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Single Idea 20763

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 3. Universalisability ]

Full Idea

Freedom as the definition of man does not depend on others, but as soon as there is involvement, I am obliged to want others to have freedom at the same time that I want my own freedom.

Gist of Idea

When my personal freedom becomes involved, I must want freedom for everyone else

Source

Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism and Humanism [1945], p.306), quoted by Kevin Aho - Existentialism: an introduction 7 'Anything'

Book Ref

Aho,Kevin: 'Existentialism: an introduction' [Polity 2014], p.108

A Reaction

Appears to be a highly Kantian sense of rational duty, and a rather odd constraint on someone whose only value is freedom. Sartre is aware that he needs an existential politics, but he's not there yet. 'Involvement' is an interesting addition to Kant.

The 16 ideas from 'Existentialism and Humanism'

6868 'Existence precedes essence' means we have no pre-existing self, but create it through existence [Sartre, by Le Poidevin]
3842 Existence before essence (or begin with the subjective) [Sartre]
3844 Existentialism says man is whatever he makes of himself [Sartre]
3843 There is no human nature [Sartre]
20764 In becoming what we want to be we create what we think man ought to be [Sartre]
20762 There are no values to justify us, and no excuses [Sartre]
20754 It is dishonest to offer passions as an excuse [Sartre]
20763 When my personal freedom becomes involved, I must want freedom for everyone else [Sartre]
3845 Without God there is no intelligibility or value [Sartre]
3846 Man IS freedom [Sartre]
22229 Existentialists says that cowards and heroes make themselves [Sartre]
6571 When a man must choose between his mother and the Resistance, no theory can help [Sartre, by Fogelin]
3847 Man is nothing else but the sum of his actions [Sartre]
3848 Cowards are responsible for their cowardice [Sartre]
3851 If I do not choose, that is still a choice [Sartre]
3852 If values depend on us, freedom is the foundation of all values [Sartre]