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Arguments Against Sartre's Thesis

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In this essay, I will be exploring what Sartre's had meant in his quote "we have to deal with human reality as a being which is what it is not, and which is not what it is". This paper then will construct arguments on why Sartre's thesis is successful. On the other hand, I will be considering objections against why Sartre's thesis is not successful and why it is flawed. Finally, I will consider how Sartre may respond to the objections that I have made against his thesis. From this, the paper will arrive at the conclusion of that, Sartre's thesis has a valid argument in why his thesis should be accepted even though it has some flaws. Sartre's thesis explained: I will start by clarifying what Sartre is claiming in his quote; "We have to deal …show more content…

Additional to this point, I will now examine Sartre's suggestion that we have facticity; which is our existence. Humans all have a past and future which is a projection of ourselves. For example, the stereotype of a student would be partying, but you can change this view by doing studying hard and initially doing the opposite of what a typical student will do. This is indicating that we have the freedom to do what we want and build on ourselves because we have the capability to make different choices which will affect our future and what makes who we are (Mirvish, A. and Van den Hoven, A, 2010, p425). Humans have responsibilities of deciding their future therefore, we do not have to commit to who we are in the present moment because our choices may alter in the future. This argument shows that Sartre's thesis is acceptable because we naturally do have the freedom to do what we want which will impact the decisions we make and our future (Kemerling, G. (2011). Sartre does take into consideration that we do have the ability to make ourselves how we wish, and we also have the capacity to change ourselves. Making his view of humans very …show more content…

Sartre may respond with the argument that most people do not believe in God and are not theists, so we do not need to say that there was an idea before we existed. Atheists may argue that we have existed through the process of evolution which will the support of Sartre's view that nothing would constraint our freedom. Not everyone is a theist and there is not enough conclusive evidence to show that God has put limitations on our freedom because humans are capable of doing what they want most of the time (Kemerling, G.2011). Some constraints are put on to use which are man-made for example, laws by the state. This shows that Sartre's thesis has survived criticisms against his thesis as there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that there is an almighty power out there who has already planned human essence. Furthermore, Additionally, Sartre may suggest that, we have to think realistically and make realistic possible choices (Sartre, 1943 [2003], p416-463). In the case of the prisoner, he is still able to think freely and plan for his future, even though he does not have physical freedom. These objections still do not make Sartre's thesis unacceptable, as most humans do have freedom of choice and freedom to think. Even if someone has a mental impairment or a head injury they are able to make some rational choices, even if they are minimum. So, there is

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In the submission of Sartre to which I assent, the extent to which you deliberate, choose and execute a plan is the fulfillment of yourself, your goal, and your future. The spirit of Sartre clearly resounds in the depth of individual students who, through free will and choice, play an active role in their own life and understand that God has equipped them with tremendous power, freedom to think, to plan, to create, to execute and to change or redirect their

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Sartre virulently separates his personal flavor of existentialism from any and all things Christian. But it is remarkable how close the Book of Genesis and Existentialism are tied together. The Epic of Gilgamesh may be considered the oldest great work of literature, but is not the first existentialist text. It contains quasi-existentialist themes, but not to an extent that they become compatible with Sartre’s existentialism. In his essay on the Epic, Micah Sadigh argues that the relationships between characters are what make the writing existentialist in nature.

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Sartre states, "Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. " Sartre goes on to state that the first principle of existentialism is subjectivity.  This means that man exists first--steering himself toward a future

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Sartre uses the narrative of a man before execution to effectively convey the sense that all humanity is going to die, horribly and with no purpose. As Ibietta points out about

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With complete free will men welcome the opportunities to succeed, but these decisions often lead to the destruction of many [BCS]. Jean-Paul Sartre uses his existentialist piece “No Exit” to express that the universe will force men to accept the consequences of their actions, no matter how horrible the consequence may seem. Existentialists realize the inevitability of harm coming from free will. Men have constant opportunities to excel in

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On this extract of Existentialism and Human Emotions, Jean-Paul Sartre defends and defines existentialism so to prove that the criticism that the society makes against the doctrine is uneducated and biased by the customs of the time. Unlike the theories proposed by Xun-Zi, Menzi, Hobbes, Mill and Butler who stated that all people had certain characteristics in common that were part of their human nature, Sartre asserts that there are two kinds of existentialists “first those who are Christian [...] and on the other hand the atheistic existentialist.” , (Sartre,1957), Sartre identifies himself as the latter type of existentialist and explains that the only thing that both groups have in common is the belief that existence precedes essence. Firstly, Sartre explains that Christian existentialism is a doctrine that acknowledges the existence of an all knowing, all powerful, and all present personal Creator, however, it only recognizes this God as the creator and artisan of the human race but not as an entity that dictates the destiny of the people because human beings are autonomous creatures who are

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Sartre’s believes that an individual’s personality and self-concept is not built upon a pre-existing model or purpose. Sartre’s view of “existence precedes essence” confirms the absence of a predetermined essence in the individual, and that the individual’s essence is constructed solely through how that individual crafts their life by the use of free will. Moreover, Sartre sees how an individual defines themselves with their actions and the idea that the individual is responsible for said actions. The concept that man first exists then encounters himself all the while living his life and then afterwards, defines himself, is Sartre’s belief that we as individuals begin as nothing and only through our actions and how we shape our lives can we

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Human beings are strange creatures, A part of the biological family, material beings, and yet they have a unique quality. Discernment, the capacity to reflect and to judge, to see themselves in a mirror, and know the curious reality and lack of it, to see their reflection as an abstract. Consciousness and the capacity for abstraction. Criticality and the desire for freedom. And yet, limitation and lack of freedom are everywhere.

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