Sartre's Criticism: The Strengths Of Existentialism

In Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, there are scenes that trick the audience into thinking that it will give them the movie’s view on the meaning of life. The film, however, never actually gives the audience a real, serious answer to the questions that relate to life’s meaning; by doing this, the people who created the film probably wanted the audience to make up their own views and answers to life’s meanings and purposes (a loosely defined meaning of existentialism). In existentialism, existentialists reject proposed systems that have a definitive answer to the questions involving the meaning and purpose of life; they freely choose standards of values on the human condition, which asks questions, like “Why am I here,” “What does it mean to be human,” or “How should I live my life?” According to Mitchell’s Roots of Wisdom, the idea of existentialism “emphasizes the uniqueness and freedom of the human person as an individual (what makes each life a unique, personal experience) as opposed to the essence of a human being (what makes all of us alive).”

The argument Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher, presents on existentialism helps to prove the foundation which is “existence precedes essence”. Existentialism is normally understood as an ideology that involves evaluating existence itself and the way humans find themselves existing currently in the world. For the phrase existence precedes essence, existence’s etymology is exsistere or to stand out while the term Essence means “being” or “to be” therefore the fundamental of existentialism, literally means to stand out comes before being. This can be taken into many different ideas such as individuals having to take responsibility for their own actions and that in Sartre’s case the individual is the sole judge of his or her own actions. According to him, “men is condemned to be free,” therefore “the destiny of man is placed within himself.” This ideology revolves around an individual’s personal concern, commitment, and how unique they are.

“Life has no meaning … It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose.” This is an existentialist quote by Jean-Paul Sartre which helps to explain the beliefs of one who follows this philosophy. Existentialism is a complex philosophy emphasizing the absurdity of reality and the human responsibility to make choices and accept consequences. This philosophy was created during the second world war, when Europe found itself in a crisis of death and destruction. If one follows this philosophy then they believe that they have the power to determine the outcome of their life.

In Sartre’s lecture at Club Maintenant “Existentialism is a Humanism” Sartre states that “What they (The existential atheists) have in common is simply the fact that they believe that existence comes before essence”1 which seems to mean that humans have no pre-destined purpose and nature in our lives, everything that we become is by our own means and by no higher being. Sartre’s response to criticism over how existentialism focuses on the choices of individuals centers mainly on the points of abandonment, anguish, and despair which is specifically the abandonment by God, which correlates with how the human has no pre-determined purpose, we choose to be who we are by free will. I will be arguing in favor of the way Sartre depicts the soul, human

The overarching aim of this thesis is to prove that one’s existence itself limits the freedom of the beloved Other as mentioned in Sartre’s works – that the notion of love for Sartre takes away the freedom of the Other thus it becomes one-dimensioned. For Sartre, the mere fact that one exists is already a threat to the existence of the other person. But it is also in the Other that one truly knows what one is. "... I need the Other in order to realize fully all the structures of my being. The For-itself refers to the For-others." That being said, the Other is needed in order for the Self to be "recognized" but the mere act of recognition reduces the Self into the object of the Other. And to be reduced to an Object is the main problem of Sartre

Nietzche´s Übermensch or Superman is possibly one of the most important philosophical concepts in regard to human psychology but, in order to even come close to comprehending the concept one must first understand the fundamental components of the broader philosophical concept of Existentialism. Existentialism is the term applied to the body of work of late 19th and early 20th century philosophers, starting from the danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who without using the term proposed that “an individual not bound by society or religion is solely responsible for giving a meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely or authentically”. This followed by a plethora of philosophers who adopted this idea and givng it further meaning

132) rather than a therapeutic model or a separate theoretical approach. This influence implies people are free to determine their own lives. Existential theory acknowledges the influence of the same unconscious directives that are emphasized in psychodynamic theory, but they believe people are capable of making life altering decisions rather than Freud's more deterministic view. Existential theory believes people make conscious choices and are not victims of unconscious directives (Corey,

Marcel considered one of the most significant existentialists in his time. In 1910, Marcel received his doctor's degree in logic from the Sorbonne, as he became interested in the intellectual life. Marcel and many of European writers influenced by the World War I, so he became fascinated with matter of death. He was one the famous figures in renaissance as he became superior in drama, philosophy, music, politics, and theology. Throughout his adult life, he addicted to piano. In literature, Marcel wrote more than 30 plays. His most major philosophical works involve Being and Having (1949), The Mystery of Being, Volume I and II, Man against Mass Society and Creative fidelity. He is not a methodical sophist. Soren Kierkegaard ideas affected

A purpose, or even a sensation of purpose is perhaps a necessary element of human existence. The battle to find a purpose is at the heart of much of philosophy, and whole divisions of thought were dedicated to coping with a feeling of meaninglessness, with various degrees of optimism. Some, such as the French author and existentialist philosopher Albert Camus believe “The literal meaning of life is whatever you’re doing that prevents you from killing yourself,” which necessitates embracing an absence of meaning beyond biology. However, some like Paul Tillich believe that one must have the courage to be despite this apparent lack of meaning to live a life without crippling anxiety about our imminent non-existence.

Existentialism is a cultural movement that flourished in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s. It may be defined as the philosophical theory which holds that a further set of categories, governed by the norm of authenticity, is necessary to grasp human existence. To approach existentialism in this categorical way may seem to conceal what is often taken to be its “heart” (Kaufmann, 1968), namely, its character as a gesture of protest against academic philosophy, its anti-system sensibility, its flight from the “iron cage” of reason (Crowell, 2004). Existentialism has many different themes, one of which is Freedom and Choice. If any single thesis could be said to constitute the doctrine of existentialism, it would be that the possibility of choice is the central fact of human nature.

Sartre Freedom and Anguish: In their belief system we are created for the sole reason that the

At the heart of existentialism theory is that of personal freedom and the freedom of

Kierkegaard (cited by Smith, 2015) claimed that existentialism is the freedom to rule your own life. An existential hero makes his own choices independently by creating a life that is moral (Gutek, 2009: 109). This hero is also accountable for his own

Rather than probe into the past, the existential approach looks at the present, exploring what the human condition means for that

The voices of history and tradition are present in quite a few of Jean-Paul Sartre’s pieces. Jean-Paul Sartre, born Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre, was a very complex man. In the 1940’s, Sartre served in the military during World War II. The war heavily influenced Sartre, causing him to relate many of his pieces to his experiences in World War II. Sartre was a French philosopher, and was a major contributor to existentialism - the 20th century way of thinking. Perhaps Sartre 's obscure way of thinking can be traced back to his childhood - he was a small and cross-eyed little boy who generally did not fit in with the “ordinary” children. The way that he was treated and viewed by others forced Sartre, at an early age, to view people, thoughts,