no choice is also a choice
What are you doing now that sea levels are rising, weather patterns are becoming more extreme, and biodiversity is declining? Now that human rights are being violated on a large scale in Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan? Now that more than a hundred million people are fleeing violence and hunger? Now that the number of people suffering from depression continues to rise? Now that socioeconomic inequality is increasing? Now that the popularity of populists is at an all-time high? In the midst of all these crises, it is tempting to bury our heads in the sand. If we don't, we can barely keep our heads above water, it seems. And woe betide us if we raise our heads above the crowd. Isn't it easier to say: 'My actions don't matter in the grand scheme of things'? It's high time we presented this dilemma to Sartre.
'L'existence précède l'essence'
The core idea of the French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre is that you do not yet have an essence when you are just born. In other words, you are not made with a predefined purpose, like a chair is made to sit on. Instead, your identity is formed by the sum of your experiences and the choices you have made in life. According to Sartre, you are also not simply a product of your circumstances. This does not mean, however, that your circumstances have no influence on your life. Suppose Anna is born in Rome. Anna would have led a different life if she had been born in the Scottish highlands. However, where she is born does not fully determine who she is; for example, in both circumstances, she can choose to commit herself to a better environment.
Condemned to be free
Who or what then is responsible for our identity if it is not our established essence or environment? According to Sartre, we are ourselves. He argues that man is condemned to be free, which means that we are constantly faced with the need to make choices and bear responsibility for those choices. Even if we choose not to choose, that is a choice that reflects our freedom.
Back to Anna, our aspiring environmental activist. On one website she reads that it is good to swap her steak for a "tofu scramble" every now and then, while on another website she learns that soy production is bad for the environment. In one magazine she reads that it is good to buy used clothing, while in another magazine, she learns she should support ethically responsible brands so that they can compete with the fast fashion industry. Anna also always thought it was better to buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, until she hears on the news that it is better to buy products from countries with stricter environmental standards, even if they are on the other side of the world. Overwhelmed by the multitude of choices and the lack of clear answers, Anna decides not to choose an environmentally friendly option for now because the optimal choice is still unclear, and she comforts herself with the thought that her actions have little influence in our complex world.
领英推荐
Although the latter is certainly true and there are factors that have more influence on the environment than the actions of a single individual, Anne, according to Sartre, is making a mistake in her thinking. She tries to hide from her freedom to make choices, but even that hiding is a choice. However, it is a choice that betrays her own values.
Freedom is the impossibility of canceling oneself.
According to Sartre, you cannot escape your freedom for as long as you live. Freedom is an inherent part of our existence. We cannot ‘turn ourselves off’ or avoid our responsibility to make choices. If we try to do so, we are deceiving ourselves. Doing something is better than doing nothing, even if that ‘something’ is not optimal.
Impact: an existence in line with your values?
How does this translate to impact? Every action we take, whether small or large, affects the world around us. Choices form the basis of these actions, which means we bear the responsibility for the impact we have. This applies to individuals like Anna, but equally to organizations and governments: the extent and nature of the impact of their policies is primarily determined by the choices of the administrators.
Research from 2023 by the SDU shows that more than four out of ten companies in Europe do not have a policy on climate, sustainability, or corporate social responsibility; a quarter of those completely ignore the CSRD. For Sartre, food for thought…