Exitentialism

Estephanie Rose H. Tababa October, 15, 2015

HRD22

“Existentialism is a Humanism”

Existentialism and Humanism is probably the most widely read of all Sartre’s philosophical writings, and it is certainly one of his more accessible pieces, yet surprisingly little has been written about it. And it can fire the imagination and offer genuine insight into the human condition. John Paul Sartre is known as one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century, he wrote many philosophical works novels and plays, much of his work is tied into politics. Sartre based his views on the basic ideas of existentialism. The idea that existence precedes essence is the central factor in the atheistic view of man. The belief that existence precedes essence states that there is "no pre-existing concept of man."

The concept of anguish is one of Sartre's central ideas in Existentialism as a Humanism. It involves the realization that the choices and decisions a person makes not only affect the self, but they affect everyone. Anguish is getting over the selfishness that has become so prevalent in our society, a person must make decision while looking as society as a whole. Anguish is being concerned with the impact of your decisions on others. While reading Existentialism is a Humanism, one must remember that it was intended for only a small public. Sartre never intended it to be read by the masses. It addresses his political views of the war. He wanted the French people not resist conformity. He wanted them to remember that they were free even though they were repressed. He also wanted the public to realize that the actions and choices they made affected the country as a whole.