What is Existentialism?

Have you ever wondered if you were born with a set personality, kind of like the instructions printed on the back of a toy box? Or do you invent yourself from scratch every single day? Join Mira and Finn on a time-traveling adventure to a packed, rock-star-level lecture in Paris in 1945! We are meeting a famous French philosopher named Jean-Paul Sartre who completely flipped how people think about human beings upside down. He used a simple paper knife to explain a massive, brain-bending idea called Existentialism! While a tool is designed with a specific purpose before it is made, Sartre said humans are the exact opposite. We just exist first, and we decide our purpose later through our actions! The room was so incredibly crowded with people wanting to hear this idea that listeners were fainting from the heat and the police had to be called! Discover the super-freeing secret of Existentialism: you are never finished! A bad day does not settle who you are. Tune in to find out why you are definitely not a paper knife!

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Philosophy is not boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. We have a very special shout-out to start us off today. A huge hello to five-year-old Archie from Wellington, New Zealand, who listens every single day.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Hi Archie! Thanks for hanging out with us all the way from New Zealand. I wonder if you have ever asked today's big question.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Before we dive into it, if you haven't already, tap follow wherever you're listening so you never miss an episode.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Okay, Mira, what are we thinking about today? My brain is ready.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Have you ever wondered how you actually became you? Like, are you born with a set personality? Kind of like the instructions printed on the back of a toy box? Or do you invent yourself from scratch every single day?

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Wait, like, am I the cautious one because I was just born that way, or because I keep making cautious choices over and over?

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Exactly. It's a huge puzzle. Are we like a computer that comes pre-programmed with software?

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Or are we entirely blank slates writing our own code? That's a brain bender. If I'm pre-programmed, then I guess I can't really change. But if I write the code myself, that's a lot of pressure.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Today we are asking, do you decide who you are? And to figure it out, we are travelling back in time to Paris.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

I mean, when I look at everyday things like a cup or a chair, they don't have to decide what they are. A chair is built to be sat on. It doesn't wake up and wonder if it should be a table today.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Right! When you think about an object, someone designed it to do a very specific job. A builder drew the plans, got the wood, and made a chair. But what about a human? Are you designed to be a certain way before you even get here?

SPEAKER_00 1:58

I really hope not. If there is an instruction manual for how to be Finn, I definitely lost it a long time ago.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Well, you are an excellent company. In October 1945, right after the Second World War had finally ended, people all over Europe were asking exactly these sorts of questions. They had to rebuild their whole world, and they wanted to know how to live a truly good life.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

So who helped them figure it out? Was it a politician or a king? Neither.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

It was a French philosopher named Jean-Paul Sarge. He gave a public lecture in Paris, and it was such a big deal that the room was completely packed.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Like rock star packed for a philosophy talk?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Yes. It was at a place called the Club Mantonon, and it was so incredibly crowded that people were fainting from the heat. They even had to call the police to control the massive crowds trying to get in.

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Over a philosophy lecture? That is wild. What on earth was he talking about that was so exciting?

SPEAKER_01 3:06

He was talking about a massive, life-changing idea called existentialism. And he started his whole argument by asking the packed room to picture a paper knife.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

A paper knife? Like a metal tool to slice open envelopes. That doesn't sound very philosophical at all.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Oh, just wait. He used that simple tool to flip everything people thought about humans totally upside down. So Sartre asked the crowd to think about that paper knife. Before the metal was even poured into a mould, the person making it knew exactly what it was for.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Right, they wanted a tool to open letters smoothly.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Yes, its purpose was decided before it was even made. In philosophy words, Sartre said its essence, which means its core purpose, came before its existence, which is its actual physical being in the world.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Okay, essence comes before existence for a tool. That makes total sense. A toaster's purpose is to toast bread, and that idea comes before the toaster is built. But what about us?

SPEAKER_01 4:16

That is the big turn. Sartre said for human beings, it is exactly the opposite. He famously said, existence comes before essence.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Wait, say that again? Existence comes before essence. What does that actually mean? It means we pop into the world first.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

We just exist. We don't come with a label, a pre-made purpose, or a manual. We are here first, and we only become somebody afterwards, through the actions we take and the things we do.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

But that doesn't seem totally right though. I mean, I didn't choose to be scared of heights or to be right-handed. Some things just are who we are without us picking them, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:01

That is a brilliant point, Finn. Sartre wouldn't disagree that you have certain traits or situations you didn't choose. You didn't choose where you were born or the colour of your eyes. He called those things your facticity. But he argued that those facts aren't your essence. Your essence is what you decide to do with those facts.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

So I might feel naturally scared of heights, but my essence is whether I choose to climb the ladder anyway, or if I choose to stay on the ground.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Yes, you are making yourself through your choices, one single action at a time. Nobody writes your story but you.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Honestly, Mira, sitting with that idea is actually kind of terrifying.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

How come? What feels scary about it?

