Ethics Exam 3 - Sartre

Who is credited with formalizing existentialism?

Sartre is credited with formalizing existentialism, even though he was not its founder

Name some philosophical antecedents to Sartre's existentialism

Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, and Heidegger

Name some of Sartre's contemporaries who were also existentialists

Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir

What were some of Sartre's professions besides being a philosopher?

In addition to being a philosopher, Sartre was also a novelist, a playwright, a journalist, and a social activist

What significant historical event did Sartre participate in, and how did it influence his philosophy?

During World War II, Sartre fought with the Free French forces against the Nazis and was held as a prisoner of war, which is when he started to work out his existential philosophy

What prestigious award did Sartre refuse, and what were some of his reasons for doing so?

Sartre refused the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. His reasons included not wanting an institutional affiliation with his work, not wanting to be insulated or protected, and believing the institution was elitist and focused too much on the West.

What is the central tenet of Sartre's existentialism, as presented in the lecture?

The central tenet of Sartre's existentialism is that existence precedes essence.

According to Sartre, what is "essence"?

According to Sartre, essence is the nature of a thing, the concept of a thing.

In the context of Sartre's philosophy, what does "existence precedes essence" mean for human beings?

For human beings, "existence precedes essence" means that individuals exist first, and only afterwards define themselves through their choices and actions. At first, man is nothing

What is the first principle of existentialism, according to Sartre, and what is another name for it?

The first principle of existentialism is "man is nothing else but what he makes of himself." This is also called subjectivity.

What does Sartre mean when he states that "man is at the start, a plan which is aware of itself"?

Sartre means that humans are constantly planning their lives and are aware of these plans, and this planning forms the basis of their existence and how they navigate their day-to-day lives.

According to Sartre, what is the relationship between existence preceding essence and human responsibility?

If existence precedes essence, then man is responsible for what he is. Existentialism's first move is to make every man aware of what he is and to make the full responsibility of his existence rest on him.

According to the lecture, what are the two meanings of "subjectivism" in Sartre's philosophy?

1. An individual chooses and makes himself

2. It is impossible for a person to transcend human subjectivity.

   The second is the essential meaning of existentialism

How does individual choice relate to responsibility for all of humankind, according to Sartre as explained in the lecture?

When an individual makes a choice, they are creating an example and an interpretation of the good, making them responsible to and for everyone else. By choosing an action, one implicitly suggests it is permissible or good for others as well.

What are the three components that make up the experience of existentialism, according to Sartre as mentioned in the lecture?

The three components that make up the experience of existentialism are anguish, forlornness, and despair.

What does Sartre mean by "anguish"?

Anguish, for Sartre, is the feeling of total and deep responsibility that arises from the realization that when one makes a choice, they are not only choosing for themselves but also acting as a lawmaker choosing for all mankind

According to Sartre's discussion of anguish, what guiding question should every person ask themselves before acting?

Every person ought to ask themselves: "Am I really the kind of man who has the right to act in such a way that humanity might guide itself by my actions?"

What does Sartre mean by "forlornness"?

Forlornness means that God does not exist, and we have to face all the consequences of this, which is existence by ourselves without divine guidance

How does Sartre respond to Dostoevsky's statement, "If God doesn't exist, everything is permitted"?

Sartre argues that even without God, not everything is permitted because we can still recognize what is good from what is not good. We don't need God to determine morality.

What does Sartre mean by the statement that "man is condemned to be free"?

"Man is condemned to be free" means that humans are condemned because they did not choose to be born, but they are radically free to be or become whatever they want to be, as their existence precedes their essence.

What is "despair" in Sartre's existentialism?

Despair means that we should confine ourselves to reckoning only with what depends upon our will or on the ensemble of probabilities that make our action possible. It involves recognizing the limitations of our control and the multitude of possibilities before making a choice.

What is "quietism" according to Sartre, and what is his view on it?

Quietism is passivity, letting someone else make your choices for you. Sartre emphasizes that choosing quietism is still a choice for which one is responsible.

Why do teenagers often rebel against their parents, according to Sartre's perspective presented?

Teenagers rebel because they reach an age where they realize they are responsible for the kind of person they are and want to shake off the top-down imposition of their parents' will to take control of their own lives and self-definition.

What is "circular reasoning"?

Circular reasoning is a logical fallacy where the premise and conclusion justify each other. An example provided was: "The Bible tells me God exists. So God exists. Well, how do you know God exists? Because God says so in the Bible”.

What is a "vicious circle"?

A vicious circle is a pattern of cause and effect that repeats itself, making things worse. An example given was someone accumulating debt, going to prison, thus being unable to pay off debt, leading to more debt and potentially more time in prison.

How does Sartre's concept of existence preceding essence relate to the idea of a soul created by God?

If God created humans with a soul, that soul would be a pre-determined essence. Sartre argues that because humans are radically free and define themselves through their actions, existence comes before any fixed essence, contrasting with the idea of a shared, divinely-given nature.