Philosophy 224

Sartre, from Existentialism is a Humanism

Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre (19051980) was a French
philosopher, author,
playwright and activist.
He was one of the most
influential philosophers
of the 20th Century.
Hes best known as one
of the key figures in a
philosophical movement
known as existentialism.
Hes actually one of the
few representatives of
the movement to call
himself an existentialist.

Existentialism
One thing that all of the existentialists share is an
emphasis on the centrality of subjective experience.
This can be understood in one of two ways:
1. as the rejection of any objective/external
determination or meaning;
2. as the insistence on human freedom.

Both of these senses are captured with the slogan

made famous by Sartre: existence precedes
essence.

There is no pre-given meaning to our lives. We first

are, and then through our actions make our lives
meaningful.

No Metaphysics
As is suggested by this slogan, Sartre is
relatively unconcerned with metaphysical
speculation.
The metaphysical tradition has been dominated
by philosophies of essence.

What account he does provide of reality

focuses on human existence.
The title of his first major work, Being and
Nothingness, indicates the tenor of the
ontological account that he offers.

Human Nature
The fundamental feature of human existence is
"nothingness."
We have no essence, no nature.
How do we know this? Sartre asks us to consider the
nature of consciousness.
Our existence is different from the existence of the
things in the world. We not only exist, we are
conscious of ourselves as existing (our being is initself, for-itself).
The fundamental structure of self-conscious is negation
(we are not like the other things in the world; all choice
is the refusal of the other options; desire implies lack;
etc).

Meaningless, but Free

As defined by nothingness, our existence is
meaningless. According to most accounts, the
meaning of our lives is given to us. Sartre
denies this. To the extent that our life comes to
have meaning, it has only the meaning we
choose to give to it.
We are thus absolutely free. We find ourselves
in the world, with qualities and capacities that
we are not the source of. Nonetheless, we are
not passive bearers of these qualities. They
have the significance we allow them to have.
Ex. Being born female in our culture.

Bad Faith
According to Sartre, this account of our existence is true
even for those of us who believe that our meaning is
given to us. In essence, people choose to ignore the fact
that they are free creatures, hiding their freedom from
themselves by putting faith in some 'higher' power, or by
blaming circumstance or others for the negative effects of
their choices.
It's easy to understand why. Absolute freedom implies
absolute responsibility. If we're miserable, it's much easier
to blame it on someone or something else then face up to
the fact that we are the cause. Likewise, it's much easier
to be a passive participant in our lives than to be actively
engaged with our existence.
Sartre calls this self-denial Bad Faith.

Authenticity
The opposite of bad faith, and Sartre's
prescription. is what he calls authenticity.
Authenticity is not the same thing as "good faith,"
which as Sartre understands it is just another way
to abandon yourself to a transcendent meaning.
Living authentically requires taking the
nothingness at the heart of our existence
seriously. This requires to us to live as freedom,
accepting full responsibility for the meaning of our
lives.

Existentialism
Sartre begins the reading by making a distinction
between two species of existentialism: atheistic and
Christian.
Though there seems to be a fundamental opposition
between the two, they actually share an essential claim:
human existence precedes human essence.

However, Sartre seems to suggest that only the

atheistic version can consistently affirm that
hypothesis.
After all, if you believe God created humans, how is that
different from the potter who made the pot? For Sartre,
before there is meaning, there is existence (187-188).

Note that existentialism is not a nave subjectivism. It

does not suggest that we are self-created, but merely
that we are the source of significance in our existence.

is a Humanism
It is on this basis that Sartre makes the
connection between existentialism and
humanism.
Existentialism grants to human existence a
fundamental dignity. We are absolutely free, and
as such, absolutely responsible.
In an echo of Kant, Sartre insists that this
responsibility extends beyond our own existence
to the existence of all.
In choosing for ourselves we choose for all (188-9).

Dimensions of Freedom
Sartre attempts to clarify our situation by exploring the meaning of three
dimensions of our freedom: anguish, abandonment, and despair.
Anguish

Complete responsibility imposes an incredible burden on humans. If we face

up to it, we are unavoidably anguished. Example of Abraham.

Abandonment

He characterizes this fact by reference to the non-existence of God. If there

is no God, everything is permitted. We thus have no excuses. We are
condemned to be free.
By abandonment, Sartre refers to the fact that we are thrown into existence.
We always find ourselves in a situation that we are then required to lay
claim to. There is no escape from this (191-2).

Despair

By despair, Sartre refers to the fact that our freedom precludes the
possibility of hope. The only thing that we can count on is our will, and
reasonable anticipation of what will follow from that will. Living without hope
is not to give up acting. Just the opposite is true: we are and we are only
what we make ourselves (196-7).

Final Analysis
What then are we to make of existentialism?
True inheritor of Descartes: the subject is truth.
Only theory that doesn't deny the dignity of
human beings by treating them as objects.
No human nature, but there is a human
condition: freedom.
Aesthetic ideal?

Summing up (205).