Sartre: Bad Faith and Freedom

Existentialism and Humanism

Sartre's theory on bad faith and freedom emphasizes the relationship between these two concepts as being a paradox. The French philosopher believed that perspective is a significant element in determining whether or not a person does the right thing. As a consequence, he believed that while some people choose to take on particular attitudes, one might have a limited understanding of feelings fueling these individuals and can thus fail to observe the positive aspect of their actions.

A person is likely to act in disagreement with his or her principles in an attempt to put across socially-acceptable behaviors. While it might seem that this person is certainly not free, the reality is that he or she chose to act in this way and can thus be considered to act on account of his or her freedom to choose. Sartre's idea of bad faith is strongly related to the idea of a person having the tendency to disregard his or her principles with the purpose of improving his or her social status. Although many people know that (and when) they act in bad faith, they find it difficult and almost impossible to refrain from going through with their plans.

2. One of the easiest ways to understand an instance in which a person acts in bad faith would be to look at someone working in a company that he or she hates. For example, the respective person can be an environmentalist at heart and can work in a company that is known for seriously damaging the environment. The fact that he or she is attracted by the financial benefits coming along with working in such a company makes it especially difficult for him or her to quit his or her job. As a consequence, these people can act in bad faith in spite of the fact that they are well-acquainted with the nature of their actions.

Society has the tendency to put pressure on individuals as they struggle to be liked. This leads to people coming to put across behaviors they know to be wrong and thus makes them feel that it would only be natural for them to act in bad faith -- as this is something that one needs to do in order to be an active member of the social order.

3. In addition to relating to the idea of bad faith, Sartre also concentrated on addressing the concept of people constantly being in charge of their lives. The French philosopher virtually wanted to demonstrate that acting in bad faith and being free should not necessarily need to be considered as two distinct concepts. Furthermore, being free should not be regarded as a good thing, as people often perform acts that can harm both themselves and the rest of the world as a result of having the freedom to choose.