1. Jean-Paul Sartre & Existentialism

2. Quel Est Existentialisme? In Sartre’s words, “existence precedes essence” Absolute freedom: “We are condemned to be free” Life is essentially meaningless

3. Does this mean there’s no point to my existence?

4. So if everything’s left up to me, it doesn’t really matter what I do, does it?

5. You are still responsible for your own actions!

6. Let’s Talk About Nothingness! “Being and Nothingness” (Freedom and Responsibility) –War: “There are no innocent victims” –Why was I born?

7. Who would Sartre blame for the Creature’s condition in Frankenstein? Why? Is this a valid argument?

8. On a similar note, would an existentialist agree with Rousseau’s justification for his behavior?

9. Is Sartre right? Are we entirely responsible for ourselves? What about nature vs. nurture? Is there any inherent meaning in life? Does our freedom to choose really induce us to take responsibility for ourselves? If I know I’m going to die in the end, why should I bother to worry about the effects of my actions?

11. Bibliography Banach, David. “Ethics of Absolute Freedom.” Saint Anselm College.. Drake, Tom. “Existentialism Shorty Notes.”. Drake, Tom. “Existentialism.”. “Existential Ethics.” Lander University.. Sartre, Jean-Paul. “Being and Nothingness.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Eds. Sarah Lawall, et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. 2104-06. Sartre, Jean-Paul. “Existentialism Is a Humanism.” Marxists Internet Archive..