Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question. If on the other hand, existence precedes essence, and if we grant that we exist and fashion our image at one and the same time, the image is valid for everybody and for our whole age. ("Existentialism," p. 1168) In the excerpt above, what is the best explanation for the phrase "existence precedes essence?" That human nature determines what is morally right or wrong. That life is the only intrinsic value. That an individual has no human nature prior to his or her existence. That an individual has a definite purpose that exists prior to the actually existing individual.

Answer 1

That an individual has no human nature prior to his or her existence. This is the best explanation for the phrase "existence precedes essence".

There is not a biological or natural characteristic that makes us human . We become human when we live throught history and culture. We exist in time , which means that we construct our life or existence as we live through time. This will construct our historical existence. On the other hand, essence refers to our biological condition; to our being. This does not reflect any history or culture. Therefore, our experience makes our essence; our bodies and our brains will be shaped and conditioned by our experience in time; by the historical and cultural factors of our time.

Answer 2

The best explanation for the phrase "existence precedes essence" is that an individual has no human nature prior to his or her existence.

Jean-Paul Sartre explained it himself in Existentialism and Human Emotions, when he said: "What is meant...by saying that existence precedes essence? It means that, first of all, man exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and only afterwards defines himself... [A]t first he is nothing. Only afterward will he be something, and he himself will have made what he will be."