Jean-Paul Sartre

1905 — 1980 • Contemporary

Sartre was the leading figure of French existentialism. His declaration that "existence precedes essence" means that humans have no predetermined nature — we are condemned to be free and must create ourselves through our choices.

His philosophical works, novels, and plays explore themes of freedom, responsibility, bad faith, and the gaze of the Other. He declined the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964.

Key Ideas

Existence Precedes Essence Radical Freedom Bad Faith The Other Engagement

Influenced By

Heidegger Husserl Hegel Kierkegaard

Influenced

Beauvoir Fanon Postcolonial Thought Continental Philosophy

Notable Quotes

"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."
— Being and Nothingness, 1943

"Hell is other people."
— No Exit, 1944

"Existence precedes essence."
— Existentialism is a Humanism, 1946

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