Existentialism-is-a-Humanism

1ExistentialismisaHumanismJean-PaulSartre,19451Mypurposehereistodefendexistentialismagainstseveralreproachesthathavebeenlaidagainstit.Existentialismhasbeencriticisedforinvitingpeopletoremaininaquietismofdespair,tofallbackintoathemiddle-classluxuryofamerelycontemplativephilosophy.Wearereproachedforunderlininghumannastiness,andforgetting,astheCatholicMme.Mercierhasit,thesmileofthechild.Allandsundryreproachusfortreatingmenasisolatedbeings,largelybecausewebeginwiththe'Ithink'ofDescartes.Christiansespeciallyreproachusfordenyingtherealityandseriousnessofhumansociety,since,ifweignoreGod'seternalvalues,no-oneisabletocondemnanyoneelse.Existentialismisbeingseenasugliness;ourappealtonatureasscandalous,ourwritingssickening.Yetwhatcouldbemoredisillusioningthanrepeatingthosemottoeslike'don'tfightagainsttradition',or'knowyourstation'?Theysaythatmanisbaseanddoomedtofall,heneedsfixedrulestokeephimfromanarchy.Intheend,isnotwhatmakesourdoctrinesofearfultosomemerelythefactthatitleavesallpossibilityofchoicewithman?Ithasbecomefashionabletocallthispainter,ormusicianorcolumnistanexistentialist-atermsolooselyappliedthatitnolongermeansanythingatall.However,itcanbedefinedeasily.ExistentialistsareeitherChristian,suchastheCatholicsJaspersandGabrielMarcel,oratheistslikeHeideggerandmyself.Whattheyhaveincommonistobelievethatexistencecomesbeforeessence,thatwealwaysbeginfromthesubjective.Whatdoesthismean?Ifoneconsidersamanufacturedobject,sayabookorapaper-knife,oneseesthatithasbeenmadetoserveadefinitepurpose.Ithasanessence,thesumofitspurposeandqualities,whichprecedesitsexistence.TheconceptofmaninthemindofGodiscomparabletotheconceptofpaper-knifeinthemindoftheartisan.Myatheistexistentialismisrathermorecoherent.ItdeclaresthatGoddoesnotexist,yetthereisstillabeinginwhomexistenceprecedesessence,abeingwhichexistsbeforebeingdefinedbyanyconcept,andthisbeingismanor,asHeideggerputsit,humanreality.Thatmeansthatmanfirstexists,encountershimselfandemergesintheworld,tobedefined1SquashedversioneditedbyGlynHughes:~glynhughes/squashed/sartre.htm2afterwards.Thus,thereisnohumannature,sincethereisnoGodtoconceiveit.Itismanwhoconceiveshimself,whopropelshimselftowardsexistence.Manbecomesnothingotherthanwhatisactuallydone,notwhathewillwanttobe.Andwhenwesaythatmantakesresponsibilityforhimself,wesaymorethanthat-heisinhischoicesresponsibleforallmen.Allouractsofcreatingourselvescreateatthesametimeanimageofmansuchaswebelievehemustbe.Thus,ourpersonalresponsibilityisvast,becauseitengagesallhumanity.IfIwant,say,tomarryandhavechildren,suchchoicemaydependonmysituation,mypassion,mydesire,butbyitIengagenotonlymyself,butallhumanityinthewayofthemonogamy.Infashioningmyself,Ifashionman.Thishelpsustounderstandsomerathergrandiloquentwordslikeanguish,abandonment,despair.Theexistentialistdeclaresthatmanisinanguish,meaningthathewhochoosescannotescapeadeepresponsibilityforallhumanity.Admittedly,fewpeopleappeartobeanxious;butweclaimthattheymasktheiranguish,thattheyfleeit.ThisiswhatKierkegaardcalledtheanguishofAbraham.Youknowtheoldstory:AnangelcommandedAbrahamtosacrificehisson.Butanyoneinsuchacasewouldwonderstraightaway,isthisanangel?amItheAbraham?Ifwehearvoicesfromthesky,whatprovesthattheycomenotfromhell,orthesubconscious,orsomepathologicalstate?Whoprovesthattheyareaddressedtome?Eachmanmustsaytohimself:amIrighttosetthestandardforallhumanity?Todenythatistomasktheanguish.When,forexample,amilitaryleadersendsmentotheirdeaths,hemayhavehisorders,butatthebottomitishealonewhochooses.Andwhenwespeakabout'abandonment',wewanttosaythatGoddoesnotexist,andthatitisnecessarytofollowthisconclusiontoitsend.TheexistentialistisstronglyagainstthatsloppymoralitywhichtriestoremoveGodwithoutethicalexpense,liketheFrenchprofessorsofthe1880'swhosawGodasauselessandexpensiveassumptionbutstillwanteddefinitiveruleslike'donotlie'toexistapriori.Theexistentialist,onthecontrary,findsitratherembarrassingthatGoddoesnotexist,fortheredisappearswithhimanypossibilityoffindingvaluesinaheaven.DostoevskywroteIfGoddidnotexist,everythingwouldbepermitted;thatisthestartingpointofexistentialism.Wearealone,withoutexcuses.ThatiswhatImeanwhenIsaythatmaniscondemnedtobefree.Thereisnopowerof'beautifulpassions'whichpropelmentotheiractions,wethink,rather,thatmanisresponsibleforhisownpassions.Theexistentialistcannotacceptthatmancanbehelpedbyanysignonearth,forhewill3interpretthesignashechooses.AsPongehastrulywrittenManisthefutureofman.Togiveyouanexampleofthis'abandonment',Iwillquotethecaseofoneofmypupilswhocametome.Helivedalonewithhismother,hisfatherhavinggoneoffasacollaboratorandhisbrotherkilledin1940.Hehadachoice-togoandfightwiththeFreeFrenchtoavengehisbrotherandprotecthisnation,ortostayandbehismother'sonlyconsolation.Sohewasconfrontedbytwomodesofaction;oneconcreteandimmediatebutdirectedonlytowardsonesingleindividual;theotheraddressedtoaninfinitelygreaterendbutveryambiguous.Whatwouldhelphimchoose?Christiandoctrine?Acceptedmorals?Kant?Isaidtohim,Intheend,itisyourfeelingswhichcount.Buthowcanweputavalueonafeeling?Atleast,yo