Past Present Future The Lives of the Philosophers: Jean-Paul Sartre
Kate Kirkpatrick, philosopher and biographer of Simone de Beauvoir, explores Jean-Paul Sartre’s troubled journey from outsider childhood to existentialist icon. They examine his wartime experiences, relationship with Beauvoir, ideas about freedom and social judgment, political commitments, moral compromises, and the reasons his reputation has faded since his death.
54:57
Sartre’s Childhood Became A Literary Reconstruction
- Sartre’s father died soon after his birth, leaving his mother exhausted and his maternal grandfather central to his upbringing.
- Sartre later reconstructed this childhood in Les Mots, making biography inseparable from literary self-interpretation.
Sartre Turned Outsiderhood Into Freedom
- Sartre’s physical difference and childhood loneliness shaped recurring concerns with embodiment, social judgment, and self-creation.
- His formulation reverses determinism: people become what they make of what others make of them.
Sartre Joined Literature To Universal Questions
- Sartre moved between literature and philosophy, seeking to connect singular experiences with universal human questions.
- Bergson, teachers, and fellow students helped him see thinking and living as mutually connected activities.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right 6 chevron_right 7 chevron_right 8 chevron_right 9 chevron_right 10 chevron_right 11 chevron_right 12 chevron_right 13 chevron_right 14 chevron_right 15 chevron_right 16 chevron_right 17 chevron_right 18 chevron_right
Intro
00:00 • 2min
Biography and Existentialist Philosophy
01:46 • 3min
Sartre's Childhood and Self-Creation
04:38 • 4min
Embodiment and Outsider Identity
08:52 • 3min
From Literature Toward Philosophy
11:58 • 3min
Beauvoir as Intellectual Partner
14:59 • 4min
Sartre's Emergence as an Existentialist
18:50 • 4min
War, Freedom, and Collective Experience
23:04 • 4min
Ad break
27:08 • 59sec
Occupation and Responsibility
28:06 • 2min
Hell, Other People, and Objectifying Gazes
29:51 • 2min
Existential Freedom and Marxism
32:03 • 2min
The Intellectual's Political Responsibility
34:20 • 6min
Political Commitments and Moral Compromise
40:07 • 5min
Freedom, Fame, and Exploitation
44:51 • 2min
Sartre's Death and Declining Reputation
46:54 • 4min
Philosophy Versus Literary Legacy
50:33 • 2min
Outro
52:12 • 3min
#40304
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Les Mots
Kim Mine
Jean-Paul Sartre
Les Mots est une autobiographie publiée en 1964 chez Gallimard, divisée en deux parties 'Lire' et 'Écrire'.
Sartre y raconte son enfance entouré de livres dans la bibliothèque de son grand-père, son immersion dans un monde imaginaire sous l'influence de sa mère et de sa famille, sa prise de conscience de sa laideur, de sa contingence et de la peur de la mort, ainsi que le développement de sa vocation littéraire.
Le récit explore comment l'enfant 'Poulou' est devenu écrivain, mêlant ironie, lucidité et réflexion sur l'illusion des mots face à la réalité.
#89441
The Years
Alison L. Strayer
Annie Ernaux
Originally published in French as *Les Années* in 2008, *The Years* traces Annie Ernaux’s life and the changing world around her from the 1940s to 2006.
The book combines autobiography with social history, using memories, photographs, advertisements, songs, and news to create a portrait of an era as well as a life.
#9731
• Mentioned in 7 episodes
Critique of Dialectical Reason
Jean-Paul Sartre
Quintin Hoare
Fredric Jameson
Jean-Paul Sartre's Critique of Dialectical Reason is a complex and ambitious work that attempts to develop a Marxist philosophy informed by his existentialist insights.
The book delves into the nature of human relationships, social structures, and the dialectical process of historical change.
Sartre explores the concept of praxis, the unity of theory and practice, and the role of individuals in shaping social reality.
He analyzes the dynamics of groups and the ways in which individuals are both shaped by and shape social forces.
Critique of Dialectical Reason is a challenging but rewarding read for those interested in Sartre's mature philosophical and political thought.
#996
• Mentioned in 49 episodes
The stranger
Albert Camus
Published in 1942, 'The Stranger' tells the story of Meursault, a Frenchman living in Algiers, who is characterized by his emotional detachment and apathy.
The novel begins with Meursault's indifferent reaction to his mother's death and follows his journey through a series of events, including a senseless murder, which leads to his trial and sentencing.
Camus uses Meursault's story to illustrate his philosophy of the absurd, highlighting the lack of inherent meaning in life and the importance of accepting and living with this reality.
