Reading Response Guide: Jean-Paul Sartre, The Humanism of Existentialism

[selection from Existentialism: Selected Writings, 2nd ed., Eds. C. Guignon & D. Pereboom, Hackett,
2001]

INSTRUCTIONS: You must type your answers to each question, bring a hard copy to class, make a
“good faith” effort to answer every question, and participate in group discussion, in order to receive
credit for this assignment.

1. pp. 290-294: In this section, Sartre summarizes some of the basic charges that have been brought
against existentialism. He then goes on to set out several principles of existentialism.

(a) Explain two of the charges brought against existentialism.

Existentialism for one puts a shadow over people and kind of fills them up with some doubt.
People will think that a lot of things are impossible which leads to being unproductive.
Also, another problem is how it degrades and flaws out other people and casts an shadow of
doubt and disbelief.
(b) Identify and explain one of the core tenets of existentialism according to Sartre.
One of the explanations is that you should always achieve for more because we never truly
have the right answers because they always evolve and can change with more information
being acquired.

2. pp. 294-301: Sartre analyzes and explains the existentialist understanding of what might be called
the three important existential moods: Anguish, Forlornness, and Despair.

(a) pp. 294-295: What is Sartre’s understanding of Anguish and its role in defining the
existentialist view of life?
Anguish as they describe it has to do with the action of hiding emotions or blocking them out.
Living without being truthful to yourself and others.

(b) pp. 295-298: What is Sartre’s understanding of Forlornness and its role in defining the
existentialist view of life?
Forlornness is the idea of god not existing and that anything is possible without having god.
There no judge on what is right or wrong.

(c) pp. 299-301: What is Sartre’s understanding of Despair and its role in defining the
existentialist view of life?
Despair come from lacking the ability to alter a lot of your surroundings. We don’t have the
ability to change everything, only the stuff that is in our reach. It comes with not having full
control the future.