After WW II people in Europe were shocked at the reality of “man’s inhumanity to man”.

1. EXISTENTIALISM After WW II people in Europe were shocked at the reality of “man’s inhumanity to man”.

2. Jean Paul Sartre 1905-1980

3. Served in French Army during war, was captured by Germans and spent time in a prison camp reading German philosophers (Hegel, Husserl, Heidegger).

4. After the war, Sartre´s plays, novels and philosophical work, especially Being and Nothingness (1943) set him apart as Europe´s premier existencialist.

5. His philosophical work was based on the ideas of Edmund Husserl, G. W. Hegel and Martin Heidegger.

6. Later, Sartre combined existentialism with Marxism, though he never joined the Communist party. However, on November 9, 1956, hepublicly broke all ties with Moscow , as he expressed horror over the aggression of Soviet forces against the Hungarian revolt.

7. Existentialism It studies human existence from the inside of the subject´s experience. It takes a subjective or fist-person approach.

8. Atheistic Existentialism “essence precedes existence?”or “existence precedes essence?”.. If you have an idea about something in your mind and then create it, we would say that the idea or essence of the thing preceded the actuality or existence of the thing. But if the thing existed before any idea of it, then its existence preceded its essence.

9. Atheistic Existentialism If there were a God who created us, who had us in mind, we would have an essence ( in terms of a function or purpose) and our existence would succeed our essence. But, since there is no God to create us, we simply find ourselves existing and must create our own essence (that is, give ourselves a function or purpose)

10. Atheistic Existentialism Therefore, since we must create our own essence, individuals are free to determine their own human nature through choices for which they stand accountable.

11. Atheistic Existentialism Furthermore, because of the death of God and the human predicament, which leaves us totally free to create our own values and our world, we must exist in anguish, forlornness, and despair.

12. Freedom and acceptance of personal responsibility are the main values of life. Individuals must trust their own creative powers more than any social or religious authority.

13. Animals and rocks and trees have a being in itself because they are passive and cannot shape what they will be. They are acted upon.

14. Humans are beings for itself because our lives are literally in our hands. For whatever we become we have only ourselves to thank or to blame.

15. We always have options. There is no escape, “we are condemned to be free”.

16. We have an authentic existence when we live our lives the way we rationally and consciously choose to. It is not acceptable to let others decide for us what is to be done.

17. We have an authentic existence when we assume responsibility for ourselves and our lives. Besides, we are responsible for everyone else.

18. A degraded existence happens when we allow others to make our choices or we allow circumstances, social norms, religion or any other external agent to interfere.

19. For instance, love automatically puts a person in bad faith, since when we love and are loved back, we loose control and we enter in the despair engendered by absurd existence.

20. And, what do you think? 1.Do you agree that we are responsible for our actions? And, are we responsible for everyone else too? Why yes, why not. Give at least 2 reasons. 2.In what sense are we free and condemned to be so? Give one example. 3. Do you agree that God is dead? Why yes, why not. Give at least 2 reasons

21. Bibliography Sartre, Jean Paul, Existentialism, trans. by Bernard Frechtman (New York, 1947).