About 

Key Ideas

• Existence precedes essence: Humans are not born with a predetermined purpose; we create our own meaning through our choices.

• Freedom and responsibility: Sartre argued that we are “condemned to be free,” meaning we must make choices and take full responsibility for them.

• Bad faith (mauvaise foi): He criticized self-deception, where people deny their own freedom to avoid anxiety.

Major Works

• Being and Nothingness (1943): His main philosophical work on existentialism.

• Nausea (1938): A novel exploring the absurdity of existence.

• No Exit (1944): A famous play introducing the idea that “hell is other people.”

Political Engagement

Sartre was deeply involved in political activism, supporting Marxism and opposing colonialism and oppression. He refused the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964 to maintain his independence.

Legacy

Sartre’s ideas continue to influence philosophy, literature, psychology, and political thought. His emphasis on personal freedom and authenticity still resonates today.