No Exit

Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre (1943).

This is a work of phenomenology, or the philosophical study of how humans experience the world. Sartre explores the anxiety surrounding the objective self. He also argues that people have freedom to act and are not encumbered by meaning from God, authority, or the universe. Rather, our actions emanate into the world, forming it. We derive meaning from how we act, rather than being born into a world with inherent purpose.

“Existentialism Is a Humanism” by Jean-Paul Sartre (1945)

In this lecture, Sartre also argues that we are a result of our behavior, not our thoughts. He defends existentialism from critics who claim it evokes despair. Rather, existentialism shows our ability to act.

“The Look” by Existential Comics

This quickly summarizes Sartre’s concept of the Look using humor in comic strip form. A blurb below the comment contains quotations from Being and Nothingness, explaining its concepts.