PHI 101/Lesson #3: What does it mean to be free?
Nietzsche: Give me your explanation regarding, what does it mean to be free?
Sartre: That question is a double edged sword, but I will attempt to explain, first of all you must reject any type of belief in God or any nonsense of a sort and by doing so you free yourself and your mind. Now you are able to open your mind to understand “existentialism” which encourages action because it teaches you that “existence precedes essence” meaning, we are only what we make of ourselves.
Nietzsche: We are pretty much on the same page when it comes to rejecting God, I don’t only reject God, I believe “God is dead”. I believe philosophically that you have a good point with your “existentialism” theory, but
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Sartre: Not only am I free we as human beings “we are radically free---indeed, that “man is freedom.” We are constantly in the process of creating our self-identities, constantly transcending or “passing-beyond” ourselves, we just must remember God’s nonexistence---namely, that there is no authority to which we can appeal to justify our choices---Never able to blame others for what we have become, we are “condemned to be free”.
Nietzsche: That is deep, my “superman” theory and your “existentialism” theory are similar...No God, God is dead. Believing in God and other transcendent beings limits human freedom and creativity, Jean-Paul Sartre, I must agree, we are “condemned to be free”.
What does it mean to be free? I cannot relate to Nietzsche or Sartre because I believe 100% in God (YHWH) and to me they are both truly “condemn to be free”. My freedom stems from YAH and I cannot deny Him. My conclusion is that Nietzsche and Sartre were very dark, miserable human beings and their writings, reflect the cold darkness that imprisoned them. I am radically and absolutely free and I must quote from the Ancient One, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)