Has anyone read Sartre's "Existentialism and Human Emotions"? If so please help!

[anna722]

So for my Philosophy final, I have to write a 4-6 page paper which mainly focuses on Sartre's book, and I need to use a lot of direct quotations but I am having trouble finding the answers to these questions. I DO NOT WANT the answers, I want page numbers where the answers are explained! thanks, here are the questions:

1. What does Sartre say about Descartes? How does he relate it to probability and absolute truth?

2.. Why is invention important to Sartre? What role does he say it has in his thought?

3. Why does Sartre say we cannot consider man as an end? Also, why is it when we decide for ourselves, we decide for all mankind?

4. what is the role of others in relation to this choice if individuals are radically free?


please help if you can!! thanks so much :wub:

[A.R.Amistad]

Hey comrade, as the leading existential Marxist on this forum, I'd love to help. Unfortunately, It's been a while, so I'll have to read it through real quick and get back to you asap

[anna722]

Hey comrade, as the leading existential Marxist on this forum, I'd love to help. Unfortunately, It's been a while, so I'll have to read it through real quick and get back to you asap

ok, thats fine, thanks for helping! :)

[A.R.Amistad]

1. What does Sartre say about Descartes? How does he relate it to probability and absolute truth?

2.. Why is invention important to Sartre? What role does he say it has in his thought?

3. Why does Sartre say we cannot consider man as an end? Also, why is it when we decide for ourselves, we decide for all mankind?

4. what is the role of others in relation to this choice if individuals are radically free?1. I'm not sure about the Descartes question right now. As for truth, truth is really subjective. We existentialists still believe in things like science, dialectical materialism, gravity, etc. but we recognize that these are just ways of explaining and giving order to the chaotic reality. We (and Sartre certainly did) reject any sort of objective truth or morality, and assert that morality and truth is what we make it.

2. I think innovation is so important because it is the best way we can express our authenticity. To really be an authentic individual, one must give meaning to their lives beyond just plain living. This requires labor. Through our labor (whatever that is for us) we build something, objective, subjective or both, that makes an impact on reality outside of ourselves. That is how we can achieve authenticity.
3. The individual reflects society and society reflects the individual. One does not come before the other. One should not say "the individual is more important than society," or "society is more important than the individual." They are one and the same, simultaneous. By choosing to continue living, you are choosing o be a part of society in one form or another. You could theoretically cut yourself off from society and still live, but that's not really feasible in the modern world for humans. That is why the decision of one individual decides for all of society.
4. Like I said before, the individual and society are simultaneous. We are free to choose, but the consequences of our choices are out of our control. Plus, to be authentic, one must correctly acknowledge their faciticity, ie, those things that we were born into (ie, capitalism, nationality, species, anything we can't change by ourselves immediately).

Kierkegaard has a great quote on the subject:

In community, the individual is, crucial as the prior condition for forming a community. Every individual in the community guarantees the community; the public is a chimera, numerality is everything."-Soren Kierkegaard

I hope that helped. If not let me know and I'll try to rectify any questions you might still have.

[anna722]

1. I'm not sure about the Descartes question right now. As for truth, truth is really subjective. We existentialists still believe in things like science, dialectical materialism, gravity, etc. but we recognize that these are just ways of explaining and giving order to the chaotic reality. We (and Sartre certainly did) reject any sort of objective truth or morality, and assert that morality and truth is what we make it.

2. I think innovation is so important because it is the best way we can express our authenticity. To really be an authentic individual, one must give meaning to their lives beyond just plain living. This requires labor. Through our labor (whatever that is for us) we build something, objective, subjective or both, that makes an impact on reality outside of ourselves. That is how we can achieve authenticity.
3. The individual reflects society and society reflects the individual. One does not come before the other. One should not say "the individual is more important than society," or "society is more important than the individual." They are one and the same, simultaneous. By choosing to continue living, you are choosing o be a part of society in one form or another. You could theoretically cut yourself off from society and still live, but that's not really feasible in the modern world for humans. That is why the decision of one individual decides for all of society.
4. Like I said before, the individual and society are simultaneous. We are free to choose, but the consequences of our choices are out of our control. Plus, to be authentic, one must correctly acknowledge their faciticity, ie, those things that we were born into (ie, capitalism, nationality, species, anything we can't change by ourselves immediately).

Kierkegaard has a great quote on the subject:


I hope that helped. If not let me know and I'll try to rectify any questions you might still have.

thanks, i was able to find quotes for the last 2 questions, but by any chance do you know where Sartre talks about the first 2 questions?
my professor really likes when people quote a lot! :)

[JoyDivision]

Page 29

"When Descartes said, 'conquer yourself rather than the world,' he meant essentially the same thing".

What does essentially the same thing refer to, well it refers to the fact that the plans and actions of our will are intimately tied up with the world, and the world is one of probabilities. These probabilities make our actions possible.

The example he gives on the same page is that of a man who's actions are dependent on the arrival of a friend by train. We are not in control of weather or not that train arrives, so our possible actions are related to the probability of the train arriving rather than jumping track or whatever.

I think the point is that freedom and responsibility come from within, but are conditioned by what is possible, which is in turn dependent on the material conditions that obtain, and these material conditions are never certain. I think a further point is, that yes we have to consider the probabilities of the world in what is possible, but we ought not do so unless they are related closely to some action we are about to take. As in, We should not use general uncertainty as an excuse for quietism and despair, rather we should act anyway because that is what we are responsible for, and everything else will fall as it may.

As Sartre says on 32, "There is no reality except in action". Meaning, Uncertainty should embolden us, because it is proof that action is what shapes things, and it is all we can really rely on.

[anna722]

Page 29

"When Descartes said, 'conquer yourself rather than the world,' he meant essentially the same thing".

What does essentially the same thing refer to, well it refers to the fact that the plans and actions of our will are intimately tied up with the world, and the world is one of probabilities. These probabilities make our actions possible.

The example he gives on the same page is that of a man who's actions are dependent on the arrival of a friend by train. We are not in control of weather or not that train arrives, so our possible actions are related to the probability of the train arriving rather than jumping track or whatever.

I think the point is that freedom and responsibility come from within, but are conditioned by what is possible, which is in turn dependent on the material conditions that obtain, and these material conditions are never certain. I think a further point is, that yes we have to consider the probabilities of the world in what is possible, but we ought not do so unless they are related closely to some action we are about to take. As in, We should not use general uncertainty as an excuse for quietism and despair, rather we should act anyway because that is what we are responsible for, and everything else will fall as it may.

As Sartre says on 32, "There is no reality except in action". Meaning, Uncertainty should embolden us, because it is proof that action is what shapes things, and it is all we can really rely on.

thanks so much for the page numbers!!! now all I need to find is where Sartre talks about Invention!!

[JoyDivision]

Umm, go to Amazon, search for the book, and then click on it. Then, once you're on the product page, on the left hand side of the screen is a link that says "search inside this copy". Click on it.

It will allow you to search for any word and give you every page of the book that that word is on.

Shouldn't take long to narrow down what the relevant passages are.

[anna722]

Umm, go to Amazon, search for the book, and then click on it. Then, once you're on the product page, on the left hand side of the screen is a link that says "search inside this copy". Click on it.

It will allow you to search for any word and give you every page of the book that that word is on.

Shouldn't take long to narrow down what the relevant passages are.

thank you so much!!! you are a lifesaver :thumbup1:

[jay90]

Hey, I also have some questions that I need help with as soon as possible. I need to know the quotes for it if possible please and Thank you.
On what basis does Sartre say we can judge others? What does it have to with honesty? Does this have anything in common with Plato’s account of the role of logic in ethics? If so, what? Explain.

[A.R.Amistad]

Hey, I also have some questions that I need help with as soon as possible. I need to know the quotes for it if possible please and Thank you.
1) What does Sartre say about Descartes? How does he relate it to probability and absolute truth? What’s his point? How do the two thinkers differ on the issue of absolute truth? What do they each say about who is the foundation of their being? And what does it have to do with Sartre’s claim that a certain sense we choose to be born?
2) On what basis does Sartre say we can judge others? What does it have to with honesty? Does this have anything in common with Plato’s account of the role of logic in ethics? If so, what? Explain.
3) Why is “invention” important to Sartre? What role does HE SAY it has in his thought?
4) Kant’s ethics said that others should be treated as ends to be respected rather that means. Why does Sartre say we cannot consider man as an end? Also, why is it that when we decide for ourselves we decide for all mankind? What is the role of others in relation to this choice if individuals are radically free? Explain.

Haha are you guys in the same class?

[A.R.Amistad]

Sartre agreed with Descartes on the idea of self existence because of the existence of a thinker. It is easy for one to imagine themselves without physical form and without really interacting in the world, but one cannot deny the role of a thinker at some point in the process. Hence Descartes' famous saying "I think therefore I am." Sartre used this as a platform to show that human beings are bound to freedom because of their thoughts.

[jay90]

Thanks but I already got that. I want to know On what basis does Sartre say we can judge others? What does it have to with honesty? Does this have anything in common with Plato’s account of the role of logic in ethics? Thanks for the help