Philos: Final Study Guide: Part 5 Sartre

What does Sartre mean when he talks about Despair?

-Even though we feel as if we are choosing for all people; we are aware that others are free and independent; we can never be sure of our actions -With others, we have only probabilities, never certainties -Must concern yourself primarily with your own possibilities -Limit yourself to what you know -Does that lead to quietism? no.. I'm going to do everything I can to bring something about... I have my own projects which do involve others. (I can't help that.) -I'm not going to sit at home and let others do what I cannot. That's ignoring despair. We are nothing other than our plan. -Even though it may not turn out the way we desire because of outside circumstances it does not mean we should not try.

What does Sartre mean when he talks about: a. Anguish

-profound responsibility for our choices -we are not sure if we are doing the right thing (anxiety) -we fuel anguish -we are acting in the way we want to act -we are aware of our freedom to choose and make choices for ourselves

Explain "radical freedom"

-you have the ability to make freedom -make as many different choices as possible -Sartre's notion of 'radical freedom' said that everyone always has a choice, and every act is a free act. When people say they have 'no choice' but to do something, they are lying to themselves. -there is always two choices to choose from, we just usually choose the easier choice.

what are the two effects of existentialism as explained by Sartre? 1st Effect

1st effect: Every person is in possession of herself as she is, but not just responsible for oneself but responsible for everyone -And, when we say that man is responsible for himself, we do not mean that he is responsible only for his own individuality, but that he is responsible for all men - all the actions a man may take in order to create himself as he wills to be, there is not one which is not creative, at the same time, of an image of man such as he believes he ought to be. he is shaping himself into a group/type of man.

*what are the two effects of existentialism as explained by Sartre? 2nd Effect:

2nd Effect: In choosing for myself, i am choosing or everyone. Nothing can be better for us unless it is better for all. -to choose between this or that is at the same time to affirm the value of that which is chosen; for we are unable ever to choose the worse. What we choose is always the better; and nothing can be better for us unless it is better for all.

What is quietism and how does it relate to the importance of choice?

The attitude of people who say, "let others do what I cannot do." because something messing up is inevitable -Given despair, we have no guarantee that we can make things better -In fact, there is no absolute "better", there is no ultimate good worth striving for which would lead to nonaction -Sartre's response: Quietism is itself a form of ignoring despair. It says "Let others do what I cannot." -Existentialism says that we are our plan, we are what we make of ourselves. In other words, we are our actions. -Existentialism calls for engagement with a plan of our own choosing. It would only lead to quietism if our plan were to do nothing. Why would we choose that as a plan? if it does nothing then it isnt a plan? -the importance of choice stems from this because the only thing we really can do is choose. "i think therefore i am" you can

What does Sartre mean by "existence comes before essence?"

To existentialists, human beings—through their consciousness—create their own values and determine a meaning for their life because the human being does not possess any inherent identity or value. That identity (like personality/traits) or value must be created by the individual. By posing the acts that constitute them, they make their existence more significant. -We create the way we are perceived by the world. We are not born a certain way, like good or bad. We choose to act that way, by doing the actions that would categorize it in such way. -We as humans were not born with a purpose. We create that purpose ourselves. We make life what we want it to be. -nothing is predestined or pre-determined

What does Sartre mean when he talks about: b. Abandonment

the feeling of being alone -God does not exist. it is not that he once existed and then he died, it is the belief that God's existence was no longer a tenable position in the late nineteenth century. -Sartre emphasizes the sense of loss caused by the realization that there is no God to warrant our moral choices, no divinity to give us guidelines as to how to achieve salvation. -No one else is responsible for who we are. We are alone, with no excuses and no justification for our actions because God did not tell us to act that way. -Can't even let feelings be our guide, because they have to be interpreted and weighed