Research Paper On Jean Paul Sartre

Improved Essays
Jean-Paul Sartre

Is man truly free? Do we feel alienated to a world without meaning? Jean-Paul Sartre questioned and challenged these ideas. Jean-Paul Sartre was born in June 21, 1905 in Paris, France and died on April 15, 1980 at the age of 74 although making a huge impact in 20th century philosophy. He was well known for being an existentialist because of some of his works and concepts. He was in a very open relationship with Simone de Beuvoir who was a prominent feminist and the writer of The Second Sex. They challenged both the social assumption and the conformity in 20th century society. Jean-Paul Sartre theories and concepts were heavily influenced by a number of philosophers especially Kierkegaard. Sartre changed and shaped important parts of modern philosophy adding more to existentialism in which others could expand on. Sartre was more well known as a philosopher but has dealt with playwriting, he was a novelist, a political activist, a literary critic, and a biographer. He was one of the most famous existentialist and a leading figure for marxism. He also influenced sociology, critical theory literary studies, and post colonial theory. He had many famous works such as Being and Nothingness and Existentialism and Humanism explaining his many concepts and theories about society and the meaning of a being. In Being and Nothingness and a very famous ontology explaining the different forms of “being” such as the conscious being (being-for-itself) and the unconscious being (being-in-itself). Conscious being was a conscious of its own consciousness but insufficient in a way. An unconscious being is something that cannot change and ignorant of its own self. For Sartre this is what defined a man even though it is still unknown to man because the being for-itself could possibly derive from nothing. Nothingness is how Sartre would describe what the essence of being for-itself would be. These concepts were elaborated more in his books about “being” and “nothingness”. Existentialism and Humanism in summary is about the existence of man and our perceptions of certain topics. He explained his opinion of the philosophical essence in which existence and actuality should be seen as more of importance then the essence. Sartre also explained his opinion on freedom of man. “Man is condemned to be free. Condemned because he has not created himself — and is nevertheless free. Because having once hurled into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.” Sartre believed that man’s freedom was a curse, he believed that there was no such thing as freedom once created and born into the world. “Man’s existence takes priority over whatever he might otherwise be.” Those were his concepts of man and his opinion of humanism and existentialism. With his partner Simone de Beauvoir he discussed another topic, social assumptions. He used the term “Bad Faith” meaning that most people were provided false values from social forces thus leaving them with a lack of free will and without innate ideas. He believed that someone’s “authenticity” was hard to be determined when the conformity in a society would be heavily influencing that someone. Sartre
…show more content…
Well known for his many works and theories and his insight on society. He believed that man couldn’t possibly create innate idea’s due to the conformity of the society a person was born into. “Bad faith” is how he described people who were heavily pressured by social norms. He didn’t believe that man had true freedom because the day man was born he is in charge of himself. He was one of the biggest contributors to modern philosophy and rightfully deserves his fame for what he has done. If Sartre was studied more I believe people would become more humble and understand others in a different way. I’m sure that some people can take his idea’s to a different stand-point but that all depends on them. They are in charge of their life and have to question themselves, what would they be fighting for? No one could truly fight for freedom if we beings couldn’t possibly be free. People can study Sartre just to analyze or argue his working and his idea’s, some could study to know more about him. I implore anybody to contradict Sartre, it’s another way of creating newer theories that can be thought about and talked

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Then all of a sudden, someone tries to grab their attention because that person was blocking the way for others to pass. They get embarrassed, and feel ashamed. This person displays this emotion because how those other individuals perceived them. With this analogy, Sartre shows that an individual does not exist alone…

    • 241 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Louis Riel, head of the National Métis Committee, has blatantly informed William McDougall, lieutenant governor of the North-Western Territories, that he is not welcome. The National Métis Committee along with Riel has continued to seize Fort Garry, weapons, and ammunition. Today, Riel has set up a provisional government in an attempt to make sure the rights of the Red River Valley Métis are protected and their voices are heard. Riel hopes that the provisional government gives the Métis of the Red River Valley the power to negotiate for confederation.…