The novel also explores the tensions between French colonialists and native Algerians, reflecting Camus's own experiences and critiques of colonialism.
#2492
• Mentioned in 24 episodes
The rebel
Albert Camus
In 'The Rebel', Albert Camus delves into the nature of rebellion and revolution, exploring their motivations, historical developments, and philosophical implications.
The book discusses how rebellion stems from a human rejection of normative justice and the absurdity of the world.
Camus distinguishes between true and false freedom, critiques various historical and intellectual figures such as the Marquis de Sade and Friedrich Nietzsche, and analyzes the French Revolution and other revolutionary movements.
He argues that while rebellion gives life its value and is a constant confrontation between man and his own obscurity, it often leads to totalitarianism and oppression if not tempered by moral and metaphysical limitations.
The book emphasizes the importance of maintaining individual freedom and solidarity in the face of rebellion and revolution.
#1471
• Mentioned in 36 episodes
Being and Nothingness
Jean-Paul Sartre
In 'Being and Nothingness,' Jean-Paul Sartre delves into the fundamental categories of being and nothingness.
He distinguishes between 'being-in-itself' (objects that simply exist and are unaware of themselves) and 'being-for-itself' (human consciousness, which is self-aware and free).
Sartre argues that human beings are characterized by their freedom and responsibility, and that they must create their own being through their actions in the world.
The book also introduces the concept of 'being-for-others,' highlighting the impact of others on our self-perception.
Sartre rejects traditional notions of a transcendent reality and instead emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility and authenticity in human existence.
#7422
• Mentioned in 9 episodes
Time and free will
Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson's "Time and Free Will" is a philosophical work exploring the nature of time, consciousness, and free will.
Bergson challenges the mechanistic view of time prevalent in his era, arguing for a more intuitive and dynamic understanding of duration.
He contrasts this with the spatialized, measurable time of science.
The book delves into the relationship between consciousness and action, arguing that free will is not an illusion but a fundamental aspect of human experience.
Bergson's ideas have had a significant impact on philosophy, psychology, and literature, influencing various schools of thought, including existentialism and phenomenology.
His work continues to be relevant in contemporary discussions about consciousness and the nature of time.
#5942
• Mentioned in 11 episodes
No exit
Jean-Paul Sartre
The play centers around three deceased characters, Joseph Garcin, Inèz Serrano, and Estelle Rigault, who are brought to the same room in hell by a mysterious valet.
Initially expecting medieval torture devices, they find themselves in a plain Second Empire-style room.
As they interact, they reveal their past crimes and the reasons for their damnation.
Garcin cheated on and mistreated his wife, Inèz seduced her cousin's wife leading to tragic consequences, and Estelle had an affair and killed her illegitimate child.
Despite their attempts to avoid each other, they continue to torment one another, illustrating Sartre's concept that 'hell is other people'.
The play explores themes of existentialism, the nature of hell, and the perpetual ontological struggle of being seen as an object by another consciousness.
#4496
• Mentioned in 14 episodes
Nausea
Jean-Paul Sartre
Published in 1938, 'Nausea' is Jean-Paul Sartre's first novel and a seminal work in existentialist literature.
The story follows Antoine Roquentin, a solitary historian living in the fictional town of Bouville, as he experiences intense feelings of nausea and existential crisis.
Through Roquentin's diary entries, Sartre delves into themes such as the contingency of existence, the distinction between 'being-in-itself' and 'being-for-itself,' and the idea that 'existence precedes essence.
' Roquentin's struggles with his research on the Marquis de Rollebon and his interactions with people around him highlight the absurdity and randomness of the world, leading him to confront the bare existence of things and the meaninglessness of human existence.
The novel is a profound exploration of existential angst, freedom, and responsibility.
In today’s episode exploring how twentieth-century philosophy and biography intersect David talks to philosopher and biographer Kate Kirkpatrick about Jean-Paul Sartre, a thinker whose life has been as closely scrutinised as his ideas. What made Sartre an existentialist? How was he shaped by his wartime experiences? Was he, as his critics claimed, a useful idiot for fashionable causes? Why has his reputation suffered since his death and where does it stand now?
Out tomorrow on PPF+: a bonus episode to accompany this series in which David talks to Kate Kirkpatrick about the life and thought of Simone de Beauvoir, existentialist, feminist, memoirist and controversialist. What made Beauvoir the person she became? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus
Kate Kirkpatrick is the author of Becoming Beauvoir: A Life https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/becoming-beauvoir-9781350047174/
You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus upcoming events and full lists of all episodes including PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com
Next time: Now & Then with Robert Saunders – Gladstone vs Disraeli
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices