Analysis Of Sartre's Philosophy Of Freedom

Sartre is well known for his work in developing existential thought. The question being addressed in this paper is one that asks what Sartre meant by a “monstrous freedom.” In other words, in terms of existentialism, what did this idea of freedom have to do with the way in which human behavior is explained? In order to understand Sartre’s idea of existentialism, then this question of monstrous freedom must be addressed. One author wrote, “there is an infinite gap between the past and the present. Regardless of what has come before, there is always the possibility of change. Monstrous freedom is a double edged sword. We exist, and are responsible. This is both liberating and terrifying” (Radke, 2014). To know that we are responsible for our own existence is surely terrifying. As one author wrote, “Bad faith, responsibility, anguish, these and other ethical notions play a central role in Sartre’s philosophy of freedom” (Bailey). When Sartre spoke of monstrous freedom, he was identifying the freedom that allows people to create their own identity. This is not only a wonderful freedom to have, but it is also one that can lead us to despair and anguish. Sartre believed that man is absolutely and totally free, and that with this freedom comes an …show more content…
The choices someone makes have an explicit bearing on who that person becomes. In order to create ourselves, we have to make direct decisions on that path. We cannot blame anything that happens to us on anything other than the decisions we make. Nothing out there can cause us problems unless we choose to let that happen. In one article I read it stated that “Something becomes an obstacle only if I decide upon a course of action that would make it so. Therefore it is my decision that constitutes the obstacle” (Plantinga). Therefore, anything that gets in our way is only something that we have chosen to