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Philosophies of Work: Existentialism

Mon, Feb 05

According to the existentialist tradition in philosophy, the most important fact about us as human beings is that we have no nature--no stable essence determining our purpose--and that we are, thus, "condemned to be free." Today, you'll see how the French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980) spells this view out and how he relates it to our fundamental duty to "create ourselves," or shape our identities through choice.

Goals - by the end of today's class, you will:

  1. Understand what Sartre means by "existentialism" and how he explains its core commitments;
  2. Appreciate the way in which these core claims highlight the importance of choice and responsibility in living a good life, and why they come with attendant conditions like "anguish" and "abandonment"; and
  3. Apply these in the context of the philosophy of work (i.e., see how one might approach questions of meaning and purpose in life and in work if one adopted Satrean existentialism).

Read This:

(Access readings through Perusall)

Primary reading: Sartre, "Existentialism is a Humanism"

Secondary reading: Livni & Goldhill - The existentialist’s reluctant guide to life (Quartz)

Do This:

After completing the readings for today, consider the following questions (which we will talk about in class):

  • After laying out a picture on which human beings are radically free to choose their identity, to create their own purpose and meaning in life, Sartre goes one to detail various dimensions along which this makes life harder or worse, not better. Do you agree with Sartre that freedom of this sort would make our lives more difficult to bear? Why or why not? 
  • What do you make the example Sartre gives toward the end of his essay, of the young man having to choose between two incompatible paths. How do you think we should approach such decisions in our own lives, and do you think existentialism (or any of the other philosophies we've studied so far) provides any sort of tools to help us navigate these decision points?

Watch This: