...In his essay Existentialism is Humanism Sartre develops an atheistic moral system. In this paper, I will examine the moral system that Sartre presents. I will attempt to provide the most plausible interpretation of this morality and determine if this moral system can work in a society. I will conclude that there are several problems with Sartre’s account of morality that make it inadequate. And I will try to provide a possible solution to these problems. In order to understand Sartre’s account of morality we should first examine the basis upon which it is developed. Sartre develops his account of morality from a perspective of what he calls a “consistently atheistic” existentialism. The “consistently atheistic” existentialism maintains that God does not exist. This means that there can be no universal moral values, but it also means, and this is very important for Sartre’s account that man’s existence comes before man’s essence. If God does not exist then there can be no universal moral values because such values, at least in the European morality, come from the “commandments of God”. We use these commandments to define good and evil, and upon these two opposing concepts we base our morality. Furthermore if God does not exist then man was not created according to a divine plan, his essence was not defined a priori, and therefore there is no such a thing as “Human nature”. Sartre defines his phrase “existence precedes essence” as applied to man...
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...structured moral code. Thus, new religions developed which appeased these needs. As an atheist, Sartre argues the idea that moral standards can—and do—exist without a god; they exist within humanity through trial and error. Within “Existentialism is a Humanism”, Sartre defends atheistic existentialism by showing the true humanity within the philosophy through a few principles: responsibility, anguish, forlornness, and despair. To begin with, the most basic principal behind existentialism is that humans do not have an essence, only...
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...Jean-Paul Sartre claims that man is completely free. To understand what this statement means, this essay will look at Existentialist philosophy and evaluate the central concepts namely freedom, anguish, abandonment and despair. Through analysing Sartre’s lecture entitled ‘Existentialism and Humanism’ and his book, ‘Being and Nothingness’ this essay will explain what he meant by this statement and will argue that while man is free to a certain extent, he is not completely free. Sartre delivered his lecture in a time of guarded optimism and unrest. The truth about the Nazi power and Auschwitz had just become known and the first atomic bomb had been dropped. People were becoming aware of how evil others could be and were looking for answers. There was a need to re-examine life as they knew it and Sartre, through Existentialism, offered a new approach to life. While Sartre himself later repudiated parts of his lecture it still remains his most widely read writing. (Philosophynow.org, 2016) Sartre used the word, ‘freedom’ which would have appealed to the people of that epoch having just been freed from Nazi occupation, however he says man is condemned to be free as he believed freedom came with great responsibility. The main reason for Sartre’s lecture was to defend Existentialism against its critics who thought it would lead to ‘quietism of despair’. They thought it was contemplative and would discourage people from taking action. Due to the words he used, namely anguish, abandonment...
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...literary work No Exit and analysis from Being and Nothingness. Components of Existential Philosophy This paper will firstly discuss the major existential principle of existence preceding essence. This notion is discussed by Sartre’s (1946) lecture “Existentialism is Humanism”. This central theme existence preceding essence is the backbone for most existential thought and that is why it is discussed and understood thoroughly from the beginning of this paper. This leads to the existential thought, absurdity of life. Life being absurd is a component of the existential human condition and this is discussed using The Myth of Sisyphus as a beacon of how absurdity applies to life and happiness. This was written and discussed by Camus in his work The Myth of Sisyphus. Lastly this paper will discuss how others impact the individual or human relationships, discussed by Sartre. His thesis regarding others interactions are that it is Hell. This is the central theme in his play No Exit, and unpacking this existential thought this paper will use his work Being and Nothingness. Human Condition Existence comes before essence; this is a main theme found in existential philosophy. Sartre (1946) states in his lecture “Existentialism is Humanism”, the theme existence precedes essence, is an ideal that all existential philosophers hold true. To understand the existential claim that existence precedes essence it is beneficial to define the opposite, “essence...
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...Tanith Perridge 1 Keywords Glossary Philosophy Definition: Anguish Satre’s lecture on existentialism and humanism brings with it several emotional implications or responsibilities in which choice is connected. One of the emotional links is that of anguish. Satre states that anguish is an individual’s response to freedom …“we are responsible as we are free” .. (Flynn 2006 pg8) that individuals have to take sole responsibility for actions taken resulting in the feeling of anguish. Discussion As starte stated existence precedes essence, we are all a Tabula Rasa(blank slate) that we are all free in which to make the choices and decisions that shapes who we are. Anguish is almost an emotional response to the freedom that we have, that we are all free to choose own paths in life, we should be responsible for all of our actions, choices and decisions that we make. When choosing that decision we are choosing that decision for all. ..”When choosing for himself he chooses for all mankind..” (Cohen- solal 1996 pg, 67) Satre utilised Kierkegaards example of Abraham sacrificing his son as a result of a divine command in which to explain anguish more clearly. Stare sates that is it Abraham’s choice in which to interpret the command as divine or god like. To satre the freedom is the value of all values that we can experience aguish as a result of the responsibility of being truly free, however satre suggested that we are also condemned to be free, resulting in anguish felt at...
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...Kenney October 24, 2014 Who We Are and What We Make of Ourselves Existentialism and Humanism was first introduced as a public lecture at the club Maintenant in Paris in October 1945, at the end of WWII. Paris had just been freed of Nazi occupation, and French people were trying to rebuild their destroyed nation. Citizens, leaders, and philosophers were questioning the foundations of society and reexamining the meaning of morality. The horrors of the concentration camps and the atom bomb had just been brought to the surface. Evidence of the human capacity for evil and destruction was everywhere. Jean-Paul Sartre, like many other philosophers at the time, wrote his own essay, Existentialism, in an attempt to answer these moral and ethical questions about human nature and free will. Sartre is correct to say that people are free and must choose their own path in life, but also contradicts himself and fails to appreciate people’s diversity. Sartre begins his essay in a very confusing way. He brings the reader into a very complicated argument over the meaning of Existentialism. He says that the word has lost its meaning and needs to be redefined, “…by this time the word has been so stretched and has taken on so broad a meaning, it no longer means anything at all” (343). Sartre begins clarifying existentialism by focusing on the individual. He says, “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself” (345). Here Sartre explains how human beings have no pre-determined destiny but are...
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...Jean-Paul Sartre and Existentialism Jean-Paul Sartre . . . the name is one of the most popular in modern philosophy. But who was he? What did he write and what were his works about? What was his role with regard to Existentialism? What is Existentialism, really? What life influences affected the person as whom he became famous? How would Sartre assess various social topics that we face today? What are the problems with Sartre's view of Existentialism and existence in general? These are the questions addressed in the following pages of this brief dissertation.His life Upon reviewing several sources, it is apparent that Sartre was a very disorganized and inconsistent individual. Sartre was obsessed with his intellect to the point of abandon of all else in his life - personal hygiene, honesty, organization, thoroughness, and more. It seems that he felt he was of superior intelligence in comparison to all others who surrounded him. He was not necessarily a great and original thinker, but rather a superb media sensation of sorts. Rather than developing Existentialist thought, he merely promoted it to amazing popularity through his eccentric lifestyle. Although he is best known for his association with Existentialism, it is interesting to note that he denounced its principles later in life and adopted Marxism, which he also later denounced. Jean-Paul-Charles-Aymard Sartre was born in Paris on June 21, 1905, the only child of Anne-Marie Schweitzer Sartre and Jean-Baptiste Sartre. Anne-Marie...
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...Essay 2: Existentialism Evaluation: 20% of final grade Length: 1400-1500 words Due: After uploading to Assignment2 students are required to hand in a hard copy of their essays at the beginning of their seminars on March 10, 2015. Late papers will be penalized 3% per day. Students must write this essay in order to complete this course with a passing grade. Choose 1 essay topic from the following list of 16: Sartre Write an essay which explicates and evaluates some of the central claims in Sartre’s “Existentialism” (the first essay of Existentialism and Human Emotions.) You should frame your essay around a particular philosophical claim or theme which you would like to write about in Sartre’s essay. For example: 1. How does Sartre argue that “existentialism is a humanism” and is his argument a good one? 2. What is Sartre’s notion of freedom and how does it relate to ethics? Is this a viable ethics? 3. Explain and evaluate the claim that “existence precedes essence.” What are the implications for living if one accepts this claim? Defend or consider problems with this position. 4. What does Sartre mean when he says that “man is condemned to be free” but also that we are nonetheless responsible for who or what we become? In what way are we free, in which ways are we responsible, and to whom are we responsible? Is Sartre right? If so, why? If not, why not? 5. Drawing on the entirety of the essay, develop an account of what Sartre thinks the...
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...Assess Whether Sartre Was right To Claim That Man Is Completely Free Although Soren Kierkegaard is known as the godfather of existentialism, Jean Paul Sartre was a French philosopher who popularised it. This essay will look at his claim that man is completely free and try to draw a conclusion on whether he was right, wrong or maybe even a middle ground to this assertion. To understand his claim that man is completely free, it will be necessary to look at what existentialism is and what it says about the notion of freedom. According to Sartre we are condemned to be free because we are ontological beings (Sartre, 1973 p.29-30) Sartre described humans as a being-for-itself because they have an awareness of themselves, their existence and are able to change by manipulating different factors and making decisions that suit them. He then went on to describe innate objects as a being-in-itself meaning they have no consciousness, and cannot change; they cannot manipulate the environment for better or worse (Bochensky, 1974, p.175) Sartre stated that existence precedes essence. By this he meant that we exist first and only after that occurs do we start making sense of the world and ourselves. This view is an atheistic approach to existentialism because he believed that God does not exist, but Christian existentialists like Kierkegaard and Heidegger would disagree with this approach. According to Sartre we are born tabular rasa and thrown into existence without our will. By arguing that...
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...Notes on Existentialism Compiled for PSY 345 (Fall 2004) Existentialism provides a moving account of the agony of being in the world. The spirit of existentialism has a long history in philosophy. But it became a major movement in the second half of the 20th century. Existentialism is not a systematic body of thought like Marxism or psychoanalysis. Instead, it is more like an umbrella under which a very wide range of thinkers struggled with questions about the meaning of life. Much of the appeal and popularity of Existentialism is due to the sense of confusion, the crisis, and the feeling of rejection and rootlessness that Europeans felt during World War II and its aftermath. Existentialism’s focus on each person’s role in creating meaning in their life was a major influence on the Phenomenological and Humanistic traditions in psychology and on the “human potential” movement that emerged from them. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) said, “Conquer yourself rather than the world.”. To modern existentialists this means that the World itself has no real meaning or purpose. It is not the unfolding expression of Human Destiny or a Divine plan, or even a set of natural laws. The only meaning is that which we create by acts of will. To have a meaningful life we have to act. But we should act without hope. Acting is meaningful but it doesn’t create meaning that lasts beyond the acts themselves or beyond our own lifetime. You are what you do – while you are doing it – and then nothing. (Very...
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...1. Compare and contrast various views of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Hinduism is a religion meaning part of three main parts which include Vishnaism, Saivism and the Saktism. People must therefore follow the gods from one of the above three. Budhism on the other hand comes from the word buddhi which can be defined as the process of waking up. Budhism is therefore the awakening philosophy. These origins of this philosophy are derived from Budha who awakened at the age of thirty five. Taoism on the other hand is an ethical or religious tradition from the Chinese faith. Tao means something that is the source of and force behind all that exists. In comparison, Hinduism is about understanding Brahm, from within the Atman which roughly means from within the soul, whereas Budhism is all about finding Anatman which is not soul. Hinduism is about finding the highest life by removing bodily distractions from life. Taoism on the other hand means the way, which is a Chinese quotation meaning Tao is found in the world through nature and can be experienced through a mystical experience. Buddhism is carried out in Monasteries, nunneries and temples while Hinduism is carried out in a temple. In comparison, both Buddhism and Hinduism and Taoism embrace the use of statues and pictures.in addition to that both also follow the Dharma which is the common religious law. In Budhism, the clergy consists of monks and nuns who follow teachings of the Budha under the name Sangha whereas in Hinduism...
