In Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Existentialism and Human Emotions,” the author discusses the philosophical concept that existence precedes essence, a theory which involves elements of responsibility and freedom in regards to human choice. The idea that existence precedes essence means that a human being, as well as human reality, exists prior to any concepts of values or morals. A person is born a blank slate; humanity has no universal, predetermined principles or ethics common to all of mankind. Since no preformed essence or definition exists of what is means to “be human,” a person must form his/her own conception of existence by asserting control of and responsibility for his/her actions and choices. Consequently, a human being gains his/her essence through individual choices and actions. It is solely through the process of living that one defines one’s self.
Through day-to-day living, one is continuously involved in the process of shaping one’s identity. With the absence of any a priori moral code to abide by, humans possess the fundamental freedom to create their own system of beliefs. Such an individual freedom of consciousness carries with it the burden of responsibility for the choices one makes. Every human is responsible for his/her choices and actions. If one denies the responsibility if his/her own choices, then one is acting in bad faith, a form of self-deception which leads to feelings of anxiety, despair, anguish, and forlornness. Even when acting in bad faith, however, one is making the choice of avoiding responsibility. It becomes evident, then, that one cannot avoid choice, which brings us back to the existential fact that “man’s destiny is within himself …
According to Sartre, “there is no reality except in action (32).” Man is nothing other than the totality of his actions. For example, Beethoven can be defined by his nine symphonies (as well as his other compositions), but he cannot be defined by ten symphonies. Beethoven fulfilled himself and his existence through his compositions, the end product of his actions. It does not matter what he did not achieve (like a tenth symphony), for “reality alone is what counts (33).” Man acquires no strength from possibilities that were not lived out; man defines himself, rather, solely on the actions that did occur within his life. It is the sum of one’s actions, not one particular action or circumstance, which defines one’s human existence and individuality. All actions characterize man in the larger scope of his life, and no action goes unaccounted: “man … is condemned every moment to invent man (23).”
From actions, one arrives at the concept of choice. Every man chooses his essence by choosing his actions. When man is born, he is nothing. Only through living and making choices does he conceptualize himself, and one cannot avoid choice. Even by taking no action in a particular situation, one is choosing to remain inactive; inaction, therefore, is an action within itself. (Sartre refers to this as quietism.) Consequently, man cannot avoid choice, and what man chooses has value to him. “[The action] has value only because it is chosen (21).” Sartre asserts that something is valuable because the individual consciousness chooses to value it. This premise denies the idea that objective criteria exist as a basis of values. One, therefore, gains a sense of values solely through living, by taking action and making choices. One is not born with a sense of morality. Man must form his values through his choices, and, consequently, man becomes a product of his choice. Every choice made, then, is the correct choice because it defines one’s being. No a priori meaning defines one as a human being; one must create his/her self by the absolute product of his/her choices.
With choice comes responsibility. One is responsible for creating a certain image of his/her self through the choices he/she makes. People are responsible for each and every aspect of their selves, their consciousness, and their actions. Humans are also responsible for shaping the world around them through choice. Since there are no universal ethics, the choices an individual makes shapes the entire world around him/her. Therefore, human reality is perpetually in the process of being shaped by one’s actions and choices: “Through his choice, [the individual] involves all mankind, and he can not avoid making a choice (41).” The universe is constructed in the course of choosing one’s self. This places a burden of responsibility upon mankind to shape the existence of the ever-in-flux universe. When one denies this sense of responsibility, one is considered to be acting in bad faith.
If one accepts responsibility, however, freedom is achieved. Freedom and responsibility have a symbiotic relationship in existential philosophy. According to Sartre, all men are essentially free. They are free to make choices and take action because no a priori morals constrict their individual consciousness. As free beings, humans are responsible for all elements of themselves: consciousness, actions, and emotions. Most importantly, humans are free to choose: “one may choose anything if it is on the grounds of free involvement (48).” Although human beings are free to choose their destiny, they must also assume responsibility for their choices. Individual freedom of consciousness, therefore, is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it offers humanity the gift of freedom to shape one’s life and the universe; it allows one to create a personal set of values with no a priori restrictions. Freedom is a curse, however, because the responsibility of shaping one’s own life comes along with freedom to choose.
In conclusion, existence precedes essence in the sense that at birth man is a being for whom nothing is predestined. Through man’s own individual life-quest, he discovers and chooses the meaning of his own life. Man creates his existence through living, plain and simple. Living involves the freedom to make choices as well as the acknowledgement of responsibility for the choices one makes. With no a priori meaning in the universe, man is free to choose his essence as well as define the essence of the world which surrounds him. Man at first exists without purpose, but then he defines himself in the world through his actions and shapes the meaning of his existence by those actions. One’s identity cannot be constructed by any outside force; no one else can choose the essence of another. Therefore, identities are constructed solely by the individual’s freedom of consciousness. Values are formed similarly, for no universal concept of morality exists prior to birth. Only through action and choice do values form, for “value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose (49).” When a human being first enters existence, he immediately begins to live and to choose the shape of his essence and, consequently, his values and identity.
