Craftsman Intermediate

Craftsman Intermediate

Existentialism: Sartre's Choice of Disbelief

Existentialism: Sartre and Disbelief

 

 

 

The choice of Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

 Jean Paul Sartre, in his philosophy of the ‘existentialism', confronts the universe and declares his rejection of the idea of God by choice:

‘Is it not after all, fearful as it may be, that within the doctrine I am trying to explain, there is the possibility of choice left for man?' (1)

And that: ‘God does not exist, but not all is permissible.' (2)

 

Man is the only thing that exists

Sartre considers man as the only thing that is completely free, and responsible of the choice of his acts. (3)

The idea of the existence of God in existentialism is précised in the following manner:

‘Existentialism is not so much atheism in the sense where it makes all efforts to demonstrate that God does not exist. It rather declares that: "even if God exists, this would not change anything; and this is our point of view". Not that we believe that God exists, but we think that the problem is not of his existence; man must find himself and persuade himself that nothing can save him from himself. Is this a valid proof

for the existence of God?' (4)

 

Existentialism as positive activism

Sartre replies to the critics of communists who reproach existentialism to be, ‘a quietism of despair' (5), and the reproach of Christians, ‘To deny reality and the seriousness of human concerns, for if we abolish the commandments of God and the values inscribed in eternity, there remains nothing any

he likes.' (6):

‘What does one call existentialism?' (7), ‘There are two kinds of existentialists: the first, who are Christians, and among these, I include Jaspers and Gabriel Marcel, of the Catholic confession; the second is the atheist existentialists and we ought to include among them Heidegger, also French existentialists and myself.' (8)

 

 

Identification of the Universe with existence

In his explanation of the universe Sartre identifies the

universe as ‘existence'. He then advances his idea of

existentialism:

‘We mean by existentialism a doctrine that makes human life possible, and which, moreover, declares that truth and action

that involves an intermediate is human subjectivity.' (9)

The fundament of existentialism, explains Sartre, which is common between Christians and existentialists is that,

‘existence' precedes the ‘essence', or we must start from subjectivity.' (10)

 

The paper-knife and the craftsman

He explains the fundament of existentialism by exposing the concept of the ‘essence that precedes existence'. He takes the paper-knife as an example: ‘When a manufactured object is considered, for example a book or a paper-knife, this object

was manufactured by a craftsman who is referred to as the concept of the paper-knife, and refers also to a technique of previous production which is part of the concept, which is at the heart of a formula. Thus, the paper-knife is at the same time an object which is produced in a certain manner, and which on the other hand, has a defined utility, we cannot suppose a man who can produce a paper-knife without knowing what the object is useful for.' (11)

 

From these postulates Sartre concludes the idea of the ‘essence':

‘We can say then that, for the paper-knife, the essence - i.e. the whole of formulas and qualities that allow to produce it and to define it, precede its existence. » (12)

 

He concludes the idea:

‘Thus the presence, that faces me, of such a paper-knife or a book, is determined.' (13)

 

Finally, he concludes:

‘We thus have a technical vision of the world, in which we can say that creation precedes existence.' (14)

Starting from this argument Sartre proceeds to expose, by analogy, the concept of God's existence and man's existence:

‘When we conceive of a creative God, this God is comparable most of the time to a superior craftsman; and whatever is the

doctrine we are examining, like that of Descartes or the doctrine of Leibniz, we always admit that the will follows comprehension, or at least accompanies it, and that God, when He creates, knows precisely what is he creating. In this way, the concept of man, in the mind of God, is comparable to the concept of the paper-knife in the mind of the craftsman; and

that God produces man following techniques and a

conception, precisely as the craftsman makes the paper-knife following a definition and a technique.

 

Thus, the individual man realizes a certain concept which is in the divine understanding.' (15)

 

 

Human nature as the human concept

Sartre mentions that the concept of God was abolished in the XVIIIth century:

‘In the XVIIIth century, and in the atheism of philosophers, the concept of God was abolished, but not for as much as the idea that essence precedes existence… man possesses a human nature; this human nature, which is the human concept, is found in all men, which signifies that every man is

a particular example of a universal concept Man himself.

 

Essence and existence

There as well, the essence of man precedes this historical existence which we encounter in nature.' (16)

Sartre exposes his doctrine of existentialism by declaringhimself representative of atheistic existentialism:

 ‘The atheistic existentialism, that I represent, is more

coherent.'

‘It (the atheistic existentialism) declares that if God does not exist, there is at least a being in which existence precedes the essence, a being that exists before being able to be defined by any concept, and that this being is man or, as Heidegger says,

the human reality.' (17)

 

Sartre explains then the significance of the formula of

‘existence that precedes the essence':

‘That means that man exists first, appears, emerges in the world, and that he is defined afterwards. » (18)

Sartre explains the existence of man:

‘Man, as conceived by the existentialist, if he is not definable, it is because he is initially nothing. He becomes to be afterwards, and he will be as he is when he will be made.

Therefore, there is no human nature, for there is no God to conceive him. Man is only, and not only as such as he conceives himself, but as such as he wants to be, and as he conceives himself after existence, as he wants to be after this impulse towards existence; man is nothing other than what he

becomes. This is the first principle of existentialism.' (19)

 

Existentialism as humanism

Sartre elaborates further on the concept of existentialism:

‘But there is another sense for humanism, which means: man is constantly outside himself, it is by projecting himself and by being lost out of himself that he exist, in addition, it is by pursuing transcendental ends that he can exist; man being this

surpassing and cannot understand objects unless by this surpassing, is at the heart, at the center of this surpassing.

There is no other universe but the human universe, the universe of human subjectivity. This relation of the

transcendence, as constitutive of man- not to the direction where God is transcendent, but in the surpassing direction- and of subjectivity, in the direction where man is not locked up by himself but always present in a human universe, and

this is what we call "humanism existentialism".' (20)

 

The Sarterian Logic

The logic of Sartre's argument proposes the following

premises:

A. The essence precedes existence. Firstly, the idea of the paper-knife must exist in the spirit of the craftsman before being realized, the means of its conception as well as the ends of its realization must exist before the existence of the object itself. If we refer to this process leading to existence there

must be a designer for the design and the realization of the design.

B. Secondly, from this premise Sartre concludes the principle that, "the essence precedes existence" and applies it to man's existence where man must be already conceived by a creator before he is realized as a real human. Thus the realization of

the concept must preexist in the mind of God.

Having established the logic of "the essence which precedes existence", Sartre, then and abruptly, without subsequence of logic, nor justification, removes "the essence" and leaves us with "existence" as reality. In this manner the paper-knife is

already a real object, which exists since it exists, without a designer or a craftsman. Sartre generalizes this logic of the paper-knife to man.

As the paper-knife exists without "the craftsman" or "the industrialist" who manufactures it, therefore, man exists without "the super craftsman" who is God.

By removing God as super designer and a creative-cause, Sartre faces us with the object itself, as an object that already exists, without any explanation of its existence in terms of origin and presence, since it is indefinable for he assumes that

"it is initially nothing".

 

According to the Sarterian logic we are confronted with a universe that has no origin and no explanation. We must accept the existence of things as they are and do not need to explain their existence for it is a reality that they are.

 

The analogy between the paper-knife and man is not valid since the "essence" is subject to verification, namely the the craftsman, which is of primary importance for the presence of the paper-knife and not for man. By removing the ‘essence' in

the example of the paper-knife and making and extending the analogy to man he becomes without origin or a designer.

 

 

The Sarterian Absurdity

In his perspective of the world Sartre removes the cause and confronts himself with already existing objects as reality.

Sartre does not need any justification fro existence nor for man's own existence.

The idea of Sartre, to remove the question of presence, origin and reason of being, does not solve the enigma of existence but, on the contrary, augments its absurdity.

 

 

Absurdity is what Sartre drives at ‘Man is absurd', he says.

Man, in existentialist thought, is cut off from everything and is presented as ‘nothing else but his life'. (21) It is here where man makes his world being among other absurd beings like himself. He is in relationship to other men.

