In some circumstances of our life, we ever wonder how and why the world is against us. Positioning us on the very narrow edge. We felt there is no room of improvement of our life, a stagnant one, a declined line one on the flow chart of our life.
These hard circumstances fed by anxious feeling, insecurities, and uncertainties. Nothing is certain about future, we never know what’s coming ahead. Things that matter is to live in the present to shape our future. The term of existentialist start to explain their philosophical work by the utter condition of despair. It might further explained later on the discussion and how this might correlated one and another. An answer for the problem.
Existentialism is a doctrine by Jean-Paul Sartre departing on subjectivity. The term tries to matter our life first before another. The existentialist, or the person that held this view is responsible for his/her own life. Only the person itself can decide what is matter for him/herself. The existentialist also speak about choice, and the term of another outside of “self”. This led to explanation about self-rationality according to existentialist and how they view about outside himself.
Attack of the Titans
A French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, known for his works in the fundamental view of subjectivity with his Existentialism. The term existentialism itself, charged by another philosopher such as structuralism paradigm. As structuralism philosopher argue existentialism is based on pure subjectivity, there’s major difference between existentialism and structuralism paradigm, as structuralism saw the culture made by structure attach to one and another. Further, It always depend one and another that shape an understanding. A complicated one and there’s a hidden agenda on societies that need a deep comprehensive understanding to recognize the structure itself and the relations in between within the structure. Thus, philosophy always provide a debatable topic, a contested one to provide better understanding and point of view about phenomenon.
Another critics came from the Church. As Existentialism came from Europe which mostly held Christianity as their religious view. Existentialism regarded as an approach to non-believer. It set aside the God’s work, or perhaps the more harsh term to define the existentialism is to ignore the God’s commandments and deny the eternality of religion’s value.
It is also attacked by the communism. Because the existentialism pure doctrine is based on pure subjectivity, which they comprehend existentialism is incapable of establishing solidarity to another with those outside of term “self” that exist.
Subjectivity is a term that coined against existentialism and it will always be. Existentialism tend to say that the man first exist and the man primarily exist before all else.
On every criticism that existentialism has received, Sartre responding by his own works. The book titled Existentialism is Humanism answering most of the question, write a clear line to comprehend and tell the validity about what Existentialism is all about, and how this paradigm contribute to the societies.
Existence Precedes Essence
Sartre begins his own works by defining and answering the questions. What does we mean by existentialism? Existentialism is a doctrine. A doctrine that makes human life possible and affirms that every truth of actions imply an environment and a human subjectivity, cited by his works. It led us to an understanding that it is always the term “self” or human subjectivity that imply to surroundings. The point of departure of existentialism is always the subject.
For the term of existence precedes essence, it is always the existent of self-present before essence. Sartre explained that man first exist, and only then (by existing) he can give meaning and define himself. It is then answer the doubt for existentialism that this work depart from human anguish, if man cannot define his own purpose, then he begin with nothing. He will not be anything until later he could figure out what he makes for himself.
The first principle of existentialist is man is not only that which he conceives himself to be, but rather he wills himself to be. And since he conceives of himself only after he exists just as he wills himself to be after being thrown to the existence, man is nothing other than what makes of himself. The principle led to the explanation of to the subjectivity. What Sartre tend to say of that explanation is that man first exist and primarily exist. That man is before all else and he project himself into a future and is conscious or aware to do so. In short, man projects himself and only he could decide what he wants to be, he aware of it, and he wills it. The very first effect of existentialism is to make every man conscious of what he is and to make him responsible for his own existence. Sartre argue about his own view responding to attack of his paradigm’s point of view that if a man responsible of himself, it doesn’t mean that he only responsible for his own as individual, but rather, he is responsible to another.
Speaking more about the term outside “self”, when we say that man choose himself, he also choosing for all men. He’s conscious, aware, and responsible for what decision he has already made towards other. Choosing this or that is to affirm at the same time the value of what we choose. If moreover, existence precede essence, we will exist and at the same time we fashion our image and that image is valid for all. Thus, our responsibility is much greater than what we think because it concerns all mankind. Consequently, his action commits all mankind outside of himself. Therefore, he is responsible for himself and for everyone else. This led to understanding that when we held the existentialism, and to describe the existentialism is humanism, it is always started by himself, his actions, towards greater good of all. Existentialist demonstrated that it is not only oneself that matters, but also the existence of the others. We each attain ourselves in the presence of the other, and we are just as certain of the other as we are ourselves. Therefore, the man who becomes aware of himself directly also perceives the existence of all others, and he does so as the condition of his own existence. Man realizes that he cannot be anything, unless others acknowledge him as such. We cannot discover any truth about ourselves without through the existence of another. This is how the term intersubjectivity plays the role in existentialism towards the presence of the others. It answer the doubt of the term subjectivity on existentialism in relations with others.
Human Condemned to be Free
This part of discussion led to understanding existentialism in relations with belief, a religious belief. God by the view of existentialist bring the possibility of finding values. As what has been accused to existentialism denying God’s commandments, Sartre didn’t agree with that. If however God does not exist, we will encounter no values or order that can legitimize our conduct. Yet, religion or God himself bring the certain values and it is essential to guide human being. It is considered as mandatory a priori for people to do kindness to other, to be honest, to not beat their wives, to raise a children, and so forth. It will always the goodness that religion taught us to live our life.
