After reading Existentialism is a Humanism, my understanding of what existentialism humanism is the belief that humans have no thought or type of pre-existence. Humanism can be explained as any study that focuses on humans. I personally do not agree with Existentialism Humanism because I am Christian. Christians do believe that God has planned our life and it’s our duty to walk the path that God has already foreseen. The ideology that Sartre presented does not align with my Christian values but I do believe that humans should have the free will to live as they please. “Atheistic existentialism, of which I am a representative, declares with greater consistency that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it. That being is man or, as Heidegger has it, the human reality. What do we mean by saying that existence precedes essence? We mean that man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world – and defines himself afterwards. If man as the existentialist sees him is not definable, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes of himself. Thus, there is no human nature, because there is no God to have a conception of it. Man simply is. Not that he is simply what he conceives himself to be, but he is what he wills, and as he conceives himself after already existing – as he wills to be after that leap towards existence. Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism. And this is what people call its “subjectivity,” using the word as a reproach against us” (Sartre, 3). This quote explains the main reason why Sartre does not believe in God and how God does not align with the ideology behind Existentialism Humanism. Existentialism Humanism identifies the human as it’s creator, also it focuses on the belief that God is an essence and is overall made up because man decided to create that thought. This ideology believes that men are here simply because man is. When Sartre talks about abandonment he is referring to God. Sartre is not saying that God existed but rather mentioning God in a metaphorical way. Sartre emphasizes the sense of loss caused by the realisation that God does not exist. When Sartre mentions anguish as the negative feeling that comes from freedom and responsibility, freedom from defining yourself and responsibility of choosing for all humankind. When Sartre mentions despair, he is saying that people should not hope for things that they can not reasonably predict. I agree with Sartre’s beliefs on despair, because it is good to have hope but to want things that are not reasonable or the things that are not being worked towards. Despair to me is created by self fifty percent of the time. Personally for me family and friends, or really all human interaction makes life meaningful. I enjoy spending quality time with people I am close to. Making memories is my favorite thing to do. Also, having belief in a higher power makes life more meaningful. I’ve been through many things in life and God has been consistent. “Existentialism is nothing else but an attempt to draw the full conclusions from a consistently atheistic position. Its intention is not in the least that of plunging men into despair” (Sartre, 12). Lastly, this quote resonated with me because it helped me understand what Sartre was explaining and why his ideology can be important to someone who aligns with those beliefs. Overall, Sartre’s arguments can be valid to someone who does not believe in God, but to me Satre’s arguments are not valid. Sartre’s arguments are sound, but do not align with my personal beliefs and values. Sartre’s reading was personally interesting for me because I am a Christian and it is interesting to see other points of views that may not align with my personal beliefs. Sartre’s point of view gave an academic perspective on how he believed that humans are humans simply because they are.
Existentialism is a Humanism 👴🏻 (709)
Published by takaylajohnsontk
What’s up ! My name is Takayla, you all are welcome to call me Kayla or TK. I am a Sacramento native, born and raised in Oak Park. I am a 20 years old, Sagittarius. My birthday is December 19. I am the youngest of 8 children and a product of a blended family. My parents are Earlene Brown and Carl Johnson. Throughout the duration of my life I grew up in a God fearing home. At the age of four I lost my father. Carl Johnson was murdered in Del Paso Heights, California. The loss of my father became my strength, as I used it to motivate myself through life. Personally my love for education is encouraged by my mother’s sacrifices and my father’s death. My education experience has created character defining moments in my life. Past teachers and mentors have made school more than just a place to obtain information, but as a place to build community and character. Some fun facts about me is that I have traveled through every state of the United States and I teach Freedom School throughout the summer. My future plans are to obtain a PhD in Ethnic Studies. I attended California State University, Sacramento for my freshmen year of college, majoring in Ethnic Studies. Once I receive my doctorate degree she plans to continue to serve the community that serves her by teaching in the greater Sacramento Area. In my spare time enjoys empowering younger women and being a resource to the youth of Sacramento. Community work is the most important thing to me as I wish to serve my community in every aspect especially, education and civil rights. My journey has already started and will not stop anytime soon. Sacramento City college is my new home. Sacramento raised a young educator, healer, and activist. I am proud to be from Sacramento. View all posts by takaylajohnsontk
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I really like that although you disagree with Sartre, you still find things that resonate with you or help you come to a better understanding of things in what he has to say. I also agree with Sartre’s meaning on despair; I think that a lot of people spend time hoping and thinking on things that are not realistic or achievable at the time, leaving them with a sense of despair that could have been avoided if they were just to be. Personally, I think that a lot of the time, we feel things like despair and anguish linked to our existence because we can’t just let things be or let things run their course. We have a need to always know but sometimes not knowing is okay. I really enjoyed reading your post!
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I think I agree Sartre on his thoughts on free will. I personally believe man has his own agency and that while I also believe nothing precedes existence I think free will is a choice of the individual and and that their thoughts and actions are solely theirs. While many will believe that they have a set will, and that free will is an illusion and others practice the belief that they are endowed with a will to follow a divine practice I think all hold some control over the actions of the agency.
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