The production of a human must transpire before the experiences that make the human. As previously stated, this is what Sartre expresses when he says, “existence precedes essence” (Sartre 318). The penknife vs. human analogy further explains this statement. The idea is that a penknife has a calculated essence and there are specific measures for something to be classified as a penknife. However, existentialists believe otherwise, for human beings who do not have a calculated essence. We are ultimately responsible for who we are, and everyone else. The concept we are given is that we are, not what we are. Since we are not a pre-determined species, Sartre assumes the lack of existence of God or common “human nature” (Rau 538). This represents human reality. In “Existentialism Is a Humanism”, Sartre states that “nothing will
The production of a human must transpire before the experiences that make the human. As previously stated, this is what Sartre expresses when he says, “existence precedes essence” (Sartre 318). The penknife vs. human analogy further explains this statement. The idea is that a penknife has a calculated essence and there are specific measures for something to be classified as a penknife. However, existentialists believe otherwise, for human beings who do not have a calculated essence. We are ultimately responsible for who we are, and everyone else. The concept we are given is that we are, not what we are. Since we are not a pre-determined species, Sartre assumes the lack of existence of God or common “human nature” (Rau 538). This represents human reality. In “Existentialism Is a Humanism”, Sartre states that “nothing will