Man is condemned to be free.
Jean-Paul Sartre Existentialism is a Humanism, lecture (1946)
Source checked by an editor
When and why it was written
- When
- Delivered as a public lecture in Paris in October 1945, published 1946.
- Why
- Sartre was defending existentialism against the charge that it was despairing and quietist.
What it means
Condemned is chosen deliberately. Sartre is not celebrating freedom; he is describing a sentence.
Without a given human nature there is nothing to consult and no way to be excused. Every act is authored, including the ones performed under pressure, which is why he treats freedom as a weight rather than a gift.
Our reading of the passage cited above, not a quotation from a commentary.
Read the source
Existentialism is a Humanism, 1946
Your turn
What does this bring up for you?
Saved to this device only. Nothing is sent to a server.
Continue transfers only this reflection. Review your account before saving. Your original browser copy stays here.