Knowledge is Power (24) - Jean Paul Sartre - Responsible Freedom
I conclude the history of ethics with the remarkable work of Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980), one of the most important philosophers of all time.
Jean Paul Sartre's theories on existentialism and freedom cement his place among the most influential Western philosophers of the 20th-century and beyond.
Sartre believed in the essential freedom of individuals.
As free beings, people are responsible for all elements of themselves, their consciousness, and their actions.
He argued that morals are a matter of subjective, individual conscience.
He also focused on the various larger social structures that systematically fail to recognize individual consciousness and innate freedom. These structures include capitalist exploitation, colonialism, racism, and sexism.
He believed that any political struggle must allow individual freedom; therefore he suggested that the working class should overthrow the capitalist system.
His theory on individual freedom shaped his view of Marxism. However, he never accepted Marx’s view that economic and social realities define consciousness. Rather, Sartre affirmed that people are always essentially free. In Sartre’s view, individual freedom of consciousness is both a gift for humanity, and a curse, since it comes with the responsibility to shape our own lives.
This post is a part of my series "Knowledge is Power". In case you missed the previous articles, you can read them here:
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