Existentialism Is a Humanism, Jean Paul Sarte, 1946

The speech, Existentialism is a humanism, was written and then given as a defense of existentialism to those who criticized many of its tenants. Jean Paul Sarte asserts many things about existentialism, however, the most important thing that he claims of existentialism is the concept of existence preceding essence. This, as Sarte defines it, means that we are born into the world without definition, and must find it for ourselves through our actions. What you do defines who you are. Not only does Sarte assert that all men are responsible for themselves as individuals, but he also says that in defining ourselves, we define all of mankind; we then also have a large responsibility to define ourselves how we would define mankind. Sarte essentially believed that people dictated everything about themselves, and that if they wanted to change something about themselves or their situation, they just had to take action. This attitude towards the defining of one’s self is very consistent with postmodernism in that it is solely based on subjectivity and relativity.

As the outlook on society started changing after the wars, people started to use subjectivity to define themselves. Otto Dix, who reflected upon the attrocities of war, preceded Jean Paul Sarte in turning away from the ideals that led to such turmoil. As objectivity started to fall away, subjectivity started to set in. People started to become much more concerned with what they specifically believed in, as opposed to what society collectively believed in. The rise of the righteous individual among the blackened society appealed to many people.