The missed God: Sartre and the dicotomy of historical singularity

Abstract

The central axis of Sartre's philosophy is freedom, beginning, end and finality of being-in-the-world; consequently, this starts from subjectivity (intentional 'free' consciousness) which is, and could only be in a 'situation' which, in turn, limits this being. This dichotomous condition (freedom-situation) is methodologically based on phenomenology; it is about analyzing 'human conduct in the world' and, from these, revealing 'phenomenal' ways of being: in-itself, for-itself and for-other. The ontic realm is in no way separate from the structures of being that sustain it (ontological), from which it can be said that being-for-itself is being 'absolute' freedom; however, being-a-man-in-the-world contradicts this thesis, as a mere inspection of our condition easily proves that 'we are in irons'. This well explains the general malaise that the existentialist thesis provokes: it seems absurd to speak of freedom in the face of so evident mundane-concrete determinations (body, nature, class, etc.); and the thesis that 'responsibility' is also absolute sounds even more absurd. This seems to blame the oppressed for the oppression, giving rise to some sort of meritocratic thesis – nothing more false! Thus, the first task of this article will be to undo the erroneous impression that the thesis of freedom amounts to an 'overflight' philosophy; contrary to abstraction, it is the human condition 'in the world' that imposes this existential paradox: how can men and women make history and not recognize themselves in it? This leads to Sartre's intricate ontological model, which requires the constant and ghostly presence of the 'hypostatic' being-in-itself-for-itself. Subsequently, the ultimate foundation of freedom is Abgrund (without foundation), because 'I am' in the present from a project of being that is 'mine', and is always in the process of being reformulated (being-fluid); but only through this process, we can speak of 'historical becoming': being-man is being-freedom-to-be-free; history is, in turn, written by a 'missing god'.