• 6.2: Sartre's Existentialism

      • 6.2.1: "Being and Nothingness"

        • The University at Albany, State University of New York: Dr. Ron McClamrock's "Final Lecture on Sartre"

          Read this lecture, and focus in particular on Dr. McClamrock's remarks regarding Sartre's Being and Nothingness. As you read, pay special attention to Sartre's notion of bad faith. Consider the following question: Taking Sartre's view on this concept, what are some of the ways that human beings might find themselves in bad faith? What does it mean to say that consciousness is a nothingness? Also consider the differences between what Sartre calls the "for-itself" and the "in-itself." Make a list of the differences between these two concepts. 

      • 6.2.2: "Existentialism Is a Humanism" (1945)

        • Jean-Paul Sartre's "Existentialism Is a Humanism"

          Read Sartre's 1946 lecture titled "Existentialism Is a Humanism." As you read, note the reasons Sartre argues that existentialism is a humanism. Also pay close attention to the criticisms of existentialism that Sartre addresses, making a list of each criticism and how Sartre counters them. Consider the validity of these criticisms and whether you agree with any of them. Sartre argues that existentialism does not lead to isolationism and quietism, but rather that existentialism conceives the human subject as always in the world, with others. Pay close attention to how Sartre lays out and justifies this argument.

      • 6.2.3: Themes in Sartre's Existentialism

        • Stanford University: Dr. Thomas Flynn's "Jean-Paul Sartre" URL

          Read Dr. Flynn's article on Sartre. As you read, pay special attention to section 4, titled "Ethics." Note how authenticity is achieved, according to Sartre. Also note how Sartre's ethics are related to his politics.

        • Jean Paul Sartre's "The Wall" URL

          Read Sartre's short story, "The Wall." As you read, focus your attention on the way in which the story illustrates the main existential themes of freedom, commitment, despair, and choice. What does freedom mean to Sartre's narrator by the end of the story? What does Sartre's narrator discover about his commitments and the way in which he prioritized them before his current predicament? Is the narrator blameworthy for the outcome of the choice he makes at the end of the story?