Work
Existentialism Is a Humanism
As an Amazon Associate, QWOT earns from qualifying purchases.
About this work
Existentialism Is a Humanism is the 1946 lecture in which Jean-Paul Sartre defended his philosophy against its critics, and in doing so gave existentialism its most famous formula: existence precedes essence. We are born without a fixed nature, he argues, and so are condemned to be free, fully responsible for what we make of ourselves. Accessible and urgent, it is the best short way into his thought.
About the author — Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 to 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, and novelist, a leading figure of existentialism and twentieth-century thought. He insisted that human beings define themselves through their choices, and bear the full weight of that freedom.
2 quotes from this work
People also ask
What does Sartre say in Existentialism Is a Humanism?
That existence precedes essence: humans have no predetermined nature and must create themselves through their choices, which makes us radically free and radically responsible.
What does existence precedes essence mean?
That we exist first and define ourselves afterward. Unlike a tool made for a purpose, a person arrives without a fixed essence and becomes who they are through what they choose to do.
Is this a good introduction to existentialism?
Yes. Sartre wrote it to explain and defend existentialism to a general audience, so it is far more accessible than his larger philosophical works.