Existentialism is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme) is a 1946 philosophical work by Jean-Paul Sartre. It is seen by many as one of the defining texts in the Existentialist movement.
In his text, Sartre says that the key defining point of Existentialism is that the existence of a person comes before his or her essence. In simple terms, this means that, although that person exists, there is nothing to dictate that person's character, goals in life, and so on. Only the person themselves can define their essence:
Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world - and defines himself afterwards.
Thus, Sartre rejects what he calls "deterministic excuses" and claims that all people must take responsibility for their behaviour. Sartre defines anguish as the emotion that people feel once they come to realize that they are responsible for not just themselves, but also for all humanity. Anguish leads people to realize that their actions guide humanity and allows people to make judgments towards others based on their attitude towards freedom. Anguish is also associated with Sartre's version of despair which he defines as optimistic reliance on the set of possibilities that make action possible. The being-for-itself uses despair to embrace its freedom and take meaningful action in full acceptance of whatever consequences may arise as a result. He also describes abandonment as the loneliness that atheists feel when they realize that there is no God to prescribe a particular way of life, no guidance for people for how to live; we are abandoned in the sense of being alone in the universe and the deciders of our own essence. This is associated with despair and angst.
The essay has been criticized by some for giving only a superficial overview of the themes of existentialism. The essay also asserts that if a man seeks freedom for himself from false, external authorities, he at the same time must invariably will this freedom unto others (hence, existentialism offers a kind of humanism).
"Existentialism is a Humanism" was also the title of a lecture he gave to a packed audience at Club Maintenant in Paris, on October 29, 1945. The book is based on the lecture.
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