Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre begins his 19 ! Existentialism and Human Emotions "ith a #$-page de%ense and exposition o% existentialism& He commences "ith a series o% criticisms that ha'e been le'eled against the philosophy(charges that he belie'es betray erroneous interpretations or understandings o% existentialism& )he charges he enumerates are the %ollo"ing: Existentialism is a philosophy o% *desperate +uietism, because action is impossible o"ing to the lac- o% any solutions to be arri'ed at in the "orld( solutions to ethical. political. social. personal +uandaries& )his. then. renders existentialism a philosophy o% mere speculation. and. hence. a bourgeois philosophy& )he predilection %or d"elling on human degradation. su%%ering. and e'il(the grotes+ue(comes at the expense o% noticing or appreciating the beauti%ul. gracious or sublime& )he smile o% a child(as Sartre says existentialism has been accused o% %orgetting(is lost on the existential engagement "ith the nightside o% human experience& /ecause existentialism ta-es *pure sub0ecti'ity, or *the Cartesian I think, as its point o% departure. it has been impugned %or its pretermission o% human solidarity. and %or concei'ing o% man-ind in isolated. atomistic terms& 1inally. since atheistic existentialism denies 2od(this. a criticism %rom 3hristians(caprice and sheer desire rule4 and. in a sense. all is possible or permissible since 2od does not exist& )hese charges. argues Sartre. %ail to meet existentialism on its o"n terms& /eginning "ith these criticisms. he "ill mo'e to de%end the philosophy by explicating its central tenets& )his exegetical essay "ill %ollo" Sartre5s dis+uisition on existentialism and include critical +uestions. in the margin. to be explored in %urther discussion. reading and "riting& )o begin then& )here are. "rites Sartre. t"o strands o% existentialism: theistic and atheistic& In the theistic camp. Sartre includes thin-ers such as 2abriel 6arcel and 7arl Jaspers& In the atheistic party. Sartre places Heidegger. himsel% 8Sartre. that is9 and the 1rench existentialists& :hile. at bottom. these t"o threads. theist and atheist. di%%er on the 2od +uestion. they both hold in common the %oremost principle o% existentialism: *that existence precedes essence,. or *that sub0ecti'ity must be the starting point, 81$9& Historically. in theology and philosophy. essence "as ta-en to precede existence& ;i-e an ob0ect produced by an artisan. 2od(in theocentric accounts("as ta-en to be a designer or creator "ho %ashioned humans. as an artisan designed and produced. %or instance. a table& )he artisan and 2od both employed some <uni'ersal essence5 or <ideal concept5 8a cogniti'e blueprint. perhaps9 to direct their creation& )he table has an essence as a result o% its production and in its use or %inal cause. 0ust as the human being "ith its *human nature, as prescribed by 2od& )his issued in. as Sartre says. *a =subse+uent> uni'ersality?=in "hich> the "ild-man. the natural man. as "ell as the bourgeois. are circumscribed by the same de%inition and ha'e the same basic +ualities, 8some essential nature9 81#-1 9& Sartre notes a more coherent brea- %rom the essence precedes existence claim in atheistic existentialism. "hich he represents& @theistic existentialism contends that i% 2od does not exist. there is still a being in "hich essence does not precede existence(man.
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Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

him- or hersel%& )his existence be%ore. or preceding. essence is explicated by Sartre. thusly:
*It means that. %irst o% all. man exists. turns up. appears on the scene. and. only a%ter"ards. de%ines himsel%& I% man. as the existentialist concei'es him. is inde%inable. it is because at %irst he is nothing& Anly a%ter"ard "ill he be something. and he himsel% "ill ha'e made "hat he "ill be, 81 9&

)he upshot o% this argument is that there is not a uni'ersal. essential human nature(and to spea- o% any sort o% static. necessary *human nature, is to utter a 'acuous term to the atheistic existentialist. as no 2od exists to prescribe such a thing& Hence. *man is nothing else but "hat he ma-es o% himsel%, 81 9& )his *%irst principle o% existentialism, is "hat Sartre later re%ers to as sub0ecti'ity (another aspect o% existentialism that had been oppugned by its critics. to "hich Sartre retorts:
*/ut "hat do "e mean by this. i% not that man has a greater dignity than a stone or a tableB 1or "e mean that man %irst exists. that is. that man %irst o% all is the being "ho hurls himsel% to"ard a %uture and "ho is conscious o% imagining himsel% as a being in the %uture, 81 -1C9&