 

Atheistic Existentialism

On this basis Sartre concludes a free humanity founded on moral choice. The Sarterian idea to do away with causality is founded on the conditional assumption "if". He specifies: "The atheistic

existentialism… declares that if God does not exist". Sartre affirms that:

‘The choice is possible in a sense, but what is not possible, is not to choose'. (22)

By considering that truth, the absolute truth, is founded in the Cartesian existence of man, it is nothing other than the reality of humanity: "I think, therefore I am", it is here where the absolute truth of the conscience attains itself". (23)

 

On the basis of this idea Sartre rejects all other theories that explain man's existence as false:

‘Every theory that considers man outside this moment or it attains itself, is first a theory that abolishes truth, for, outside the Cartesian thought all projects are only probable; and a doctrine of probabilities that is not attached to truth collapses into nothingness; to define what is probable we must have the real. Hence, in order to be a reality of whatever, there must be

an absolute truth; and this is simple, easy to attain, it is within reach of every one; it consists to be understood without intermediation.' (24)

 

Rejection of Religion

Sartre rejects religion as well as a metaphysical thought based on probability and not on the truth of reality.

His response to criticisms of Communists in terms of

"quietism of despair" consists in saying that existentialism, considering man responsible for his acts, and in which he realizes himself by his acts, is an entirely active expression as

well as of optimist:

‘(Existentialism) cannot be considered as a philosophy of quietism, since it defines man by action; nor as a pessimistic description of man: there is no more optimistic doctrine, since man's destiny is within himself; nor is it an attempt to discourage man to act since it says to him that there is no hope except in his action, and the only thing that allows man to live

is action". (25)

 

Meaning for Sartre

 ‘We choose facing others and we choose ourselves opposite others.' (26), and that, ‘before we lived, life itself is nothing, but it is up to you to give it a meaning and that value is nothing other than this meaning which you choose.' (27)

In his concept of existentialism Jean Paul Sartre excludes the idea of origin and of design. The point of departure for his arguments is that man is already in existence and does not need justification. He identifies man by his actions.

By making existence absurd Sartre offers himself an absurd justification for his absurdity. A paper-knife existed by itself as man has existed by himself. A choice of justification for rejecting causality.

_____

1. Jean-Paul Sartre, L'Existentialisme est un humanisme, Les

Editions Nagel, Paris, 1954. p. 15.

2. Ibid., p. 89, 95.

3. Ibid., p. 28, 37, 73.

4. Ibid., p. 95.

5. Ibid., p. 9.

6. Ibid., p. 11.

7. Ibid., p. 15.

8. Ibid., p 16-17.

9. Ibid., p. 12.

10. Ibid., p. 17.

11. Ibid., p. 17-18.

12. Ibid., p. 18.

13. Ibid., p. 18.

14. Ibid., p. 18.

15. Ibid., p. 19-20.

16. Ibid., p. 20-21.

17. Ibid., p. 21.

18. Ibid., p. 21.

212

19. Ibid., p. 73. He affirms that: "the responsibility for a

choice which, by engaging myself, engages also the whole

humanity, even though if there is no value, a priori,

determining my choice". Ibid., p. 74. And that: "For us, is the

opposite, man finds himself in an organized situation, where

he himself is committed, he commits by his choice the whole

humanity, but he cannot avoid choosing. " Ibid., p. 74-75.

Man is obliged to choose his morale:

"Man makes himself; he is not completely made, he makes

himself by choosing his moral, and the pressure of

circumstances is such as he cannot but choose one. We define

man only in relation to a commitment. " Ibid., p. 78.

20. Ibid., p.64. The Sarterian concept of truth and absolute

truth is founded on the subjectivity of the individual. "to

obtain whatever truth of oneself, I must pass by the other. The

other is indispensable to my existence, as well as the

knowledge that is within me. " Ibid., p. 66-67.

21. Ibid., p. 22. Sartre writes hat ‘there is no reality except in

action and man is hence nothing but the totality of his

actions.' Ibid., p. 55.

22. Ibid., p. 92-93.

23. Ibid., p. 58.

24. Ibid., p. 64-65.

25. Ibid., p. 62-63.

22. Ibid., p. 92-93.

23. Ibid., p. 58.

24. Ibid., p. 64-65.

25. Ibid., p. 62-63.

26. Ibid., p.80.

27. Ibid., 89-90.

 

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