Being And Nothingness: An Essay On Phenomenolog... -

This is the heart of existentialism. For a manufactured object like a letter opener, the "essence" (its purpose) comes before its "existence" (the physical object). But for humans, we just exist first. There is no pre-written script or divine plan for who we are; we must create our own essence through every choice we make. 3. Radical Freedom and Anguish

: This is human consciousness. Unlike a rock, you are not a "thing." You are a "nothingness"—a void or a "hole" in being—that is constantly projecting itself toward the future. 2. Existence Precedes Essence Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenolog...

Existentialism 101: Understanding Sartre’s "Being and Nothingness" This is the heart of existentialism

Sartre distinguishes between two ways of existing in the world: There is no pre-written script or divine plan

: This refers to objects—like a rock or a chair. They are what they are; they have a fixed essence, no consciousness, and no ability to change their nature.