The Philosophy Of Personal Freedom (Based On Views Of Jean-Paul Sartre)

Freedom is defined in three ways: first, it’s the power, right to act, to speak, or to think. Second, the state of being not imprisoned or slaved. Third, it’s the unrestricted use of something. What is freedom for Sartre? Sartre’s philosophy, freedom defines as ‘to be seen with man’s finding himself’. That means that freedom is no other than man’s power to be what he wants to be. Freedom for Sartre is freedom of synthesis which entails that when a man is making a choice he is not making a choice just for himself rather he is making a choice for other people also.

What makes a man enjoy his freedom? That he is not living it as something chaotic and anarchic? According to Sartre, ‘Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is reliable for everything he does. It is up to you to give [life] a meaning’. Sartre believes that man is free to choose whatever he makes, but he must be responsible for the outcome. Truly we are free, we can enjoy the freedom that is given to us but we should be more responsive to all the things we’ll do and we’ve done because no we are responsible as to what happens to us. We cannot blame others if we are not responsible enough for making a choice. I was once restricted on my freedom of choice in taking my dream course but thinking about Sartre’s philosophy saying that ‘freedom is a synthesis which entails that when a man makes a choice, he is not only making a choice for himself but for all the mankind’, it’s not always about yourself but also the people that surround you because abuse of freedom could lead us to chaos and harm.

Freedom for Sartre is not the freedom of doing anything. He says ‘you are free’ because you still have a choice, ‘so choose’ Man is free when his consciousness realizes that something is missing when he makes a point of himself, and when he commits. Every move has become a commitment, Sartre argues. Man has thus claimed his freedom. He should not try to say that people are under illusory liberty in peacetime. Sartre’s philosophy makes me realize that every man has freedom, and no man can escape from it. We should have our freedom to choose what we want to be but making a choice should always be not for ourselves but also others. After knowing the philosophy of Sartre it makes me think that sometimes we should not be more focused on yourself rather think of people around you, what will be the benefit, advantage, and disadvantage of choosing for yourself to have that freedom you wished for.

Therefore, Sartre’s definition of freedom, each choice we make defines us while at the same time revealing to us what we think a human being should be. And this incredible burden of responsibility that the free man has to go to bear is what relegates him to constant anguish. Truly we are free, we have freedom on what we want to be such as being a lawyer, doctor, teacher, and any profession we want but we must be responsible in every action we take.