The Search-Freedom to Choose and to Act

The search for authentic meaning in life is dependent upon the individual’s freedom to choose and to act and to do so responsibly.  While this sounds simple, it is not. 

Sartre and Heidegger had very different theories of the degree of freedom individuals have to choose and to act Sartre argued that individuals have great freedom while Heidegger thought individuals are significantly constrained by their culture.  Sartre claimed that existence preceded “essence” while most philosophers state the reverse is true.  Most philosophers theorize that one is born with an “essence” i.e., a fundamental set of properties that define the nature of the individual.  Sartre believed that you create your own essence through the choices you make and the consequent actions you take. He held since “being” has no preordained meaning existence is a stage on which the individual is totally free to create meaning.  Sartre believed that if the individual does not acknowledge and exercise this responsibility she / he lives in “bad faith.”

Most people will believe and insist that their choices are free even though they do not accept the facts of existence.  Many people have the need for a compliant attachment to an authoritarian figure or ideology and thus they have only an illusion of freedom.  This subject will be discussed in the next blog post.

The Rule-of-Thumb should be to assume Sartre’s theory is correct so your search will be motivated by optimism.  By boldly claiming great freedom of action you are likely to realize more even if you occasionally miss the mark.