Let’s Ponder.

1. What is the basic question that the author is concerned about?

The author is concerned about the being of man. He also questions the freedom that a man
has in life.
2. What is the meaning of human subjectivity?
Human subjectivity is a freedom of the human person. This means that your perspective of
things in life is your freedom. Human subjectivity also means that we have our own
subjective view on things. Those views determine the self that we are. If you can decide for
yourself, act by yourself or even just be yourself that is subjectivity.
3. How and why is the person a free being?
A person is a free being if he overcomes his thrownness, becomes conscious of death and
lives an authentic life. Meaning he overcomes how his society wants or imposed to do and
understands that there is an end in his existence which is why he should live an authentic
life. An authentic life means that he decides for himself and lives for himself. Only in that
way the person is free.
4. What is the meaning of facticity?
Facticity means that man is up to a point fixed. It is a thing that already informs and has
taken up existence even though it is not noticed by most or even if it is ignored. It is not
something that we directly come across of.

5. What is the basic sense of human life as a project?

A man’s being is a being that is able to exist in the world with potential. As said in the text,
the project which man is, is equiprimordially the project of his world. This means that
human life does not exist by itself alone. We co-exist with things in the world around us.

Let’s Evaluate.
1. Is there a limit to human freedom? Why?
In my point of view, human freedom is not limited. Because as long as you are able to have
your own decisions or act as yourself, there is no limit. Also, I believe that human freedom is
limited only if you think that it is. Laws, beliefs, and the society’s self-imposed regulations
limits your freedom if you allow it to. Meaning that you still have the power to decide
whether those things will affect your freedom as a being.
2. How does meaning give direction to human life?
Meaning is what drives humans to go forward. For others, it might be a motivation to
continue in living. It gives us a path to follow in our lives. People aim for things in life
because they believe that it is the “meaning” or the purpose of their life.
3. Why is man a history-making being?
Man is a history-making being because of the contribution they have in the overall existence
of mankind. You are a product of history. There are turning points in the history of
humankind, not just the humankind as a whole but you as an individual may have turning
points. These turning points changed the course of your life which why man makes history.