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What does Sartre mean by “existence precedes essence”?
The expression “existence precedes essence” is attributed to the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. It was prompted by his interrogation on the existence of supreme power. He did not give credence to the idea that God is the ultimate giver of life.
He argued that human beings are fully responsible for their circumstances in life (Mart, par.4). He argued that there being no supreme power to have predetermined our essence, we exist first, and therefore model our essence through relations with our internal and external surroundings. According to Sartre, the man initially begins as an abstract being, and models himself through his deliberate choices and mode of operation (Mart, par.8). Thus, “essence” is a direct result of one’s manner of “existence” and not vice versa.
According to Sartre, men are free to revise their standing in the world, their character, and their existential circumstances. Thus, individual circumstances are never permanent; the individual may alter their prevailing circumstances at will. Sartre believed that, initially, a person exists, and afterward, gets to determine their existential parameters (Deranty, par.3). He argues that human beings are responsible for what they become in life. He disagrees with the view that human destiny is pre-determined by a higher power. Thus, human nature is a fallacy, since there is no supreme power to conceptualize it.
What are essence and existence?
Essence refers to the choicest or most vital or most critical part of an idea or experience. It can also be viewed as being the heart and soul of an occurrence or idea (Deranty, par.7). On the other hand, existence is the reality of beingness. However, the above definitions are superficial and easy to capture. In a deeper sense, essence denotes the “what” angle of a being, while existence denotes the “that” angle. These are the main angles through which the human mind conceptualizes events that occur around it.
In most cases, the essence is what we see first (Empson, par.6). It is the face value of what we see. It is how we separate one thing from the other. For example, a lion is not a shoe, and it is unlikely that anyone will confuse the two. But we seldom interrogate the innate nature of what we constantly employ in our daily activities.
What constitutes a lion is a variant to what constitutes a shoe, otherwise, they would be alike. Essence can be viewed, as the ability to exist. By and large, existence supersedes essence (Empson, par.9). The essence is anchored on existence. Precisely, the essence cannot stand on its own. It does not have any independent existence. It only thrives about existence as a potentiality.
What makes him conclude this?
According to Sartre, the existence of something gets known before it is defined. It jeopardizes the whole concept of human nature. Sartre believes that human beings are in existence before their meanings are figured out. For example, a lion becomes a lion after its point of existence, meaning that its “essence” of being a lion does not count before its existence (Delahoyde, par.6). In his view, things do not exist as a result of their essence. They first exist, and then humans see the essence in them. It is largely attributed to perception by the mind.
Effect on meaning, value and how we should live
The idea that existence precedes essence is a core pillar of existentialism, which overturns the medieval philosophical argument that essence is more basic than existence (Delahoyde, par.12). According to Sartre, humans forge their values and attach meaning to their lives. He argues that initially, human beings could not claim to hold any identity or system of belief. Thus by way of acting, people make their existence more viable.
Works Cited
Delahoyde, Miagri. Sartre, The Files spring. n.d. Web.
Deranty, Jean. Existentialist aesthetics. n.d. Web.
Empson, Walter. Sartre resartus. n.d. Web.
Mart, Cagri. Existentialism in two Plays of Jean-Paul Sartre. n.d. Web.
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