Sartre's Embodiment of Existentialism: Freedom, Responsibility, and Human Agency
Overview
This paper examines Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist philosophy as presented in 'Existentialism is a Humanism,' focusing on the foundational principle that existence precedes essence. The essay analyzes how Sartre's rejection of predetermined human nature, emphasis on individual freedom, and concept of radical responsibility form the core of existentialist thought, contrasting it with essentialist and religious traditions while exploring the psychological consequences of absolute freedom including anguish and abandonment.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to existentialism and its central tenets regarding freedom, choice, and rejection of external authority
- Sartre's core doctrine of 'existence precedes essence' with the paper-knife analogy and contrast with Kant and religious philosophy
- The concept of radical responsibility and how individual choices implicitly legislate for all humanity
- Psychological consequences of freedom: anguish, abandonment, and despair as components of existential experience
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Sartre’s Embodiment of Existentialism
Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses on the existence of individuals, freedom, and choice in a universe that appears to be absurd and meaningless. It argues that people are not born with a predetermined nature or meaning, but they must make their own meaning through action and by making choices. The central tenets are the denial of external authority, such as God, general morals, the prevalence of subjective experience, and the burden of absolute freedom, which leads to concepts like anguish and abandonment. This perception of the world is in opposition to essentialism, which comes before existence, and it is affirmative of human agency even though it does not contain intrinsic values. Jean-Paul Sartre is one of the brightest representatives of Existentialism because in his defense in the work “Existentialism is a Humanism.” He eloquently and extensively explains these concepts based on human responsibility and lack of divine guidance.
Sartre starts by explaining Existentialism as a doctrine where “existence comes before essence” (Sartre, p. 2). He gives an example of a created piece of material, such as a paper-knife, which has a predetermined usage that was thought of by its craftsman. However, when it comes to human beings, no preconceived design exists since “there is no God to have a conception of it (Sartre, p. 3). According to Sartre, man is first and foremost an existent, and only after that, he encounters himself, surges up in the world, and then he defines himself.