Existentialism places a high regard on freedom of choice,
but along with the freedom comes responsibility for others because of our
interdependence. Existentialism doesn't mention god, yet it contains morality
since it recognizes humans’ interdependence. Garcin says, “If you raise your
hand….Estelle and I feel a tug. Alone,
none of us can save himself or herself; we’re linked together inextricably.” You
do the right thing or choose not to harm others, not because a god commands you
to, but because you are not supposed to limit others’ choices and cause them
discomfort. Since we are all connected,
a harmful action really harms everyone. Making a choice results in a domino
effect because that choice changes the circumstances of others prompting them
to make a choice.
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2 comments:
That brings up an interesting point. Perhaps that could be interpreted as an extreme reason for why other people are hell. We have true freedom essentially, but it is constrained by our responsibilities to others and our set of morals conceived for the sake of considering others, whether it considers their lives or their discomforts.
Thats a great point Laura. In regards to responsibility and morality, existentialism says that each person has the freedom to make that own decisions and choices, so are people really limited in the decisions. There is no doubt that people are interdependent, however it seems that people react in response to what others will think of them and in self judgement rather then than ideas of morality and responsibility. For example: Garcin is free to make his own choices in Hell, however he is self conscious and acts in a certain way based on what Estelle will think of him. He still has the full freedom to make any decisions he wants, however he self limits himself based on the certain outcome he desires.
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