Existentialism Is A Humanism

A second concept of existentialism is Bad Faith. French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre believed that Bad Faith is the fundamental issue that prevents individuals from living an authentic life. He focused on the concept of radical freedom, in which the individual always has a choice. Since life itself and the universe is absurd, humans are completely responsible for creating their own destiny. Every action performed by the individual ultimately stems from the innate freedom they possess. Sartre looks at the darker aspects of freedom, and notes how “Man is condemned to be free” (Löwith 123). He is suggesting that individuals are thrown into a meaningless world, where he or she is forced to decide for him or herself. As rational beings, humans seek answers and guidelines for how to live, because they do not want to decide for themselves. Because, deciding for oneself means holding oneself responsible for every action performed. The thought of complete and utter responsibility frightens people and influences their decisions to commit acts of bad faith.

In the reading “Existentialism is a Humanism”, the author Jean-Paul Sartre presents the idea of Existentialism. He introduces this idea by stating that man’s plan in this world is not pre-determined, as we only determine who we are or who we want to become throughout life. Sartre states that a person is what a person does. He also uses a metaphoric scenario of a man jumping on a scene before defining himself. These two ideas imply that man has no ultimate meaning, and it is up to us to find it through experience and by taking action. Additionally, Sartre also implies that humans have a huge responsibility on becoming who they want to become as it is only up to them to do so, making us entirely responsible for our existence.

In this article the meaning of Existentialism is explained as the author, Randall Niles, describes how existentialism is a 20th century philosophy that centers itself on the analysis of human existence. He explains the popular slogan “existence precedes essence” by the very first founders of Existentialism, Jean Paul Sartre. The notion of the slogan is described by explaining how humans come into existence when they are first born, and spend their lifetime changing their essence and nature so it satisfies them. The philosophy of Existentialism is further analysed by explaining how humans find themselves and the ultimate meaning of their life by acknowledging their responsibility and making decisions accordingly. Moreover, it also explains

Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre, was published in 1945 at the height of Existentialism's cultural resurgence. As Sartre states in his opening line, his purpose is to “offer a defence of existentialism against some charges that have been brought against it.” (Sartre, 1945) At a time where Existentialism was heavily associated with wearing black and smoking (Fahlenbrach, 2012) Sartre felt the need to draw attention to its philosophical and more meaningful aspects, beyond it simply being a passing trend. Sartre outlines, “Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism” (Sartre, 1945) This is rooted in what Sartre believes to be the basis of all Existential

Before commencing a discussion on this quote it may be beneficial to gain an understanding of the key words or concepts suggested by it. Firstly, the two key words are ‘Decisions’ and ‘Important’. A decision can be said to be an “opinion, position or judgement reached after consideration”1. Important is defined as “Of great significance or value and strongly affecting the course of events or the nature of things; significant”2 and this is exactly the message Sartre is trying to convey. Our decisions can shape the course of our lives for the better or the worse so the decisions we make about the paths we choose in life can determine the state of our existence and define who we are as human beings and ultimately give us a sense of achievement or loss. A decision is a judgement reached after “consideration” that is, ‘why’ do we make the decisions we make. It is important to understand this process of decision making and various cognitive theories have helped us do this.

The humanistic-existential perspective is both a reaction to and an outgrowth of the psychodynamic perspective. These thinkers refer to psychodynamic theory as inadequate, many were repulsed with its tendency to break down the "whole" person into discrete components, and, the idea of adapting to one's society, however questionable its values. Most importantly, they disagree that human action is beyond the individuals control, in fact they believe that if we could develop with out constraints, we would be rational and socialized. Humanists and existentialists also think psychology should be converted into a human science, different from psychological theories with more focus on natural science.

          Mortality stipulates ultimate loss. The only way to live free of crippling "dread" and "anxiety" is to free ourselves from expectations as well as ego-driven involvement in the affairs around us. As with Buddhism, existentialism does not require estrangement from society. Both suggest that actions will reflect the free choice of the individual. Though individuals tend to seek an exterior justification for their choices, the existentialists regard freedom as the unavoidable responsibility of complete independence. In this manner, the Buddhist tradition also acquits so-called "human nature" of blame for infractions on the part of the individual. The only way a person can act is by directing them self in a manner which he/she can accept from all other people. In Sartre's view, to act otherwise is to surrender self-deception (Kaufmann, 320).

Existentialism is a philosophy in which people believe that their actions determine their own expansion as a person. The Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia states, “Sartre nevertheless insisted that his existentialism is a form of humanism, and he strongly emphasized human freedom, choice, and responsibility”

Sartre attested that the human being is a useless passion due to our insatiable desires. Markedly, human beings desire to retain the infinite and that need is simply impossible. For the search for the unlimited is tiresome and unappeasable.

Since there are no a priori values, each person has their own distinction between and definition of good and bad decisions/values. By choosing, the choice that is picked is reinforced to be of greater value; therefore, a “worse” choice, because better and worse are subjective, is unable to be picked. Additionally, Sartre states “in choosing for himself he chooses for all men” (350). This supports the concept that a person always chooses the “better” because every decision creates the ideal image of a person as they should be, and people, whether they are aware of it or not, strives to be the same ideal

Oxford English Dictionary defines “humanism” as “any system of thought or ideology which places humanity as a whole, at its center, especially one which stresses the inherent value and potential of human life.” In Sartre’s lecture, “Existentialism is a humanism,” not only Sartre’s elaboration of humanism is coherent with the notion of “humanism,” but also his demonstration of “existentialism” as one kind of humanisms is cogent. In contrast with those Aristotelians and Thomists who believe that essence (in this case, the human nature predetermined by God) precedes existence, Sartre, as an atheist, claims that “man exists before he can be defined by any concept of it.” As an atheist myself, I am convinced by Sartre’s view on human value and potential that man is constantly in the making, and it is through this process that man realizes and defines himself.

Encarta Dictionary says that Humanism is a system of thought that centers on human beings and their values, capacities and worth. Encarta also goes on the say that, in philosophy, humanism is an attitude that emphasizes the dignity and worth of an individual. A basic premise of humanism is that people are rational beings who possess within themselves the capacity for truth and goodness. I see myself as a being a humanist through everyday life. I always try to see the good in a person when he/she makes me angry or sad, and say I to myself that maybe that person has had a bad day and living life is difficult at the moment. Socrates was even an early humanist of sorts. He can be quoted as saying, "to know the good is to do the

In Into the Wild, Christopher McCandless chooses what he wants to believe in life and how important that might be to him. As Sartre points out: “Man chooses his own

Jean Paul Sartre is a philosopher that supports the philosophy of existentialism. Existentialism is a twentieth century philosophy that denies any crucial human nature and embraces that each of us produces our own essence through our free actions. Existentialists like Sartre believe there isn’t a God that determines people’s nature. So, existentialists believe that humans have no purpose or nature except the ones that they create for themselves. We are free and responsible for what we are and our engagements; even though we are mindful that this can cause agony.

Individuals were regarded as free to determine themselves through such choices. A pessimist mood characterised the early post-war years reflected in Jean Paul Sartre's philosophy of existentialism. This was the backdrop under which Camus wrote.