The Bluestocking 2022-23

Zhifan Ye | Grade 11 Can Existentialists Answer the Question of Whether Human Beings are Free or Not? Freedom has been a topic of serious discussion throughout history. Social is sues and civil rights have always been discussed in presidential debates and day-to-day conversations. Indeed, freedom is essential as it allows exchange of ideas and change in society. Dating back to the 19th century, Søren Kierkegaard started the existentialism movement by insisting on the irreducibility of the subjective dimension of human life (Honderich). As the first existentialist, he planted the philosophical seed that was later watered, nourished, and weeded by other philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir. These three authors wrote texts with a central theme of freedom that relates to the branch of philosophy called metaphysics, with “meta” meaning beyond in Greek etymology. In other words, it is the study of existence, consciousness, identity, as well as the relationship between mind and matter. It is then rightful to infer that freedom has a mutually-influential relationship with our everyday decisions, actions, and beliefs. As human beings, we are very capable and powerful in the process of inquiry, reflection, and advancement. However, is what we have seen so far our true potential or rather is it a tiny percentage of it that can be improved? The examination of freedom will do no harm to us, but might open the door to the discovery of controllable truths as well as the expansion of choices. This essay will explore Sartre’s Existentialism Is a Humanism (originally a speech), Camus’s The Rebel, and Beauvoir’s A Very Easy Death. Freedom is the most prominent theme throughout Jean-Paul Sartre’s Exis tentialism Is a Humanism. His proposition “existence precedes essence” (Sartre 22) stresses the significance of humanism, namely man and his powers, status, achieve ments, and authority. As a hard self-determinist, he suggests that every choice is in each individual’s control, without influence from anything around that individual. This characteristic of humans is what separates them from other beings. Speaking of beings, most people would say that the word means “living organ isms.” This is not true according to Sartre because ‘beings’ also include lifeless objects. But since “existence precedes essence” is solely applicable to human beings, the ques tion arises: Are Sartre’s principles applicable to animals? They seem to be breathing, eating, and sleeping beings just like humans. What makes humans supreme compared to animals? In his speech, the only aspect Sartre mentioned about animals is that they seem not to consider themselves responsible for, nor honored by, what other members of their community have done (52). Accordingly, the amount of one’s responsibility classifies what type of being they are. For most adults, because their existence comes before essence, they are the ones who make their own decisions, which indicates that they must be responsible for their existence. Toddlers on the other hand, know nothing about life’s purpose.

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