    • 119 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    His real name was Francois-Marie Arouet, he adopted his pen name and became a prolific writer. He composed poems, novels, essays, plays, and over 20,000 letters. His main concern was the tolerance of religion. He believed people should be able to choose their own religion and do so freely. “If one religion only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become unrestrained; if there were but two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace.”…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The existentialist theory emphasizes choice and free will of a person and the individual will determine their own outcomes based on choice. Jean-Paul Sartre was a leading philosopher of existentialism and believed that there are no blueprints to one’s individual life. There is no purpose rather than to find their own purpose and build upon it. We are a product of our choices and we are who we choose to be. We determine our fate which determines our freedom.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The enlightenment involve a lot of important people. All these important people help discover a lot about the world. Also almost help figure out how the world might of been made or who. Also religion was a good amount of the thinkers to. But another good amount was about the government and having natural rights .…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These can be roughly divided into three large parts. First, he scorned education. On the one hand, he shows that the growth of human beings is not related to education, but is realized in the process of escaping civilization. On the other hand, he affirmed the role of education in the cultivation of civilized society. And there was no contradiction between the two views.…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Sebastien, Through trial and error, I have learned that the brevity of life is an interminable asset. It is inescapable and henceforth cannot be avoided. What matters to you or to myself now will matter not upon our cessation, nevertheless, I must convey to you my most profound regrets, and know that this does not excuse my transgressions, but hope that they might assist you in a step toward their forgiveness. I write this to you with shaky and hesitant digits, pattering upon the keys of a prison typewriter. You and I are aware that I do not belong here, for the infliction of harm was never once was in my list of intentions unless upon anyone other than my dastardly self.…

    • 122 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Maximilien Marie Isidore de Robespierre was a Philosopher, Government Official, Journalist, Scholar, Judge, Activist, and a Lawyer. He was born in Arras, France, on May 6, 1758, the oldest of four children. His mother died when he was 6 years old. Shortly after the death of his wife Robespierre’s father left the family. After the dersertion by their father the children were raised by their maternal grandparents.…

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Jackson Hazel Miss Gregory World History 28 November 2017 Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien Robespierre was born May 6th, 1758, in France. After the loss of his mom when he was just six years old his dad left the family and he was raised by his grandparents. After earning a law degree in 1781 he took on the public role of calling for changes in the French monarchy. He gained a reputation of defending the poorest society and earned the nickname “The Incorruptible” at the age of thirty he was estates general for France.…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Debussy was the oldest of five children, and his father Manuel-Achille Debussy, owned a china shop in and his mother, Victorine Manoury Debussy, was a seamstress. In 1867 the family moved to Paris but Debussy's pregnant mother fled in 1870 with Claude to his aunt's home in Cannes to flee the Franco-Prussian War. This is when and where Debussy at the age of seven began piano lessons paid for by his aunt with Italian violinist Cerutti. In 1871 he got the attention of Marie Mauté de Fleurville, (Leon Vallas (March 2007). Claude Debussy: His Life and Works.…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In his work ( Existentialism is Humanism), Sartre, one of the most influential figures in western philosophy emphasis free will and work from every aspect to prove the absolute freedom of decision of a human beings. Perhaps Sartre was influenced by the historical events of his time, or, perhaps he was defending existentialism as a philosophical perspective. But what matters is that in the end, Sartre puts freedom of choice first and last. To demonstrate or to prove per se this freedom of choice and decision, Sartre utilizes ethos, pathos and logos by using personal stories, using inductive reasoning and employing several analogies.…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jean-Paul Sartre is a strong proponent of Existentialism which asserts that “existence precedes essence” (682). To expand upon this, Sartre believes in absolute free will where our essence, which can be defined as our human character, is created by the actions our lifetime. To defend this claim, Sartre provides three key arguments to show that “man…[is] the ensemble of his acts” (690). Sartre’s first argument is that there is no determined human nature to make us do what we do, or to excuse what we do. This simply means that a preexisting human nature, which is another term for essence, doesn’t exist and can’t control what a person will do or become.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    First being, the attempt for Chris to discover his meaning and purpose as you would if you were an existentialist. The second, is Sartre’s perspective upon the responsibility for what man says and how he chooses to live. This philosophy is also explored by Chris McCandless when committing to his new lifestyle. In terms of hunting for food, shelter, warmth and water in order to survive. Sartre also wanted to make clear the connection between the negative perspective toward the view of existentialism and the more optimistic perspective in which he believed in and wanted to display within his works as McCandless did as well.…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sartre made the movement popular by defining what Existentialism meant; he wrote various works centered on his views alone. The more these works were read, the more the smiles of those with a fulfilled life faded away. Sartre is perhaps the most well-known, as well as one of the few who accepted being called an "existentialist". Being and Nothingness is his most important work, and his novel Nausea helped to popularize the movement. It may have been the relatable feeling of losing interest in things that once brought joy; or the adversity faced when ending and surviving a relationship.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After evaluating all of the founders of sociology in chapter one, I agree with Auguste Comte. Auguste Comte is a liberal philosopher. His theory is positivism, Positivism is based off of the scientific method. Positivism consists of three stages, Theological, Metaphysical, and Positive. I agree with Auguste Comte rather than the other founders of sociology because positivism is the pure, positive facts rather than speculation.…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays