Sartres Philosophy Essay - 1011 Words

Sartres Philosophy Sartre believed that one day man happened, or occurred, and after this anomalous event man’s life took meaning. With this theory, Sartre articulated the premise that â€Å"existence precedes essence†. Through this assumption, Sartre evolves further ideas in which a human can gain a greater understanding of human nature and responsibility. In his theory stating that â€Å"existence precedes essence†, Sartre takes the belief that life has a meaning that far transcends our short and insignificant lives. He believed that life has no meaning unless we gave it meaning. In the search for life, we become anguished by the affairs of life. Sartre believed that when this occurred, we pursue a fundamental project in†¦show more content†¦Those who do not act clear headed will inevitably fall into anguish; which is what is felt by those who cannot except that they come from the realm of the etre en soi (realm of the â€Å"being-in-itself†) and therefore make attempts to deny their past. In an attempt to flee their past and the anguish that can accompany it, Sartre believed that some will pursue a fundamental project. To do this is to act in bad faith. In No Exit the character Garcin is a clear cut example of an individual acting in bad faith in an attempt to flee anguish. In the play, Garcin is placed in a room to face hell with two other people, Estelle and Inez. The character Garcin is in this hell after being shot for fleeing his country after the breakout of war. Prior to the war, Garcin was the editor of a pacifist newspaper. When he defied war, he was shot. Although he was defiant he chooses to think of himself as a hero and a martyr. As the story evolves, the character Inez forces Garcin to admit that he is not a hero, and that he did in fact, act cowardly. Garcin then pursues a fundamental project to flee the anguish that accompanies being labeled a coward. He tries to convince Estelle that he is not a coward. In doing so, Garcin feels that the words he hears spoken of him down from earth will be hushed, and he will be the hero he wishes to be. This is exemplary of Sartre’s notion that when faced withShow MoreRelatedJean-Paul Sartre’s Philosophy: Radical Freedom and Responsibility 1253 Words   |  6 PagesJean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy. However, Sartre himself raises objections about his philosophy, but he overcomes these obvious objections. In this paper I will argue that man creates their own essence through their choices and that our values and choices are important because they allow man to be free and create their own existence. 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Yet, the definition always remains