Masters Theses

Barry F. Ball

Date of Award

12-1982

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Philosophy

Major Professor

Richard E. Aquila

Committee Members

H. Phillips Hamlin

Abstract

In his ontology Sartre finds human beings to be characterized by an awesome degree of freedom. Man is able to choose among alternatives satisfying a given goal; able even to choose among the goals which may satisfy and to choose that individual human nature which is to be satisfied. Consequently there is no limitation placed upon man's freedom, and those who argue for psychological determination are simply attempting to escape responsibility for their choices.

Frequently the freedom of man includes choices that involve moral or ethical concerns. It is in avoidance of the weight of the moral concerns that Sartre claims man seeks an escape from his freedom. There is a sense, however, in which man is his freedom, thus to seek escape from freedom is to seek escape from self. But this escape is doomed to failure. One form this escape from freedom takes is bad faith. In bad faith one hides a truth from oneself. Another form of escape is reflection. In reflection I seek an "objective" view of my situation, as opposed to the "subjective" view garnered through the experience of the ego-centered self. The third form of escape for Sartre is being-for-others. In being-for-others I seek a flight from myself in under taking to perceive myself as someone else does.

The concept of freedom and the things which are impediments to it constitute the psychology of persons for Sartre.

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