Modern Times · 1905–1980
Sartre & Our Own Time
Their big question
“If we're free, what do we do with it?”
Jean-Paul Sartre and the existentialists said there's no built-in meaning or purpose handed to us — humans simply exist first, and then must define themselves through their choices. That's terrifying (no instruction manual for life!) but also freeing: you are radically free, and totally responsible for who you become.
“Man is condemned to be free.”
The big idea
Sartre's slogan was ‘existence precedes essence’: unlike a knife (made for a purpose), humans aren't born with a fixed purpose — we create our essence through our choices. Because there's no predetermined meaning, we are completely free and therefore completely responsible. Pretending you ‘had no choice’ is what he called ‘bad faith.’
Why it matters
Existentialism gave the 20th century a powerful way to face a world without easy certainties — emphasizing freedom, authenticity, and personal responsibility. It deeply influenced literature, psychology, and how people think about creating their own meaning.
The big argument
If there's no built-in meaning or moral rulebook, how do we decide right from wrong? Critics worry existential freedom can collapse into ‘anything goes.’ Sartre's own political choices, including defending some brutal regimes, are also heavily criticized.
In their own words
- “We are our choices.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
- “Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
🤯 Fun fact
Sartre was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964 — and famously turned it down, refusing to be ‘transformed into an institution.’
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