Jean-Paul Sartre
France, twentieth century
He analysed freedom, facticity, and how we take up a situation.
Historical context
Being and Nothingness appeared in 1943. Its reception intersected with literature, theatre, and French debates over responsibility and political action.
Overview
Facticity encompasses circumstances we did not choose. Transcendence concerns how we project ourselves towards possibilities. Bad faith can arise when we identify entirely with a role or act as though circumstances carry no weight.
Main claims
Freedom is exercised in taking up possibilities in a concrete situation.
Debates and nuances
Bad faith can involve treating a choice as necessary or refusing to acknowledge real conditions.
This entry provides educational context.