Jean-Paul Sartre on life

[Exi5tentialist]

“In life man commits himself and draws his own portrait, outside of which there is nothing. No doubt this thought may seem harsh to someone who has not made a success of his life. But on the other hand, it helps people to understand that reality alone counts, and that dreams, expectations and hopes only serve to define a man as a broken dream, aborted hopes, and futile expectations.” (Jean-Paul Sartre)

This quote sets out the backbone of existentialism as I understand it. There is no god, therefore there is no power mightier than the individual who can tell us what to do or what to think; and we cannot blame others for our predicaments. Our actions and decisions brought us to where we are today.

Better expressed that I can is this quote from a reviewer at Goodreads, Jonathan Dickerson, "Existentialism defines a human by their actions, not by forces beyond one’s control. Existentialism shows that the destiny of man is found within himself, not predetermined by some supernatural force. Existentialism places the only chance of hope in the hands of the individual, not in the hands of others. Existentialism is a philosophy of raw truth. Or, better stated, it's honest. It's not always pretty, but embracing the gritty side of life as a human is a beautiful gesture."

[Jason]

I agree with some of what you wrote, but disagree with your idea of "self-definition", for want of a better term atm, so I had to vote in disagreement.

[Gallstones]

"Hell is other people."

I always liked that one best.

[charlou]

"truth" eh.

[Exi5tentialist]

I agree with some of what you wrote, but disagree with your idea of "self-definition", for want of a better term atm, so I had to vote in disagreement.

Self-definition was the whole point of it. What is there left to agree with?

[Rum]

The quote, and much of this rather solipsistic approach ignores the influence of the social dimension. I have often been puzzled by this given that Sartre was, for a good part of his life, an active and intellectual heavy duty socialist.

[rachelbean]

Am I the only person that find Sartre inspiring

[Animavore]

Yes.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Am I the only person that find Sartre inspiring

Camus was a lot more fun.

[apophenia]

"il n'y a pas de hors-texte." — Jacques Derrida

"The medium is the message." — Marshall McLuhan

[Animavore]

Tge problem with Sarte is is he talks too much bollox. I found a Robert Solomon lecture on Sarte far more interesting than Sarte himself.

[JimC]

"It's all about me"

[rachelbean]

Am I the only person that find Sartre inspiring

Camus was a lot more fun.

No he wasn't, he was a miserable bastard (but still one of my favourites). But, Sartre...

Existentialism is nothing else but an attempt to draw the full conclusions from a consistently atheistic position. Its intention is not in the least that of plunging men into despair. And if by despair one means as the Christians do – any attitude of unbelief, the despair of the existentialists is something different. Existentialism is not atheist in the sense that it would exhaust itself in demonstrations of the non-existence of God. It declares, rather, that even if God existed that would make no difference from its point of view. Not that we believe God does exist, but we think that the real problem is not that of His existence; what man needs is to find himself again and to understand that nothing can save him from himself, not even a valid proof of the existence of God. In this sense existentialism is optimistic. It is a doctrine of action, and it is only by self-deception, by confining their own despair with ours that Christians can describe us as without hope.

Life has no meaning a priori … It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose.

In a word, man must create his own essence: it is in throwing himself into the world, suffering there, struggling there, that he gradually defines himself.

With despair, true optimism begins: the optimism of the man who expects nothing, who knows he has no rights and nothing coming to him, who rejoices in counting on himself alone and in acting alone for the good of all.

[Animavore]

Too wordy.

[rachelbean]

I am tired easily by philosophical wank-fests, but I did wade through enough to know what I likes