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Sartre's inauthentic critics: an investigation into Sartre's theory of freedom and responsibility

Crampton, E.A.; (2011) Sartre's inauthentic critics: an investigation into Sartre's theory of freedom and responsibility. Masters thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

In this paper I will explore the theory of freedom and responsibility put forward in Sartre’s Being and Nothingness, and defend it against a certain form of criticism. Much criticism directed against Sartre’s theory by Anglophone philosophers involves a failure to engage with Sartre’s ontology and an attempt to assess his theory from what Sartre would understand to be a bad faith perspective. I will aim to highlight the shift in perspective required to engage with and understand Sartre’s philosophy and the illegitimacy of basing criticisms on a bad faith or common sense understanding of human reality and the world. Whilst I will only discuss in detail one ‘inauthentic’ critic, an aim of my paper is to make others more recognisable as such. On Sartre’s view persons are free, unified, totally responsible beings without excuse. Throughout the paper I aim to clarify what such a view of persons amounts to and to explore the implications of such a view. I will contrast Sartre’s view throughout with the ‘common sense view’ on which persons are moved to action by desires and other reasons, are both active and passive and are immersed in the world of cause and effect. I hope in the course of the paper to show over the course of the paper that certain aspects of Sartre’s view of human reality are both attractive and valuable.

Type: Thesis (Masters)
Title: Sartre's inauthentic critics: an investigation into Sartre's theory of freedom and responsibility
Language: English
UCL classification: UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Dept of Philosophy
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1336533
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