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...1. The idea that “existence precedes essence” is that, for human beings, there is no predefined pattern that we must fit into. We live our lives which defines what we truly are, not any idealized set of characteristics. This idea is the heart of Sartre’s existentialism. We must create our own meaning, place our own value on our acts, and make our individual freedom absolute and unbounded. Sartre, although an atheist, stated the meaning that God is the full existential realization of every perfect, ideal or essential attribute of God. Sartre described that as an impossibility, but it is also a good description of what a believer believes God to be. 2. The first principle of existentialism is humanism. Atheistic existentialism declares with greater consistency that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it. That being is man or the human reality. In addition, this is what people call its “subjectivity,” using the word as a reproach against us. For we mean to say that man primarily exists – that man is, before all else, something which propels itself towards a future and is aware that it is doing so. Man is, indeed, a project which possesses a subjective life, instead of being a kind of moss, or a fungus or a cauliflower. Before that projection of the self nothing exists; not even in the heaven of intelligence: man will only attain existence when he is what...
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...EXISTENTIALISM IN THE STRANGER Albert Camus born in Mondovi, Algeria, in 1913, spent his early years in Algiers. He completed a doctorate in philosophy, then worked at various jobs, establishing his own theatrical company in the 1930s. At the age of 24 Camus became severely ill, a victim of tuberculosis. During four years of recovery, he formulated his existential philosophies and began his writing career. Most of Camus’ works are representative of the philosophy of existentialism. His well-known fictional piece is “The Stranger”. Meursault, the narrator of The Stranger, is an existential anti-hero. Locked into the routine of daily existence, his life is a shapeless void without ideas, preferences, goals, or emotions. Like a robot, Meursault responds to everything automatically, neither feeling nor caring. When he is offered a job transfer to Paris, Meursault says he does not care where he works; yet he does not go because moving would be too much trouble. His mother’s death is met with similar lack of response: he feels no despair or grief. Occasionally, Meursault lacks motivation to do anything, so he spends the day sitting at his bedroom window, smoking cigarettes more out of habit than desire. Meursault utilizes all of the six existential themes: Freedom, Contingency, Individuality, Existence, Reflection, and Nihilism. The first existential theme is freedom. Freedom means that whatever happened prior to now does not influence what your next choice in life will be,...
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...Existentialism I sit here. There is only the interminable noise of the fountain. There is light coming in from the window that helps me see the room I’m sitting in. The things I see are the everyday things I call home. The words in my head are my thoughts that go from this, to that. I am a warm, well-fed, well-loved human endowed with good observation skills because of a well-nurtured brain. All is well in my world but still – something pulls and nags at me. An undefinable discontentment and anxious aloneness which no amount of reasoning with myself abates. Is this the human condition? Never to be content and safe deep in what we think of as the soul, when all outward influences are comfortable? Death and the fear of it are maybe what rule this quest for understanding the soul. All the philosophies and sciences are maybe created to help the aching soul to find some peace. These are my thoughts on why movements like Existentialism and sciences like psychology developed. Or maybe these thinkers were too well fed with too much time to think. To Be or Not to Be that is the question. All the way back to somewhere between 1564 and 1616 (Shakespeare’s lifetime) Hamlet struggled with this existential question. Sartre, Camus and Fanon were not the first thinkers to wonder, what it is all about. Severe conflict and chaos in one’s environment can give rise to feelings of loss of control over one’s life and destiny. I moved to France with my Mom, Dad and brother Andrew...
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...Philosophical concepts By Mashell Chapeyama University of the People Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (2010-2014) Truth and knowledge People have various ways in which they look at things. Some think in ways that are good and others in ways that are bad. Some people look at things differently from others. But who really knows what is true and what is real. Some people stay in the darkness for a long time without have the true knowledge. This essay explores how Socrates looked at things and his beliefs and perception as compared to how Voltaire looked at life. This is a summary of what was captured in Apology, allegory of the cave and the Good Brahmin. These stories have good implication on the essence of philosophy in life. What is philosophy and how should we consider it? In short, these essays talk about enlightenment, which is a process whereby a person comes to know the truth as opposed to being ignorant. Socrates’ views of life are shown in the stories of Apology and allegory of the Cave. The main one that shows Socrates’ ideas is that of the allegory of the caves, which will be explained briefly in this essay. In the allegory of the cave there is a tantalizing scenario. The scenario is as follows. It is shown in a state of things that a young person has been in. The scenario is like that of a person who was born and ever since his youth hood was placed in a cave. In this cave there is no light. This person is chained there in that he is not able...
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