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Single Idea 6868

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 5. Existence-Essence ]

Full Idea

I take 'existence precedes essence' to mean that we do not have a pre-existing self, which organises our behaviour, but rather that we create our self as we go along, through our existence and activities.

Gist of Idea

'Existence precedes essence' means we have no pre-existing self, but create it through existence

Source

report of Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism and Humanism [1945]) by Robin Le Poidevin - Interview with Baggini and Stangroom p.222

Book Ref

Baggini,J/Stangroom,J: 'New British Philosophy' [Routledge 2002], p.222

A Reaction

The direct opponent of this is Aristotle, who builds his ethics on a fairly fixed human nature, but even he agrees that we mould our moral characters through our activities, in a circular way. There are not, though, infinite possibilities in mankind.

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]