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The Doctrine Of Freedom And Responsibility In Jean Paul Sartre - The Fundamental Principles In An Authentic Existence
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 6]
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1.1 THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This is a work
proposed at exposing and satisfying the project topic: The Doctrine of
Absolute Freedom and Responsibility in Jean Paul Sartre as the
fundamental principles in an authentic existence in all its
ramifications.
The sense in the authenticity of being was summarized
in the association of the terms: freedom, consciousness and nothingness.
So, existence per se according to Sartre is realized in consciousness
and freedom, and the absence of these is nothingness. Simply put, ‘you
cannot not be free or else you are not’. Man can be something other than
nothing by being limitlessly free in the choice of his actions. Thus,
to be human is to be free. He carefully maintained that human freedom
precedes the essence in man and makes it possible. He made freedom
fundamental to every human action, which goes to define our essence. So,
to be for human reality is to act. It is not to be and then to act, but
to be means to act.
Furthermore, taking cognizance of Sartre’s
background which undoubtedly led to some of his shortcomings in a bid to
portray his views, there will be a form of scholastic or reasoned
reconciliation on the subject-matter by recognizing man’s natural
affiliation to religion, which most at times leads man to recognizing a
being beyond him, which he refers to as God.
Human laws as levelling
principles seem to obstruct human infinite manifestation and assertion.
It serves the need for protecting the weakest and so creates the sense
of equality. This brings in the possibility of consideration and
accommodation, and consequently sets in some limitations to human
freedom. And so, it becomes inabsolute other than absolute.
1.2 THE SCOPE OF RESEARCH
This
work will not go as far as presenting everything Sartre and other
thinkers have said about freedom, but will be bent on exposing the
doctrine of Sartre essential to achieving an authentic existence from
the primary fact that man is free to decide for himself and assert
himself, by standing to be responsible to whatever he has chosen to do.
It will as well be geared towards attaining reconciliation between
freedom and determinism and the limitations of human freedom in
reference to natural and human positive laws. Thus, the invalidity or
impossibility of absolute freedom as Sartre would conceive of it.
Just
in a form of intellectual stimulation and response, Jean Jacques
Rousseau would simply say in his treatise on social contract and
determinism that, “man is born free, but everywhere in chainâ€4. This is
not unconnected with some events that would by punishment or correction
limit man in is freedom. The fear of responsibility and the maturity
expressed at responsibility make the authenticity of being inconclusive
in its connection to freedom.
Remember, you have freedom now and the other person has privilege, and next time, he has freedom and you have privilege.
Human
freedom should not interfere with others’ privilege otherwise it
1negates the being of the persons. It rather integrates the privilege of
others into a union, and forms a universal mode of living acceptable
to all.
1.3 NOTION OF FREEDOM
It was William James who in his
treatise on the dilemma of determinism said that, “no subject is
completely worn out in such a way that no new contributions could be
added to itâ€5. However, we must admit the fact that great efforts have
been made by different philosophers and thinkers to solve the problem of
freedom. Thus, before entering into the problem of freedom in man’s
realization of authentic existence with reference to Jean Paul Sartre,
let us have a look at some Philosophers’ conception or notion of
freedom.
Freedom is the object of man’s yearning. Poets extol or
acclaim it, Politicians promise or proclaim it, and some others have
given their lives to win it for
themselves or for others. Yet what is it?
The
word freedom in the world of philosophers has many and different
meanings and these give rise to many nuances. Freedom is the power
rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, and so to perform
deliberate actions in ones own responsibility.
Human freedom is a
force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness. It can refer to the
absence of external social pressures and demands. It can simply mean
the lack of physical restraints. It can signify that capacity by which
individuals are able to form their own lives in a sense through their
choice.
Etymologically, freedom comes from the Latin word “Immunitas
a coercione†which means immuned from coercion, which could also mean
the capacity to decide what to do. According to P. H. Partridge;
Freedom
refers primarily to a condition characterized by the absence of
coercion or constraints imposed by another person; a man is said to be
free to the extent that he can choose his own goals or course of
conduct; can choose between alternatives available to him, and is not
compelled to act as he would not himself choose to act, or prevented
from acting as he would otherwise choose to act, by the will of another
man, of the state or of many other authority6.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 6]
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