Existentialism ANDExistentialism ANDJean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre

ExistentialismExistentialismCame out of the sense of despair after the Great Came out of the sense of despair after the Great Depression and WWII.Depression and WWII.

Analysis how humans exist in the world.Analysis how humans exist in the world.– Focus on individual’s actions, responsibilities, Focus on individual’s actions, responsibilities,

and thoughts, and the meaning of life.and thoughts, and the meaning of life.

Affected literature, film, and philosophy.Affected literature, film, and philosophy.

The view that people have fThe view that people have free will ree will and are responsible for their own and are responsible for their own behaviorbehavior—but our existence is —but our existence is lonely in a universe that seems to lonely in a universe that seems to care little for what is best in us.care little for what is best in us.

Giacometti

Existential PrinciplesExistential Principles

Four Main IdeasFour Main IdeasWe have We have no predetermined nature or essence no predetermined nature or essence that controls what we arethat controls what we are, what we do, or what is , what we do, or what is valuable for us.valuable for us.

We are We are free to act independently of outside free to act independently of outside influencesinfluences..

We We create our own human nature create our own human nature through these through these free choices.free choices.

We We create our values create our values through these choices.through these choices.

Existentialism- Existentialism- What it isWhat it is

Human free will

Human nature is chosen through life choices

A person is best when struggling against their individual nature, fighting for life

Decisions are not without stress and consequences

There are things that are not rational

Personal responsibility and discipline is crucial

Society is unnatural and its traditional religious and secular rules are arbitrary

Worldly desire is futile

Existentialism- Existentialism- What it isn’tWhat it isn’t

wealth, pleasure, or honor make the good life

social values and structure control the individual

accept what is and that is enough in life

science can and will make everything better

people are basically good but ruined by society or external forces

“I want my way, now!” or “It is not my fault!” mentality

Jean Paul SartreJean Paul Sartre(1905-1980)(1905-1980)

Born in Paris.Born in Paris.

Father died and mother Father died and mother remarried a German professor remarried a German professor who introduced Jean Paul to who introduced Jean Paul to classical literature.classical literature.

Frequently bullied in school.Frequently bullied in school.

Became interested in Became interested in philosophy as a teenager, philosophy as a teenager, received a doctorate in received a doctorate in philosophy.philosophy.

Drafted into the army, where he served as a Drafted into the army, where he served as a meteorologist in WWII. meteorologist in WWII.

Captured by Germans in 1940 and was a POW for Captured by Germans in 1940 and was a POW for nine months, during which time he wrote his first nine months, during which time he wrote his first play.play.

Released from prison due to poor health.Released from prison due to poor health.

Involved in an underground socialist group, then Involved in an underground socialist group, then decided to write as a form of resistance.decided to write as a form of resistance.

Was a Marxist but not a Communist.Was a Marxist but not a Communist.

Wrote Wrote Being and NothingnessBeing and Nothingness, , The FliesThe Flies, and , and No No ExitExit, also , also Anti-Semite and JewAnti-Semite and Jew, in which he tries to , in which he tries to explain hate.explain hate.

Won the Nobel Prize for Literature but declined Won the Nobel Prize for Literature but declined because he did not want to be seen as taking because he did not want to be seen as taking sides in the East vs. West struggle by accepting a sides in the East vs. West struggle by accepting a Western award.Western award.

Went blind in 1973 and died from fluid in the lung Went blind in 1973 and died from fluid in the lung in 1980.in 1980.

No ExitNo ExitIn In No Exit, No Exit, Sartre Sartre attacked the hypocrisy, attacked the hypocrisy, inauthenticity, and cowardice of living for others inauthenticity, and cowardice of living for others (“social self”) rather than for one’s “authentic self.” (“social self”) rather than for one’s “authentic self.” So long as we do this, we are mere “social types,” So long as we do this, we are mere “social types,” not not living individuals.living individuals.

No Exit SummaryNo Exit SummaryThree characters are trapped in hell, but there Three characters are trapped in hell, but there are are no instruments of torture or pits of fireno instruments of torture or pits of fire.. Rather, the setting is a living room containing Rather, the setting is a living room containing only only Second Empire furnitureSecond Empire furniture: : there are no there are no windows, no mirrors, and no signs of the outside windows, no mirrors, and no signs of the outside world except for a single, locked door.world except for a single, locked door.

Joseph GarcinJoseph Garcin

Estelle RigaultEstelle Rigault

Inez SerranoInez Serrano

The Valet - GarçonThe Valet - Garçon

(Olga)(Olga)

(Peter)(Peter)

((GomezGomez))

((FlorenceFlorence))

CharactersCharacters

The End

The “other”The “other”

wealth, pleasure, or honor make the good life

The “Look”The “Look”wealth, pleasure, or honor make the good life

““angst”angst”

“Existential angst”, sometimes called dread, anxiety or anguish, is a term that is common to many existentialist thinkers.

““despair”despair”Despair, in Existentialism is generally defined as loss of hope

Garcin, Estelle, and Inez arrive in hell.Garcin, Estelle, and Inez arrive in hell.

They are all alone; They are all alone; they ‘re not especially they ‘re not especially aware of the presence of other aware of the presence of other people. people. (If (If they’re watching other they’re watching other people people in the room, in the room, they are in any event not really regarding they are in any event not really regarding them as subjects BUT AS OBJECTSthem as subjects BUT AS OBJECTS

No one is willing to admit that they’ve done No one is willing to admit that they’ve done anything wrong. “Bad faith” rules the day as anything wrong. “Bad faith” rules the day as the three individuals try to figure out what’s the three individuals try to figure out what’s going on and what they should do without going on and what they should do without owning up to their actions or making any owning up to their actions or making any decisions.decisions.

Garcin trys to be Garcin trys to be hero.hero. But he never But he never make make himself himself hero, just like that. He can never hero, just like that. He can never define define himself in that way.But himself in that way.But Inez Inez can can do it do it to to him. She him. She decides decides whether Garcin whether Garcin is hero or not. is hero or not. She She passes judgment, passes judgment, projects her values on things — including projects her values on things — including Garcin. She sees Garcin Garcin. She sees Garcin as he really is.as he really is.

Estelle Estelle recognize recognize herself in the Other’s herself in the Other’s judgments of her — even though she may judgments of her — even though she may not not know know what they are.what they are.

The fact of the matter is that Inez The fact of the matter is that Inez cannot cannot be be defined defined by the Other’s look in this way. by the Other’s look in this way. She is a story that is still being told, and She is a story that is still being told, and the attempt to judge the story before it is the attempt to judge the story before it is finished is just premature. There is finished is just premature. There is nothing yet to define.nothing yet to define.

Inez thinks objectivity. Objectivity is Inez thinks objectivity. Objectivity is being-in-itself. It is uncreated, it is being-in-itself. It is uncreated, it is self-identical, it is everything that is self-identical, it is everything that is non-conscious and non-free. It is non-conscious and non-free. It is simply what it is. simply what it is.

Everyone breaks down and admits their Everyone breaks down and admits their crimes. They all figure out that they’re in a crimes. They all figure out that they’re in a cafeteria-style hell, as Inez puts it, and are cafeteria-style hell, as Inez puts it, and are fated to be each other’s torturers. Garcin fated to be each other’s torturers. Garcin then chooses hell, essentially for all three of then chooses hell, essentially for all three of them, and resigns them all to an eternity of them, and resigns them all to an eternity of mental torment.mental torment.

Symbolism, Imagery, AllegorySymbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Actually, the paper-knife is a reference to Actually, the paper-knife is a reference to Sartre’s philosophical treatise, Sartre’s philosophical treatise, Being and Being and NothingnessNothingness. In the philosophical work, . In the philosophical work, Sartre explains the fundamental existential Sartre explains the fundamental existential tenet, "Existence precedes essence." tenet, "Existence precedes essence."

IsolationIsolation

Lies and DeceitLies and Deceit

Philosophical Viewpoints: ExistentialismPhilosophical Viewpoints: Existentialism

Freedom and ConfinementFreedom and Confinement

SufferingSuffering

PowerPower

Life, Consciousness, ExistenceLife, Consciousness, Existence

CourageCourage

"Hell is – other people!”"Hell is – other people!”

All of the arguments, reasoning, debates, All of the arguments, reasoning, debates, and questions in and questions in No ExitNo Exit have led the have led the three main characters – and the audience three main characters – and the audience – toward this indisputable conclusion: hell – toward this indisputable conclusion: hell is other people. That’s why there’s no is other people. That’s why there’s no need for hot pokers or other torture need for hot pokers or other torture devices. That’s why hell is simply three devices. That’s why hell is simply three people in a room together.people in a room together.

If hell is If hell is other peopleother people, then it is , then it is because we have made it so -- it is because we have made it so -- it is because we have allowed because we have allowed other other peoplepeople to shape our reality. Our self- to shape our reality. Our self-actualization, in this hell, is completely actualization, in this hell, is completely dependent upon the approval of dependent upon the approval of others.others.

Hell, therefore, is not Hell, therefore, is not other other peoplepeople -- hell is -- hell is being other being other peoplepeople. Heaven is . Heaven is being being yourselfyourself......