Download Existence Precedes Essence According to Jean-Paul Sartre ... and more Study notes Philosophy in PDF only on Docsity! Existence Precedes Essence According to Jean-Paul Sartre Benedict Portugal Dr. T. Valkeakari DWC Seminar Jean-Paul Sartre, prominent French philosopher and atheist existentialist, was one of the leading figures in existentialism that became popular in the post World War II years. In his seminal work, Existentialism is a Humanism, he expounds on the slogan that is central to the philosophy of existentialism, which is “Existence precedes essence” (Sartre 20). The essence of an entity is its inherent meaning or intended purpose. According to Sartre, since an individual is born into the world with no predetermined purpose or prescribed function, and as an ardent atheist, he argued that there is no God to conceive of such an underlying purpose, therefore, there can be no human nature. Rather, an individual first appears on the scene, existing as independent and responsible being, without the labels, roles, stereotypes, or any other preconceived qualities that would constitute an “essence”. The individual then carries on life, exercising free will to set out on a path towards achieving a true purpose in society from scratch, consequently defining his or her own “true essence”. Humans, through the conscious choices they freely make, form their own values and determine the meaning of life, thus creating their essence. This is how Sartre explains the key ideas supporting the claim that human existence precedes human essence Sartre illustrates the claim by contrasting a human being from an artifact like a paper knife. A paper knife is “born” into the world by the craftsman from a concrete concept and problem. The object is fashioned and run through the production process considering its intent, a definite purpose, in the eventual product, which is to cut paper. Without its predefined purpose to cut paper, there is no reason for the paper knife to be produced at all. Thus, the essence of the paper knife precedes its existence (21). A human being, on the other hand, is born into the world without a preconceived, definitive purpose. Man is not pre-programmed to perform a specific function; rather, once born, man must search for purpose and meaning. As Sartre contends, “Man
