I Don't Have a Choice, I'm Just a Notsy Soldier

The reason freedom and responsibility is so important to the french existentialists is because people are using this group iden as a justification for doing horrible things. For example, look, i'm just a notsy soldier, right? If one of the higher ups tells me to go round those kids up and put a bullet in their head, look, I'm just a soldier following orders. The exestentialists are responding to this thinking by saying, no, in both cases, you didn't need to kill those s,. And you could have been actively part of the resistance. In other words, you did have a choice, and you're responsible for what you've done.