Jean Paul Sartre: Bad Faith Concept

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Table of Contents

Everyone Lies
Sartre’s Philosophical Notion
Sartre’s Example
The Woman Is in Bad Faith
People Live in Bad Faith
Works Cited

Everyone Lies

Many people have acknowledged that they have to tackle with liars. More so, one of the latest trends of the modern society is the notion popularized by the famous Dr. House: everybody lies. It goes without saying that the essence of lying has been considered by many renowned thinkers.

Sartre reveals a very interesting facet of lying introducing his idea of bad faith. He also provides precise examples to explain his theory. Obviously, Sartre’s ideas can be applicable in real life as it is possible to find numerous examples even in one’s everyday life.

Sartre’s Philosophical Notion

According to Sartre lying presupposes complete possession of the truth (48). In other words, the liar knows exactly certain facts and tries to hide them changing them or withholding them. Therefore, deceit is a process which consists of two stages: knowing the truth and withholding it.

Sartre calls this pattern the “ideal” lie (48). However, he also claims that people often deny the truth instead of simply substituting facts. For instance, people may (or may not) know the complete truth, and they do not try to substitute facts to deceive anyone. People’s consciousness often tries to deceive itself.

In simple terms, even though people know the truth they tend to forget about it or pay no attention to it focusing on certain desirable points (Sartre 49). Sartre calls this state of negation of the truth the state of bad faith. Thus, when people are in bad faith, they focus on desirable information (though it can be untrue) denying (or simply ignoring) the truth (Sartre 49).

This does not mean that people are deliberately cynical and hypocritical. Sometimes they do not notice that they are in bad faith. Sartre mentions that people often feel guilty when they acknowledge that they were in bad faith in this or that situation. Interestingly, Sartre also points out that sometimes people try not to acknowledge the truth at all.

The philosopher states that psychoanalysis can unveil the truth, but patients often refuse to acknowledge it and even remove themselves from the psychoanalytical treatment (Sartre 52). Admittedly, people try to remain in their comfort zones. Therefore, there can be no surprise that many people lie to themselves, i.e. they are in bad faith.

The concept of bad faith can be also explained with the help of such notions as facticity and transcendence. More so, it is possible to claim that these three notions are closely connected. Thus, facticity is the number of external factors that influences people, i.e. it is people’s background. Admittedly, people’s backgrounds do affect their perception of the world.

Thus, if it had been a norm for hotel receptionists to be impolite and indifferent, the majority of these people would not have pretended to be that careful to details and that attentive to clients. However, there are norms that limit people’s freedom to certain extent. These limits are the necessary background for the development of bad faith in people.

As for the concept of transcendence, Sartre also utilizes it. The concept of transcendence helps Sartre to explain people’s attitude towards each other. Sartre introduces the notion of for-itself which stands for people’s desire to reach the truth, to acknowledge some responsibilities to interact with others.

Sartre notes that for-itself often tries to understand subjectivity of others. Of course, this peculiarity of human beings contributes to the development of bad faith as people (for many reasons, consciously or subconsciously) may try to fit other people’s world.

Sartre’s Example

Sartre claims that it is possible to find many examples of people in bad faith in everyday life. For instance, he provides an example of a woman who is having her first date with a man (Sartre 55). The woman is in bad faith as she tries to focus on desirable points ignoring the truth. Thus, she tries not to think of the major aim of the date, i.e. the necessity to make her decision whether there will be other dates with the man.

She focuses on having a good time enjoying complements and interesting conversation. The woman tries not to think (she is quite successful in that) that the man is attracted by her body. Instead, the woman tries to think the man is attracted by her personality.

More so, Sartre observes the behavior of the woman and assumes that she is eager to postpone the time of decision making ignoring the man’s overt signals. For instance, when the man puts his hand on the woman’s hand, she distracts her attention (and the man’s attention) from her body speaking of some abstract things. Thus, the woman escapes the necessity to vividly accept or refuse the man’s offer, so to speak.

The Woman Is in Bad Faith

Admittedly, in the situation described the woman is in bad faith as she denies the truth focusing on something desirable. Of course, the woman understands possible outcomes of the date, i.e. either this will be the first and the last date or there will be more dates. The woman also understands that the man pays much attention to her physical appearance. Finally, she understands that there can be physical contact with the man in future.

However, the woman subconsciously ignores these facts she, undoubtedly, know. She focuses on desirable points. She deceives herself trying to think of the nice conversation they are having, instead of directly responding to the man’s signal (touching the man’s hand or taking her hand away).

When the man pays her compliments she tries to think they are addressed to her personal qualities rather than her appearance. Apparently, the woman is not that cynical, but she does not want to leave her comfort zone. The woman’s actions can be regarded as subconscious as she does not act in that way deliberately. Her consciousness chooses to deceive itself to remain in the comfort zone. This state is what Sartre calls bad faith.

It is important to note that the example is a bright illustration of Sartre’s concept of bad faith which is explained as the extreme freedom of choice. Thus, Sartre claims that people are always free to choose. Of course, there are certain limits.

However, people (or rather people’s consciousness and subconsciousness) still have options. It is up to an individual to decide. Bad faith is one of the manifestations of this freedom. Thus, people know the truth but make their choice and deceit others and themselves. This is the choice people are ‘doomed’ to make. This is the kind of freedom people enjoy.

People Live in Bad Faith

To sum up, Sartre’s notion of bad faith is manifested in real life settings. People tend to deceive themselves not to leave their comfort zones. Sartre’s theory fits the modern life perfectly. It is also possible to say that it advocates people’s hypocrisy to certain extent. Sartre claims that people often live in bad faith not because they are so cynical, but because this is the very nature of the human being.

Works Cited

Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness: A Phenomenological Essay on Ontology. London: Taylor & Francis, 1956. Print.

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