Jean-Paul Sartre's Concept of Freedom
Jean-Paul Sartre asserted that even though man has the freedom to make his or her own choices, he is condemned to be free since man was created and did not create himself or herself. He further avers that despite the fact that it was not by man's consent that he was created and put on earth, man must decide to act and live freely since this decision is at man's discretion (Jones et al. 2015, 92). Sartre goes on to advance that man's freedom to choose is only unavailable when it comes to choosing to be free or not. According to Sartre, condemnation of man's choice to be free roots from the fact that it was not by man's decision that he was created and humans are the only creations that must be responsible for their choices and actions (FREE, C.T.B., 2016, 366). Sartre's rhetoric is on how man can know that God has determined everything for humans but wants man to believe in their freedom. In response to this question, Sartre asserts that man will never understand God's plan, but it is upon man to decide on the value of his or her freedom and make choices in life (Jones et al. 2015, 92).
Responsibility for Human Actions
The main argument in Sartre's supposition is that man must be responsible for his or her actions right from birth. He poses that humans' actions are not premised on any external ethics or values. In this respect, it is senseless to make statements suggesting human incapability as it is ultimate that man has a choice in everything (FREE, C.T.B., 2016, 366). Man must be responsible for his or her actions and have himself or herself to blame whenever he or she faults despite sometimes wanting to blame others. According to Sartre, it is utterly wrong and inadmissible to claim that our choices are a portrayal of the will of God or human nature. Instead, he considers human actions as individual's choices which they must take responsibility for. Sartre believes that man must create meaning to life as it is the sole purpose of human existence. Human destiny is in man's own hands, and we are a product of our actions (Kurs 2017, 384).
Freedom as a Curse
In his statement, "condemned to be free," Sartre seems to perceive freedom as a curse rather than a blessing. Sartre does not believe in God, and perhaps this shapes his view of being alone with only himself to rely on (Jones et al. 2015, 92). Believing in the inexistence of God, Sartre argues that there is no supernatural being that controls or limits human actions. As there is no God to be answerable to, individuals cannot create excuses to justify their actions. In this regard, Sartre maintains that man is condemned to face life and take responsibility for his or her actions. Had Sartre believed in God, his proposition would not have changed. The existence of God would make man rely on Him to help them make their individual decisions and therefore have excuses for their actions (Kurs 2017, 384). This would deprive man of his or her freedom. Alternatively, man would decide on abiding by the rules of God and take responsibility for their actions subsequently.
Permissibility of Human Action
On the flipside of this argument, every human action is permissible since there is no God to control human actions and decisions. Subsequently, man would not be responsible for their actions as there would be no God to judge them (Popper and van Hout 2016, n.d). In the absence of morals and human values, determinism, particularly on human actions in different situations, cannot exist. According to Sartre, it is the act of taking responsibility for our actions that make us human. In this regard, therefore, the inexistence of God presents the question of how to determine the immoral from the moral (Popper and van Hout 2016, n.d). Besides, it becomes a puzzle to act well without a predetermined standard that draws the line between good deeds and wrongdoings. It is Sartre's admission that it is within human power to determine the quality of our choices and decisions. Humanity implies choosing actions that we deem valuable to us, decisions that define us. Sartre submits that in thinking about a must-make decision, humans are already decided on the action to take and choosing to remain adamant is a choice too. While freedom presents numerous challenges relating to decision-making, man must exploit the advantages associated with it as well. Losing hope on human freedom only implies abandoning our humanness. In this regard, it is apparent that it is better to be "condemned to be free" than "condemned to be a puppet of God" (Popper and van Hout 2016, n.d).
Existence Precedes Essence
In defending his argument that man has a choice in everything he or she does, Sartre centers his elucidations on the existentialist idea that "existence precedes essence" (Stephens 2017, n.d). This belief postulates that man's concept has no pre-existence, and that man should be understood to create his essence. It is a belief that even though all things such as plants and other animals have life, the thought of purpose of living is exclusively distinct to man. Therefore, man exists first and subsequently decides on the kind of person he or she wills to be. If existence comes first, determinism is absent, and man is free. It is the essence that determines man's living (Stephens 2017, n.d). Among the things that make man who he or she is are drawn from the things that do not exist anymore. Human present decisions are based on their prediction and expectations of future occurrences, an essential determinant of our current personality and actions. Therefore, it is grossly untrue to claim that essence comes before existence.
Taking Responsibility for Self-Determination
According to Sartre, seeking advice from others is similar to deciding for oneself as one is aware of the advice to be given (Jones et al. 2015, 92). People often choose the people they seek advice from and decide on what to ask. He observes that man tends towards wanting to blame others which washes away the sense of responsibility for self-determination. Sartre regards non-responsibility and blame as actions that are in bad faith or self-deception and of self-betrayal.
Impact on Human Relationships
Humanness demands that man curves his or her course of actions and decide on the moral standards as well as define his or her expectations of others. The fact that Sartre does not believe in the existence of God does not obscure his recognition of the idea that humans are connected, and their actions affect the relationships. In this respect, our decisions affect others, and they are at liberty to act either negatively or positively. I believe that Sartre aims at waking us up from the tendency of using excuses to absolve ourselves from blame on wrongdoing. In my view, Sartre presents a satisfying argument.
References
FREE, C.T.B., 2016. FOR SARTRE there is no God to guide us, we are completely free to define ourselves. We are responsible for our actions, and our choices define us; and even the possibility of not choosing is itself a choice. For some, the idea of complete self-responsibility is too over-whelming, leading to despair. But for Sartre, this is actually liberating. We exist and by our choices we create our identity—existence precedes essence. Journey Into Philosophy: An Introduction with Classic and Contemporary Readings, p.366.
Jones, P., Butler, M., Smith, T., Eshleman, M.C. and Detmer, D., 2015. Sartre’s Concept of Freedom (s); There is No Good Answer: The Role of Responsibility in Sartre’s Ethical Theory; Critique of Freedom as a Value: Defending the Early Sartre against Moral Relativism; Trying to Get it Right: A Reply to Four Critics. Sartre Studies International, 21(2), pp.85-133.
Kurs, R., 2017. The Interface Between Sartre’s Theory of Emotions and Depersonalization/Derealization. Journal of Rational-Emotive " Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 35(4), pp.383-401.
Popper, A. and van Hout, F., 2016. Freedom and Emptiness: Investigating the Experience of Meaning-Making among Non-Religious Students. Journal for Undergraduate Ethnography, 6(2).
Stephens, B., 2017. Victor Hugo, Jean-Paul Sartre, and the liability of liberty. Routledge.
