Condemned to be Free

 

 

Figure 1.  Philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. 

Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_de_Beauvoir_%26_Jean-Paul_Sartre_in_Beijing_1955.jpg

Condemned to Be Free by Vicky L. Oldham, December 12, 2021

 

The idea that humans are "condemned to be free" illustrates the basis of Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist philosophy.  If Sartre's famous quote is not arresting enough, then the rest of it is even more striking: "...because once thrown into the world, he [humankind] is responsible for everything he does" (Dionysy, 2020, para. 1).  This was the view shared and built on by his lifelong companion, philosopher Simone de Beauvoir.

In her philosophical work, The Ethics of Ambiguity, Simone de Beauvoir (1947) explores the question of freedom and human potential.  When one asks "who am I," and "what will I become in the future," the result is often unresolved tension, anxiety, and fear.  Ambiguity continually assaults our sense of identity, purpose, and place in the world.  Within the dichotomy of the choice, to be or not to be, Beauvoir asks: are we individuals or members of a group?  What do we believe, and do our beliefs define us?  If we choose, do we automatically eliminate the "other" option?  Is every choice a binary one?

Beauvoir contends that acceptance of identities or beliefs created by others to provide a convenient answer to the more challenging questions of life is a form of cowardice for which the individual ultimately pays the price.  What she calls "bad faith tactics" ends up subverting true freedom.  Adhering to frameworks of the past in politics, religion, and ethics, patently accepted without introspection, fails to address the adverse effects of ambiguity, such as unresolved anxiety.  Beauvoir believed that by saying "I am this," or "I am that," the attempt to close off the "other" represents a false binary choice.  A person is not one or the other, but both, and the failure to accept this reality, the "elephant in the room," is a source of ongoing, subconscious tension.

In The Ethics of Ambiguity, Beauvoir describes three false-binary archetypes that best express Sartre's and her own philosophical stance on human freedom: the Subman, the Serious Man, and the Nihilist.

The Subman

The Subman is overwhelmed by the prospect of too many choices in life (or conversely, too few choices).  This person concludes they are unable or unwilling to exert control over their life and condemn themselves to no freedom at all.  Their avoidance of choice primes them for control by others.

The Serious Man

To remedy life's ambiguity, the Serious Man has "everything figured out."  The Serious Man decides who he is (and who he is not).  He adopts preexisting ideologies and conforms to obtain the illusion of certainty he needs, despite the nagging uncertainties of existence. The convenience of this choice makes it easy to blame "the other" for every problem and failure of society.

The Nihilist

The Nihilist concludes that certainty in life is impossible, believing that attempting to solve the question of choice and human freedom is futile.  Although they're quick to judge the Serious Man and the Subman for what they deem their delusional paths, the Nihilist's resolve, that "nothing matters," is equally paralyzing—and disorienting.

A Non-binary Solution

Beauvoir notes that the world consists of multitudes, but can the mind exist untethered to the seduction of false binary choices?  Beauvoir ultimately believed the solution to the ambiguity of existence is understanding the importance of human relationships, accepting our need for dependence and interdependence with others wholeheartedly.  According to Beauvoir, "one cannot be free without the freedom of others" (Epoch Philosophy, 2020, 09:01).  Here is, after all, a positive outcome to what seems an intractable problem, an escape from the prison to which Sartre says we are condemned.  In our human connection to others, we connect to ourselves.  We're no longer condemned to be free—but simply free to be human.

 

References

de Beauvoir, S. (1947). The ethics of ambiguity. Open Road Media. https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Ambiguity-Simone-Beauvoir-ebook/dp/B07CRS1XMF/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1639360085&sr=8-1 

Epoch Philosophy. (2020, June 8). Simone de Beauvoir and the ethics of ambiguity. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/OTdTNr1-y-c

Dionysy (2020, August 11). How to read: Sartre. Medium.com. https://medium.com/dionysy/how-to-read-sartre-972b5eecb420