Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre

What are some of the criticisms of existentialism that Sartre identifies? How does he respond to these crticisms?

-criticized by the Catholics and communists Catholics claim hes forgotten the smile of the child, for they only speak of the sordid aspects of life communists say rhat it leads to a contemplative society it has critisized for inviting people to remain in a quieticism of hopelessness because it rules out all final solutions -ephasizing human igonimity for showing the sordid, the shady, the slimy while neglecting the plasing abd beuatiful -both sides critizise for human solitary

humanism

A philosphy or attitude that focuses on human beings and human culture rather than God or theology. According to Sartre, existentialism is a type of humanism

surrealism

A tweinth century movment in literature, the arts, and philisophy that was sparheaded by the french poet and critic Andre Breton. Surrealists attempted to liberate the unconcious in order to totally transform political, cultural and philisophical values

What story does Sartre refer to?

Abraham

bad faith

An existentialist term that characterizes someone who denies either their facticity or their trascendence. It is sometimes equated with self deception

Sartre would consider himself a

Atheistic existentialist

Man is not only responsible for his own existence

But responsible for all mem

Man is

Condemned to be free

How according to Sartre, does belief in God limit human freedom?

He states that the theory of God then crates a theory that humans are not in any way different than a letter opener, that god designed us for a certain task. He states that the disbelieve of a god, gives humans the right to believe that they were created to do anything. Satres states Humans are this breed. That our existence proceeds or essence. Man is not what he conceived to be, but what he chooses to be if regards to existentialism, where as with a belief in god there is the idea that god made us do it

How does Sartre the term humanism? What do humanism and existentilism have in common?

He uses the term as it focuses on human eistence and he calls it a collectivism, that society should be collectively owned not indiidually, they have in common that with existentialism and humanism we put forth the future of humanity in our hands

There is no such thing as

Human nature since there is no god to conceive it

a priori

Refers to any knowledge claim or truth that can be known or proved independtly of expierence. Most philosphers believe that a priori knowledge claims are neccessarily true

People start from

Subjectivity

What is Sartres purpose in using the analogy of the letter opener?

The purpose of the Letter opener is to open letters, whoever created the letter opener ahd an idea and outcome for what he wanted to create, looking at the catholic position, people could be considered letter openers for God had an idea and outcome and purpose for people when he created then, this would be an example of essence precedes existence, for we were made from an idea and purpose of someone else

cogito

The shortened form of Descartes Cogito Ego Sum--, "I think therefore I am". This was Descartes indubitable, self-evident truth, which served as the foundation of all other knowledge claims

collectivism

The socialist principle that all economic activity should be under the control of the people collectively as a whole, rather than a priveledged class

What according to Sartre is an existentialist?

To believe that man is responsible for himself, human freedom, ... man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world - and defines himself afterwards. If man as the existentialist sees him is not definable, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes of himself He means to say that an existentialist believes that man was is born as nothing, and they must choose what they want to be and who they will be themselves, therefore taking responsibilty for all of their actions

Why, according to Sarte do anguish and despair fundamnetally characterize human existence?

a) with anguish, in terms of leadership postions such as sending troops to their death, if there was human freedom then the person would feel anguish because they are making the decision themselves b)(Forlorness the recognition that God doesnt exist ) Forlornness pertains to the theory that god does not exists. If god doesn't exist, than man is forlorn because he cannot find anything within or outside of himself t grasp onto. He can discover no excuses. This is when existence proceeds essence and when things can never be explained c) Despair because the world does not operate how it should

what does Sartre believe?

existence preceds essence

what are the three things that characterize human existence?

forlorness, anguish and despair

Existentialism

philosophical movement that takes the description and analysis of concrete human behavior as its starting point and that emphasizes human freedom and responsibility