• 6.4: Sartre on Our Greatest Burden

      • 6.4.1: The Burden of Freedom

        • Rob Harle's "Condemned To Be Free"

          Read this article. While the emphasis on human freedom is one of the cornerstones of existentialist thought, Sartre goes a step further and argues that we are "radically free." This is because, as we saw in subunit 6.3 of this course, Sartre believes that God does not exist. This radical freedom, however, is a burden, according to Sartre. As you read Harle's article, consider the manner in which Sartre characterizes radical freedom as humanity's greatest burden.

      • 6.4.2: Sartre's Critique of Mass Society: "Hell Is Other People"

        • Jean-Paul Sartre's "No Exit" URL

          Read Sartre's play. In it, Sartre produces his famous phrase "hell is other people." As you read, consider why Sartre would suggest that "hell is other people" and how this notion relates to the aspects of Sartre's philosophy that you have learned about so far in this course.