Cloudy1′s Blog
Just another WordPress.com weblogJean Paul Sartre
Having read, with great difficulty I might add, Sartre’s “Existentialism Is a Humanism” I come away with more questions, as I am sure most people do. He states that there must be an absolute truth but who decides what this? My truth, due to my upbringing and environment may be completely different from someone who lives half way round the world. So surely he is just talking about right and wrong? But the world is not as black and white as this. A man/woman knows that taking someone else’s life is wrong, but what if that man/woman is a soldier and he/she is defending his country?
He states that this absolute truth “consists in one’s immediate sense of one’s self” so once again a very subjective idea. Although he does judge others if he feels they are not making their choices in the correct manner but on the other hand says we can’t make a comment on their choices as long as the individual has truly thought about the impact of their decision.
I do however, agree that by making no choice at all someone has made a choice. Every decision we make has a consequence but this may not be seen immediately and can therefore feel that making no decision was the right decision at that time but not in the future.
“Man simply is.” “Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself” This to me is true in terms of we are who we choose to be, we can choose to be nice and kind, or unhelpful and selfish, but that ultimate choice comes with many influences made upon the person. It’s all very well saying you can choose and that you need to be aware that what you choose ultimately effects the whole of the human race but we think locally not globally. We think about what others will think of our decisions, how will we be thought of within our society or community, whether it be in work or neighbourhood. His example of the young man choosing to stay with his mother relates more to how society tends to think – the loyalty to your family against the route of where your true passion lies, in this case avenging his brother’s death.
It seems that even the religions that Sartre so openly opposes do have some connection to his existentialism in that decisions must be made while thinking about “what would happen if everyone else did” the same. It sounds like Karma – what goes around comes around – or do unto others as you would have done unto yourself – is this not what Sartre is explaining even if this is at a more basic level? He does come across as being quite superior to other religions which doesn’t match his thoughts on the fact that man cannot state “he is magnificent” so what gives him the right to state that existentialism is the only way to live?
He uses the comparison of a work of art to that of moral choice. I understand that you can’t judge a painting until it is complete; however the finished painting can bring about many different interpretations from what the artist may have intended to portray. Therefore in the same way a moral choice may be totally condemned by society even if the individual believes the choice they made was a true and correct decision.
“Man makes himself; he is not found ready-made”
We will always be influenced by the way we have been brought up, whether we decide to work against it or with it. Therefore although we may be responsible for ourselves from birth this isn’t strictly true as choice and consequences do not become apparent until later in life but by then we are already making observations, taking in environmental influences which will become our moral compasses in life. I do believe we have the power to change how we live although the choices can be very difficult and often feel monumental; however I also feel the support of others help us to make the choices. That is why; the people we surround ourselves with are those of similar thoughts (as Sartre stated we go to the people to ask their opinion, even though we know what their response will probably be, whether they are a priest or a parent).
Maybe Sartre would say I am choosing not to have free will because I think of others but then that would be my choice and therefore he cannot judge me on that!
