WHY

EXISTENTIALISMISAHUMANISM
?

Why
ExistentialismisaHumanism
?
VictoriaCruz,AlexP.Mendez,RichardAllende,CristanGutierrez,SolomonVega
PlanetHalcyon
Inhispubliclecture,
ExistentialismisaHumanism
,deliveredin1945,JeanPaulSartre
startedoffonadefensivefoot.Hestatedthatothershavecondemnedusforemphasizingwhat
isdespicableabouthumanity...ignoringthebeautyandthebrightersideofhumannature.
(Sartre,2007,p.17).Hestatedadamantlythatexistentialistshaveonethingincommon:the
beliefthatforhumanbeings,existencecomesbeforeessence(Sartre,2007,p.26).Hestressed
thatincontrasttoadesignedandmanufacturedobject,suchasapaperknife,humanbeingsdo
nothaveapredeterminedpurposeornature.Sartreexplainsthatwecannotsupposethataman
wouldproduceapaperknifewithoutknowingwhatpurposeitwouldserve(Sartre,2007,p.
21).Humans,asSartreexplains,donothavethatpredeterminedessencethewayapaperknife
doesthereisn'tanythingthatweoughttobe.Hesaweverythingasachoicethatmanmust
make,notonlyforhimselfbutformankind.Thehumanpredicamentisthatwe'reforcedto
choosewhatwewillbecome.Wedefineourselvesbyourchoiceofactionorlackofaction
humanbeingshavenoessencetobeginwith.

ExistentialismisaHumanism
isHalcyonsfoundationaltextbecauseitshinesalighton
humanresponsibility,somethingthatisoftencastaside.Ifeverybodywasawareofhowbigtheir
responsibilityis,theworldwouldbeamuchbetterplace.Peoplewouldthinkcarefully.They
wouldthinknotonlyforthemselvesbutforallofman.Itcertainlymakesmankindnervous,
uneasy,tobesoawareoftheconsequencesoftheirchoices,butoncetheybecomeawareofthe

WHY
EXISTENTIALISMISAHUMANISM
?

enormityoftheirchoices,theywouldunderstandthatinchoosingforyourself,youchoosefor
mankind:freedomisa
shared
act.
Because[man]canneverexplain[his]actionsbyreferencetoagivenimmutable
nature...(Sartre,2007,p.29)thereisnohumannature:manconceiveshimself.Inournewly
createdsociety,shiftingtheblametohumannaturewillnotsuffice.ThepeopleofHalcyonwill
havetorealizethattheyareresponsibleforeverythingtheydo.Thisisacriticalelementofthe
Halcyonicculture:takingresponsibility.
Wedecidedon
ExistentialismisaHumanism
becausewewantacommunityof
individualswhohavetheirpotential,theentirefutureofhumanity,intheirlimitlesslycapable
hands.Itsanunbearablefreedom,butagloriousoneatthat.

WHY
EXISTENTIALISMISAHUMANISM
?

Maniscondemnedtobefree
Itisquitealiberatingthingknowingthatyouexistbeforeyoureallyare.Whatthat
statementimpliesforhumanlifeisthatyoucando
anything
youwish.Itplacesanimportanceon
choice,andchoiceshaveconsequences.Youdonothavetheoptionofchoosingwhetheryouare
freeornotfreedomisinevitable.Halcyonwantstowakeuppeoplefromtheirlifelongdreamof
selfdeception.Showpeopletheenormityoftheirchoices,andmostimportantly,informthemof
theirfreedom.Sure,thewordfreedomhas,overtime,becomequitestale.Itisusedfreely,easily,
andoften.Sartreremindsusthatfreedom,ironicallyenough,doesnotcomefreely.Itcomes
attachedwithresponsibilitythatshouldnotbeignored,acondemnation..However,Halcyondoes
notwantitscitizenstoseethisinanimposingorpessimisticway.Yes,youhaveahugesocial
responsibilitytomakedecisionsformankind,butfreedomandindividualityreallyareanetgain:
youcanmakealiving,beautifulplaneofcreation.Thisiswhatfreedommeansinexistentialism.

WHY
EXISTENTIALISMISAHUMANISM
?

References
Sartre,J.P.(2007)
Existentialismisahumanism.
(C.Macomber,Trans.).NewHaven&
London:YaleUniversity.(Originalworkpublished1947).