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Because if nobody wrote a manual for me, and I have to invent myself every single day, then if I mess up, it's completely on me. I can't blame it on being born that way or say that's just my personality. Nobody can choose for me.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

You just hit on exactly what Sartre said. He thought this idea caused a feeling of anguish. A really heavy, frightening feeling for people. The total responsibility of choosing who you are is a massive weight to carry on your shoulders.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Yeah. It feels a bit lonely to be honest. I kind of like when grown-ups just tell me what to do, so I don't have to worry about making the wrong choice.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

It is a really hard thing to sit with, realizing you are totally in charge of becoming you. But I promise, you aren't alone in it. Everyone in the world is figuring it out right alongside you. And there's a flip side to Sartre's idea that is incredibly freeing.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Okay, I'm ready for the freeing part. What is it?

SPEAKER_01 6:57

If existence comes first, it means you are never, ever finished. Let's say you tell a lie one day, or you're selfish with your toys. Does that mean your essence is a liar or a selfish person forever?

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Well, if I'm not a paper knife with a fixed label, then no. I'm just a kid who made a selfish choice that one time.

SPEAKER_01 7:21

Exactly! A bad day does not settle who you are. Your very next choice can be generous or honest. You are not a finished product sitting on a shelf. You are a work in progress, always completely free to change direction.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Oh wow. Okay, I really love that. A bad choice doesn't trap me forever. I can just start again.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

So next time you're having an argument, or someone says something limiting like, oh, you're just the messy one, or you're not good at math, you can think of Jean-Paul Sarch.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Yeah, I can say, excuse me, I am not a paper knife. My essence is not fixed.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Exactly. They are treating you like an object that has already been decided and built. But you are a human being, which means you always have the freedom to make a completely different choice today. And by the way, this applies to the grown-ups listening too.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Wait, adults don't have their essence figured out either.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Nope. A lot of grown-ups feel stuck in their jobs or the labels people give them. But Sarch would say they are just as free to change their story as you are. We are all inventing ourselves, every single morning.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

That actually makes me feel so much better when I'm having a rough week. I can just wake up the next day and choose to be patient instead of grumpy.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Yes, and you aren't the only one fascinated by this. Existentialism became a massive craze in Paris. People would sit in cafes for hours and hours, arguing passionately about whether we are truly free or if destiny is real. It was like a pop culture explosion of philosophy.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

That's a lot of strong coffee and a lot of loud talking. People have debated this for over 2,000 years.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Science can show us how our brains form habits, but whether we invent ourselves entirely, that's an existential question. We can't put it under a microscope. It's something every person has to wonder about for themselves. Alright, Finn, it is quiz time. Let's see what you remember from today's brain-bending episode.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Okay, my brain is warmed up and ready. Give me the questions.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

First question. Next one. What object did Sartre use as an example of something whose purpose is decided before it is made? Question three. What big words starting with E is the name of Sartre's philosophy? Here's number four. According to Sartre, for humans, what comes first? Existence or essence? Last question. True or false? In this philosophy, a bad choice means you are permanently a bad person. Great job! Let's go through the answers and see how you did. The first answer is he gave his crowded lecture in Paris. For question two, he used the example of a paper knife. Number three, the philosophy is called existentialism. Question four. Existence comes first, then we choose our essence. And the final answer is false. You are never finished, and a bad day definitely does not settle who you are.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

We covered a lot today, Mira. I think I'm going to remember that I'm not a paper knife for a really long time. I might even talk about it at dinner tonight.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

I love that idea. It is a big responsibility to decide who you are, but I think it's beautiful that we are all, always, a work in progress.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

If you liked thinking about this with us, please leave us a five-star review.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Yes, just scroll down on your app and tap the stars. Tell us if you're excited to choose your own essence. It really helps other kids find the show.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

And make sure you tap follow on this podcast so you don't miss any new ones. Oh, and we have sister shows too. History and science is not boring, and maths is not boring. Go give those a listen and a follow as well. Want your name on the show, or just want to say hi? Send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com. See you next time on Philosophy is not boring. Bye everyone.