because at first he is nothing . . . [T]here is no human nature."

Man will become something as a result of his "project."  While the project is of his own making, he may not become "what he may wish to be."

Responsibility - the moral consequence of existence preceding essence, i.e., the fact that we create ourselves, our essence, through our own choices

1: Self:

- "the individual chooses and makes himself"

- individuals are responsible for their choice, i.e., they are the incontestable author of their own act

2: Others:

- in choosing for one's self a person is also creating a world for others which confronts them with possibilities and limitations

- in choosing for one's self, one is thus also choosing for others and is to that extent responsible for the others and the choices that confront them

NOTE: this is a non-technical, non-textual interpretation - it does not directly address the foundational statement that "man cannot pass beyond human subjectivity" which has its basis in phenomenology

3. Value

- to choose is to affirm the value of the chosen and to infuse the world with that value
        > prior to choosing, value is a mere possibility
        > that possibility is made actual through our choice and the truth of our values lies in our actions

- what we choose is good by virtue of our having chosen it, having affirmed its value

4. Meaning

- the world does not come prescribed with meaning; in itself it is meaningless - it is ABSURD

- we interpret the signs, i.e., give it meaning, and are solely responsible for the interpretation we give it

Anguish
        - the sense of complete and profound responsibility
        - if authentic, one would live the categorical imperative

Abandonment 

    -  There is no good a priori; no authority except that which we give ourselves

    -  Without Excuse

    -  Man is Condemned to be FREE

    - Humans cannot not be free, i.e., to be human is to choose; this is our existential condition, i.e., the HUMAN CONDITION

    - Coupled with choice is responsibility 

Bad Faith (v. Authenticity)

 A lie to one’s self where escape from responsibility is sought by taking refuge in one aspect of our being while in flight, denial and negation of the other aspect

•         Transcendence - I am not what I am

•         Facticity - I am what I am not

–        our factual being-in-the-world, viz., our body and our history, i.e., our essence - that which we have made ourselves to be

 Application/Summation

•         What I choose is good

•         I am responsible for what I choose

•         To attempt to escape this responsibility is bad faith

•         If I am authentic, I will face my responsibility and live the categorical imperative