3onse+uently. since essence does not precede existence. manD"oman must be responsible %or "hat heDshe is& )he indi'idual must bear the "eight o% their choices and actions in the "orld& )his is. in part. "hat Sartre means "hen he later describes sub0ecti'ity as a point o% 'ie" in li%e beyond "hich *it is impossible %or man to transcend, 81!9& Human sub0ecti'ity is the launching point %or all people. and is. thereby. a common %eature o% our experience in the "orld& :e cannot reach the 'ie" %rom eternity. or the <2od5s-eye 'ie"5. as our 'ery human condition necessitates this sub0ecti'ity& )his commonality among all humans. then. in'ol'es all o% us in the greater pro0ect o% creating humanity& Sartre belie'es that choosing or a%%irming anything( electing to 0oin a political party. or opting to get married(is to con%er 'alue on that choice4 so much 'alue. in %act. that "e actually are not simply choosing "hat "e belie'e to be the best situation %or oursel'es& :e are also(in a sort o% 7antian sense(*at the same time =creating> an image o% man as "e thin- he ought to be, 81!9& 1or Sartre. "e can ne'er choose e'il& 2ood "ill al"ays be our choice. and choosing %or oursel'es really implicates "hat "e belie'e all o% humanity should choose& 1 )hus. the choice. to choose(to exercise our %reedom(is a momentous e'ent. a moment o% exceeding import. %or Sartre& @s he %urthers this line: *I am creating a certain image o% man o% my o"n choosing& In choosing mysel%. I choose man, 81E9& @nd perhaps here "e reach the beginning o% Sartre5s reply to the charge o% situating humans "ithin existentialism as isolated. atomistic agents in the "orld: i% my choice really does in'ol'e my prescribing a certain image o% humanity(i%. put another "ay. my choice really doesn5t 0ust concern me. but all o% humanity(then I am not alone in the "orld as the 'oluntaristic sub0ect see-ing. exclusi'ely. my ends 8as this particular criticism o% existentialism suggests9& )o the contrary. I am. 'ia my choice. a%%irming "hat
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7ant5s categorical imperati'e comes to mind as a similar sort o% uni'ersal mutuality. "herein one ought to act. or choose that action. "hich one belie'es one could "ill as a uni'ersal moral la" to "hich all moral agents should be sub0ect& F

Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

I belie'e all o% humanity ought to do or be& )here is a sort o% dynamism. then. that pits the singular or particular in dialectical engagement "ith the "hole or the uni'ersal& )his mo'e highlights a -ind o% mutuality or solidarity. and adumbrates the ethical dimensions o% existentialism& Next. ho"e'er. Sartre mo'es on to elucidate ho" the existentialist understands the terms anguish. forlornness. and despair& I shall examine these in turn& Anguish @nguish arises. %or Sartre. %rom the indi'idual5s realiGation that in choosing. the indi'idual is not simply choosing %or him- or hersel%: they are. concurrently. cast as a sort o% legislator %or all humanity& Ane cannot elude the utter responsibility o% this %act. and. hence. one %inds onesel% in anguish& Sartre belie'es those among us "ho seem at ease. those "ho display no signs o% anxiousness. are dissembling. hiding their anguish& In a -ind o% e'asion o% responsibility. the person hides %rom anguish. or casts it o%% as a minor e'ent "hen as-ed <:hat i% e'erybody loo-ed at things. or did things. they "ay you doB5 8199& )he indi'idual *"ho lies and ma-es excuses %or =him- or hersel%> by saying. *Not e'erybody does that., is someone "ith an uneasy conscience. because the act o% lying implies that a uni'ersal 'alue is con%erred upon the lie., "rites Sartre 8199& @nguish is inextricably bound "ith human action in the "orld& In choosing some course o% action among se'eral options one may or may not ha'e. one is con%erring 'alue on the course o% action one e'entually chooses& 1or Sartre. one must as- 8a la 7ant9: *@m I really the -ind o% =person> "ho has the right to act in such a "ay that humanity might guide itsel% by my actionsB 8F 9, 1ailure to reach this introspecti'e moment constitutes the e'asion or *the mas-ing, o% one5s anguish& Forlornness 1orlornness. a term Sartre mentions Heidegger "as -een on. is the recognition that 2od does not exist. and that the conse+uences o% our actions. then. %or ill or good. redound solely to oursel'es& 3onse+uent to this recognition. is the deep sense o% dread that once 2od no longer exists. the ground %or *all possibility o% %inding 'alues in a hea'en o% ideas disappears along "ith Him4 there can no longer be an a priori 2ood. since there is no in%inite and per%ect consciousness to thin- it& 8FF9, 1ollo"ing Hostoye's-y "ho said. *I% 2od does not exist. e'erything "ould be permissible., the atheistic existentialist concurs& )here remains nothing "ithout. or "ithin. the existentialist to cling to or to ground their 'alues on(at least nothing essential. eternal and immutable& @nd. concomitantly. *=the existentialist> can5t start ma-ing excuses %or himsel%., as Sartre explains& Humans must construct. create and propound their 'alues in the absence o% the Hi'ine 3ommand. or the static. uni'ersal human nature they are so "ont to appeal to& )his %reedom and responsibility "eighs hea'ily on humanity "ith onerous intensity. but man must still act in the "orld(alone. "ith no deity abo'e him& )his is %orlornness& )his culminates in the Sartrean %ormulation *that man is condemned to be %ree, 8F$9& Sartre explains that man is *condemned, because man is not sui generis(humans did not create themsel'es& Ho"e'er. %or Sartre. man can still be said to be %ree *because

Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

once thro"n into the "orld. he is responsible %or e'erything he does& 8F$9, Humanity is %ree. ironically. because humanity has no choice but %reedom& @nd humanity must be totally %ree4 there are no apotropaic omens. amulets. talismans. to "hich "e might appeal4 there are no ethical treatises. there is no system o% internal %eelings that can guide one in the heat o% action& Humanity is thro"n onto *the pale blue dot,(in the "ords o% 3arl Sagan(and must na'igate the %un- and mess o% the "orld(the con%licting moral duties and impinging psychological pangs(utterly alone& *1orlornness implies that "e oursel'es choose our being& 1orlornness and anguish go together. 8F99, Sartre explains& Despair Hespair. %or Sartre. *has a 'ery simple meaning,: It gets at the choice o% *=con%ining> oursel'es to rec-oning only "ith "hat depends upon our "ill. or on the ensemble o% probabilities. "hich ma-e our action possible& 8F99, Employing a -ind o% stoic outloo-. Sartre belie'es that one must in'ol'e onesel% in action in the "orld until *the moment the possibilities I am considering are not rigorously in'ol'ed by my action, 8F99& @%ter this moment. the agent must. or ought to. *disengage, because. since there is no 2od. there are no means by "hich the "orld and all o% its possibilities can be comported "ith my "ill& In sum. there is no ine'itability about the course o% human action as it concerns our pro0ects. singular or common& )here are no guarantees that our choices. and the actions "hich issue %rom them. "ill realiGe the desiderata "e aim %or& /ecause "e are all %reedoms. "e can choose. as "e "ill. according to Sartre. and all other %reedoms are beyond our singular control or in%luence 8unless they so choose to ma-e themsel'es amenable to our control or in%luence&9 Hence. despair has to ta-e account o% the disappointment. nearly ineluctable. that "ill be occasioned by the %rustration o% our plans. aims and pro0ects in li%e. o"ing to the impossibility o% our "ills5 capacity to ma-e possibilities in the "orld yield to our control& Sartre5s Iesponse to his 3ritics Desperate Quietism and Pessimism An Sartre5s account. that "hate'er "ill be. "ill be because humans ha'e chosen it. is not an in'itation to +uietism. or passi'ity. in the "orld& He says that "e ought to in'ol'e oursel'es in the "orld. acting on the old saying *Nothing 'entured. nothing gained&, 1urthermore. Sartre ad'ises us not to "ithdra" %rom parties. groups or collecti'e action necessarily& :e ought to. con'ersely. *ha'e no illusions, and o%%er to the collecti'e "hat "e can& :or-ing "ith other %reedoms cannot(e'en i% our stated ends are in harmony(pro'ide us "ith any certainty that our shared goals "ill be achie'ed. or that "e "ill persist. al"ays together. in the pursuance o% those goals& Hispensing "ith this most seducti'e o% illusions. on Sartre5s account. "ill orient us to"ard collecti'e action in a more honest. sober "ay& Instead o% shrin-ing %rom action in the "orld. or. as Sartre put it. saying *;et others do "hat I can5t do 8$19., his doctrine contrarily a'o"s that *there is no reality except in action., and that *man is nothing else than his plan4 he exists only to the extent

Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

that he %ul%ills himsel% 8$F9&, Ieality. not un%ul%illed dreams. plans or pro0ects. ta-es pride o% place in Sartre5s 'ie" o% existentialism& )o spea-. then. o% that "hich did not happen( 6ichael Jac-son could ha e recorded another great album. or I applied to /uc-nell Jni'ersity and !ould ha e made a "onder%ul undergraduate career there(is to. in Sartre5s 'ie". *de%ine a man as a disappointed dream. as miscarried hopes. as 'ain expectations& In other "ords. =it is> to de%ine him negati'ely and not positi'ely& 8$$9, @ction in the "orld. then. is a choice& :e should act and not recoil in light o% the existential truths o% there being no 2od. no essential human nature. or a priori ethical gi'ens& :hat. I thin-. Sartre "ants us to %ace up to. is the utter responsibility that is ours as %reedoms acting in the "orld. instead o% determined. %ixed. mechanical ob0ects through "hich the %orces and motions o% determinism %lo"& )he redeeming %eatures. on this account. then. net us certain. rather com%orting. insights as "ell& No longer can "e. i% "e ta-e existentialism seriously. posit the *co"ardly, or *courageous, constitution& :rites Sartre: *)here5s no such thing as a co"ardly constitution4 there are ner'ous constitutions4 there is poor blood. as the common people say. or strong constitutions? =but> "hat ma-es co"ardice is the act o% renouncing or yielding 8$#9&, )his disconcerts people. thin-s Sartre. because they "ould rather co"ards and heroes be born co"ardly and heroic4 they "ould sooner ha'e them <essentialiGed5. so as to absol'e them o% responsibility %or "ho they are& Sartre simply re0ects this account& @nd. e'en more re"arding. possibilities are al"ays be%ore us& )he possibility *%or the co"ard not to be co"ardly anymore, is e'er existent so long as the co"ardly indi'idual continues to li'e. and resol'es. that is. chooses. no longer to act co"ardly. but. i% you li-e. heroically instead& In this "ay. Sartre. in his opinion. "as able to respond to a couple o% the criticisms o% existentialism& He denies that existentialism is a *philosophy o% +uietism, because a central tenet o% existentialism casts the indi'idual(the authentic indi'idual( in terms o% that indi'idual5s action in the "orld& )o the charge o% existentialism5s pessimism or cynicism. Sartre re0oins. as it "ere. *there can be no more optimistic system o% belie%s because man is posited as the master o% his %ate. the dynamic creator o% her destiny&, "u#$ect to "u#$ecti it% Existentialism begins "ith sub0ecti'ity because. according to Sartre. *there can be no other truth to ta-e o%% %rom than this: I thin-4 there%ore I exist., %or *there "e ha'e the absolute truth o% consciousness becoming a"are o% itsel% 8$C9&, )o begin outside o% *the 3artesian cogito., argues Sartre. is to inaugurate *a doctrine o% probability "hich is not bound to a truth. =but. rather> dissol'es into thin air 8$C9&, 1urthermore. existentialism is a theory. "hich regards humans as sub0ects and not ob0ects& Sartre contends that *all, materialism reduces humans to ob0ects in the throes o% determinism(humans are no more signi%icant. %or example. than a table or chair& Hence. Sartre posits a material realm and human realm o% 'alues: *an ensemble o% 'alues., he claims. *distinct %rom the material realm 8$!9&, @nd simply beginning "ith sub0ecti'ity does not necessitate the atomist. isolated agents incapable o% human solidarity or intersub0ecti'ity. as *one disco'ers in the cogito not only =hersel%>. but others as "ell 8$!9&, Aur sub0ecti'ity. our %orming o% oursel'es. is dependent on other sub0ecti'ities&

Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

:e cannot become anything or be said to be anything(honest. beauti%ul. en'ious( "ithout others "ho *recogniGe =us> as such&, @s Sartre concisely puts it: *In order to get any truth about mysel%. I must ha'e contact "ith another person 8$!-E9&, )here%ore. it is in the *"orld "hich "e shall call intersub0ecti'ity., a'ers Sartre. that all o% us come to -no" and choose "ho "e are and "hat "e "ill be. and "ho others are and shall be& )here is a uni'ersal human condition. but not a uni'ersal essence& )he condition comprises *the a priori limits "hich outline man5s %undamental situation in the uni'erse 8$E9&, )here are no 'ariations "ith regard to humanity5s necessity to 819 exist. to 8F9 be in'ol'ed in the "orld. acting. to 8$9 be part o% a community or society. and to 8#9 be mortal& )hese %our a priori limits circumscribe. %or Sartre. the human condition& )hese a priori limits ha'e both sub0ecti'e and ob0ecti'e dimensions& )he sub0ecti'e dimension is the li'ed experience o% these limits. ho" "e *%reely determine =our> existence "ith re%erence to them&, )he ob0ecti'e dimension re%ers to the ubi+uity o% these limits and the ability o% these limits to be recogniGed e'ery"here& Sartre re%ers to *an existence "hich chooses its essence, as a *con%iguration&, )he con%igurations can be uni+ue. particular. indi'idual. but they all ha'e a *uni'ersal 'alue&, )he uni'ersal 'alue arises %rom the %act that *e'ery con%iguration can be understood by e'ery man 8$99&, Hence. %or Sartre. anyone can *push =hersel%> to her limits and reconstitute "ithin hersel% the con%iguration o% the 3hinese. the Indian. or the @%rican&, )he uni'ersality o% recognition o% the indi'idual con%igurations. then. lends itsel% to *perpetually being made&, Ne'er is the uni'ersality a gi'en. it is built. or constructed. by human beings e'ery"here& Ather Hiscontents "ith Sub0ecti'ism &he existentialist can do !hate er she desires' or( the charge of caprice) )he absence o% a priori principles or ob0ecti'e morality does not lead to sheer caprice. argues Sartre& )he possibility o% choice is al"ays there and al"ays in'ol'es all o% humanity& Since the indi'idual is a pro0ect. and %ully in'ol'ed. 0ust because there is no recourse to eternal. uni'ersal 'erities does not mean that sheer caprice rules& Instead. Sartre contends. "e must *say that moral choice is to be compared to the ma-ing o% a "or- o% art& 8#F9, Since there are no a priori 'alues in ethical li%e. "e must in'ent and create. as does the artist "ithout any a priori aesthetic 'alues& )here is a process o% becoming& @s Sartre "rites: *6an ma-es himsel%& He is not ready made at the start& 8#$9, )hus. in'ol'ement is paramount(action and creation are prime& So. "rites Sartre. *it is there%ore absurd to charge us "ith arbitrariness o% choice& 8##9, Ethical $udgments are impossi#le for the existentialist) )his charge. Sartre belie'es. is both true and %alse in some respects& Sartre holds that the charge is true because *"hene'er a man sanely and sincerely in'ol'es himsel% and chooses his con%iguration. it is impossible to pre%er another con%iguration 8##9&, E'en so. Sartre does belie'e one can retain a critical stance(i% not critical 'alue 0udgments. then. at least. critical logical 0udgments concerning truth and %alsity& ;ogically. the existentialist can see- truth o'er error and is obliged. or able. to point out both&

Nolan Harris Jr Independent Study Exegetical Essay I: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre then asserts that e'en he can ma-e moral 0udgments& I% humanity is le%t to in'ent and create its o"n 'alues. and in their %orlornness must accept responsibility. then *=humanity> can no longer "ant but one thing. and that is %reedom as the basis o% all 'alues& 8# 9, E'ery person "ants %reedom. asserts Sartre. *and in "anting %reedom "e disco'er that it depends entirely on the %reedom o% others. and that %reedom o% others depends on ours& 8#C9, )his issues in. Sartre "ill claim. his ability to *pass 0udgment on those "ho seeto hide %rom themsel'es the complete arbitrariness and the complete %reedom o% their existence& 8#C9, *alues aren+t serious( since %ou choose them) Sartre. simply retorts. that i% there is no 2od. someone must in'ent. construct the 'alues humans belie'e in& )he <in'ention5 o% 'alues is no insurmountable charge. Sartre thin-s. because it is no more than saying *li%e has no meaning a priori 8#99&, I% there is any meaning to be %ound in. or gleaned %rom. li%e. it "ill be the meaning that humans gi'e it. con%er upon it& 3onclusion Sartre is see-ing. in this chapter. to dra" the conclusions o% a coherent atheist position on the issue o% existence& )he logical conclusions he comes to are. at times. starand unyielding. but to his credit. Sartre is "illing to %ollo" them "here they lead as against turning a"ay in %ear o% *mas-ing, the truth o% a theory as serious as existentialism& His existentialism is onerous in its insistence on humanity5s utter %reedom and ineluctable responsibility(there is no "ay out o% this human condition& Ho"e'er. his theory o% cognition(especially beginning "ith the %irst principle o% existentialism: *existence precedes essence,(is a po"er%ul mo'e that. in its o"n "ay. liberates our consciousness5 %rom the cold. static idea that be%ore our existence. there "as something essential about us some"here. and once "e existed. "e could not change it or other"ise escape it& Instead o% the ready. %ast. ossi%ied de%initions and uni'ersal ideals that "e are so "ont to accept and assert. humanity is cast a pro0ect itsel%. al"ays becoming and in process& Humans are not ends in themsel'es because they ne'er reach this terminus that is so o%ten asserted& Aur %reedom lea'es us e'er transcending to"ard some un-no"n and uncharted %uture& :e are al"ays passing-beyond. hurling oursel'es to"ard some %uturepast& :e are. on Sartre5s atheistic existentialism. all alone in this ad'enture. but "e must assume responsibility once "e turn up in the "orld& No one else can do "hat "e must do. and no one else. then. can be responsible&