Sartre did questioning, does it will make a difference if there’s no God at all? For Sartre, there’s nothing will change if God doesn’t exist. We will encounter the same standard of honesty, progress, and humanism. Whether God does or do not exist, life still goes on. You are condemned mean that man did not create himself. When you were born to the world, you are free. It means that you free to do whatever you want or what do you want to become, and you do responsible for what you have choose.
It is more like Sartre didn’t tend to diminish the existential of God, rather questioning what if God does not exist? For if it is true that the future of men belongs in heaven, that would no longer even be a future. Existentialism, unlike atheism, it is not an attempt to demonstrate or diminish the non-existence of God. What Sartre meant to explain by this rather to be present and take an act. Whether God does or does not exist, we should have the same standard way of living to do the right things. It would be no difference. What man needs is to rediscover himself and to comprehend that nothing can save him from himself, not even a valid proof of the existence of God.
Doctrine of Action
Existentialism also criticized for being pessimistic, the departing point always talk about anguish, sorrow, sadness, despair, you name it. For what most of the charge that Existentialism has received, it is a contrary to the criticism. Existentialism is a doctrine of action, even though it is talk about anguish. For Existentialism, by example, if Existentialism speak about cowardice, it is his responsibility to make himself look and act as a coward. He is not the way he is because he has a cowardly heart, lung, or brain, he is not biologically coward, he is not look and act like that as a result of psychological makeup, not even construction of social stigma towards him. He is like that because he has made himself a coward through his action, through his decision. When existentialist says that coward makes himself cowardly and the hero makes himself heroic, there will always be a possibility when one day, a coward may no longer be cowardly and the hero may cease to be a hero. It is the point of this doctrine. Do we have a clear understanding and an agreement by now to start?
In life, a man commits himself and draw his own portrait. No doubt, this thought may seem so harsh to learned or understand for those who has not made a success of his life as Sartre explained. On the other hands, it helps people to understand that reality alone counts. Dreams, expectations, and hopes only serve to define a man as broken dream, aborted hopes, and futile expectations. In short, it is because he define himself negatively instead of positively. A man is nothing but series of enterprises, and that he is the sum and aggregate of what he think and act of himself.
We then arrive in the point of departure of the quietism discussion. Sartre defines quietism as the attitude of people who say: “Others can do what I cannot do”. The doctrine that Sartre represent is an opposite to that. It is an action that count. Reality exist only in action. Sartre added that man is nothing other than his own project. He exist only to extent that he realizes himself, therefore, he is nothing more than the sum of his actions, nothing more than his life. For existentialist, there is no love other than the manifested one in loving, there is no genius other than which is expressed into works.
Sartre resist existentialism to be considered as philosophy of quietism since it defines man by his own actions, neither it cannot be called a pessimistic description of a man since destiny of a man lay by himself, not even an attempt to discourage man from taking his actions since the only hope resides in his actions and that the only thing that allows him to live his actions. Yet, existentialism deal with morality of action and commitment. Sartre explained for philosophical reason, the main point of our departure is indeed the subjectivity of individual. Because we seek to base our doctrine on truth, unlike other paradigm with comforting theories full of hope without any foundation. That’s why, it seems and heard so harsh for us to understand the reality because Sartre tend to say that reality is matter. The phrases “I think therefore I’am” is the absolute truth of human consciousness confronting himself.
It is Impossible Not to Choose
In life, you will always have the situation that you need to decide by making a choice. It is impossible you are avoiding that and decide not to making any choice. When you are born, and you are fully conscious about yourself, you are aware of what you are, you then choose to project yourself. A man is a future of himself. When you decide what you want to become, you already make a decision by choosing yourself to be what you are dreaming of. As Sartre describe, choice is possible, what is impossible is not to choose. You can always choose, but also you must realize that if you decide not to choose, that still constitute a choice. We bear the responsibility of choice what we have decided. In committing a choice, you are also committing a choice for the other as a whole.
Sartre explained that man finds himself in the complex social situation in which he made himself committed. And whenever he decides, he choose to commits all other mankind. He can not avoid to not taking any choice. Whatever he does, he cannot avoid bearing a full responsibility for his situation. He was obliged to invent his own projection by choosing. Man was not born fully made, he invests on himself, he makes himself by choosing his own morality.
Conclusion
For whatever criticized that existentialism has received, bear in mind that Sartre tend to make the criticism aware that first subjectivity matters. It is always man that first exist before anything else, it is always his consciousness, his actions, and his commitments that matters towards the others. Being existentialist doesn’t simply diminish the existence of the others, it doesn’t meant to not showing any solidarity as what communism charged to us. It doesn’t meant that being existentialist simply an atheist for questioning the God existence for bad circumstances of life that we had. When we speak about anguish and despair, it doesn’t meant that existentialist is a way to live by being pessimistic. It is always in contrary to that. The intersubjecitivity made a clear line how existentialist act himself towards the others. It will always be someone that made us an existentialist, it will always the presence of someone. Therefore, it will always be ourselves that decide what is matter for us and for all mankind. Being existentialist is a simply way of life to take action for self and for the others. It is a doctrine, a doctrine that made ourselves fully aware of what we are and what projection that we want to become by taking action through commitments, through decision that we’ve made in some situations we encounter. When we have made a choice, thus our choice is for matter of anyone outside of ourselves.
Reference:
Sartre, Jean-Paul. (1996). “L’Existentialisme est un Humanisme”. Editions Gallimard. Paris.
