Ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre, by Theme

[French, 1905 - 1980, Born and died in Paris. Fought in French resistance. Lifelong partner of Simone de Beauvoir.]

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1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 2. Phenomenology
7113 Phenomenology assumes that all consciousness is of something
11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 6. Cogito Critique
7114 The consciousness that says 'I think' is not the consciousness that thinks
7112 The Cogito depends on a second-order experience, of being conscious of consciousness
7119 Is the Cogito reporting an immediate experience of doubting, or the whole enterprise of doubting?
11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 2. Phenomenalism
20743 Appearances do not hide the essence; appearances are the essence
15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 4. Other Minds / b. Scepticism of other minds
7125 A consciousness can conceive of no other consciousness than itself
7122 We can never, even in principle, grasp other minds, because the Ego is self-conceiving
15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 5. Unity of Mind
7108 The eternal truth of 2+2=4 is what gives unity to the mind which regularly thinks it
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / b. Essence of consciousness
6151 Sartre says consciousness is just directedness towards external objects [Rowlands]
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / f. Higher-order thought
7111 Consciousness exists as consciousness of itself
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 4. Intentionality / a. Nature of intentionality
7107 Intentionality defines, transcends and unites consciousness
16. Persons / A. Concept of a Person / 4. Persons as Agents
3847 Man is nothing else but the sum of his actions
16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 4. Presupposition of Self
7109 If you think of '2+2=4' as the content of thought, the self must be united transcendentally
16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 6. Self as Higher Awareness
7106 The Ego is not formally or materially part of consciousness, but is outside in the world
16. Persons / C. Self-Awareness / 2. Knowing the Self
7117 How could two I's, the reflective and the reflected, communicate with each other?
7123 Knowing yourself requires an exterior viewpoint, which is necessarily false
16. Persons / C. Self-Awareness / 3. Limits of Introspection
7116 When we are unreflective (as when chasing a tram) there is no 'I'
7124 The Ego never appears except when we are not looking for it
16. Persons / D. Continuity of the Self / 2. Mental Continuity / a. Memory is Self
7120 It is theoretically possible that the Ego consists entirely of false memories
16. Persons / D. Continuity of the Self / 4. Split Consciousness
7110 If the 'I' is transcendental, it unnecessarily splits consciousness in two
16. Persons / E. Rejecting the Self / 4. Denial of the Self
7115 Maybe it is the act of reflection that brings 'me' into existence
7121 The Ego only appears to reflection, so it is cut off from the World
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 1. Nature of Free Will
3846 Man IS freedom
18. Thought / C. Content / 1. Content
6164 Sartre rejects mental content, and the idea that the mind has hidden inner features [Rowlands]
22. Metaethics / A. Value / 1. Nature of Value / a. Nature of value
20762 There are no values to justify us, and no excuses
22. Metaethics / A. Value / 1. Nature of Value / d. Subjective value
3852 If values depend on us, freedom is the foundation of all values
22. Metaethics / C. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
7074 Man is a useless passion
6687 Man is the desire to be God
3843 There is no human nature
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / e. Character
20764 In becoming what we want to be we create what we think man ought to be
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / d. Courage
3848 Cowards are responsible for their cowardice
23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 3. Universalisability
20763 When my personal freedom becomes involved, I must want freedom for everyone else
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 3. Angst
20755 Fear concerns the world, but 'anguish' comes from confronting my self
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 5. Existence-Essence
6868 'Existence precedes essence' means we have no pre-existing self, but create it through existence [Le Poidevin]
3842 Existence before essence (or begin with the subjective)
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 6. Authentic Self
20760 Sincerity is not authenticity, because it only commits to one particular identity [Aho]
3844 Existentialism says man is whatever he makes of himself
20754 It is dishonest to offer passions as an excuse
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 7. Existential Action
3851 If I do not choose, that is still a choice
6571 When a man must choose between his mother and the Resistance, no theory can help [Fogelin]
25. Society / B. The State / 1. Purpose of a State
20491 States have a monopoly of legitimate violence [Wolff,J]
25. Society / D. Political Doctrines / 9. Communism
21240 The truth about events always comes from the oppressed and disadvantaged [Bakewell]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / d. God decrees morality
3845 Without God there is no intelligibility or value