Existentialism is a humanism is a work written by one of the greatest exponents of atheist existentialism, Jean Paul Sartre. In it, existentialism is defended against criticism, especially the Christian one. Sartre establishes that there is a difference between atheist and Christian existentialism, the difference is that man is the creator of his world, he defines himself, projects himself and begins to exist for this reason atheistic existentialism is reproached because if it is suppressed the commandments of God, man can do what he wants and being unable to condemn the views and actions of others.
Faced with this situation, Sartre affirms that the atheistic existentialism that he represents is more coherent. It declares that if God does not exist, there is at least one being in which existence precedes essence, a being that exists before it can be defined by any concept, and that this being is man, or as Heidegger says, the human reality. What does it mean then that existence precedes essence? it means that man begins by existing, meets, arises in the world, and then defines himself. Man, as the existentialist conceives him, if he is not definable, it is because he begins by being nothing. It will only be later and it will be as you have decided to do. Thus, there is no human nature, because there is no god to conceive it ”(Sartre, 1946, p.2), atheistic existentialism is not so much atheism in the sense that it would exhaust itself in demonstrating that God does not exist. Rather, he declares that, even if God existed, this would not change for the atheist existentialist, it is not that he does not believe in God, but that he thinks that the problem is not that of his existence, it is necessary that man find himself and convince yourself that nothing can save you from yourself, even if it is a valid proof of the existence of this divine entity.
Sartre,
being a representative of atheist existentialism, thinks that existence must
precede essence, in other words, man must exist first and must build his
essence through acts, therefore, there is no human nature, since man does not
come with a predetermined life, man is not born a coward he only decided to act
as one, man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he has not created
himself and yet he is free, because once thrown into the world he is
responsible for everything he does ”(Sartre, 1946, p.4), and this is how once
the freedom has exploded in the heart of the human being, nobody can do
anything against that person.
The
existentialist usually declares that man is anguish. This means that man
commits himself and realizes that he is not only who he chooses to be, but also
a legislator, who chooses at the same time the whole of humanity, does not
usually escape the feeling of his total and profound responsibility.
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