Jean Paul Sartre really had a pretty interesting opinion
about choice. It seemed as though Sartre considered choice to be a curse and that
it would be easier to have everything already determined for us. The problem he
sees with choice is what the decision process does to us. I agree that trying
to make a choice can be straining especially when there is a chance of a
negative outcome. However, I disagree with Sartre’s perception of choice. I do not
think it is a curse, at times it can be an inconvenience, but none the less it
is still a great form of expression. If we didn’t have choice and living in a
predetermined world would we even be studying this subject? I mean what is the
point we already understand that things are the way they are why would someone feel
determined to challenge it. Because in a predetermined world isn’t why speak of
choice if a person cannot possibly follow in that principle.
I think determinism is like slavery; not being able to
choose what we do is an invasion of our free will. I admit that at times choice
can be a burden, and in this event I would think that a limited choice would be
the best life style. As I’ve said before determinism is like slavery, choice is
an expression of free will but comes with risks, but what does that say of
limited choice. Bringing up the steak and burger theory, wouldn’t it be great
to be given options. What’s easier a multiple choice test were you choose
between four answers, or a test where you are given a long list of answers that
you have to match to the questions. Keep
in mind that the matching test has fewer questions than answers. I personally
think that the multiple choice test is easier. I would rather have a limited
selection choice because then I have a higher chance of making the right
decision. I don’t think choice is bad I think the affects of choice can be bad.
But if we are able to eliminate some of the poor choices right away then we are
more likely to make the right decision which in turn makes us happy.
I think that something has value because we choose it, not
because it already has value. I feel this way because the fact that I at one
point in my decision process decided that I wanted something, so I acted on it.
The fact that it was my choice makes me appreciate it more. On the other hand
something that already has a value can be good too, but where did that get its
value from. Comparing it to a top ten list of super models how did they achieve
their value? People must have decided that the models are prettier than other
girls and someone must have chosen the number one model over the number two
model for a certain reason. But it was the person who chose the number one
model over the number to model that gave the top model the most value.
I feel that someone or something is given value based on the
consensus of the herd. It was the herd’s choice that made something valuable.
While discussing A Sketch of a Phenomenological Theory, Thad
gave us all a little scare. But that scare did help me better understand the
discussion by having me experience the feeling. Magic seems to me to be a form
of an excuse or reasoning. When something doesn’t go our way we react to it in
a way that makes us feel better. When something doesn’t go as planned it sparks
an emotion that at the moment we don’t necessarily know what we can do to
balance our emotions but we start thinking of ways to achieve the balance. It
was brought up that magic sort of brings us down. Because when something doesn’t
go our way we make up a reason why it didn’t or why it wasn’t even worth it. I
agree that it could be bad but I personally feel that I only fully rely on
magic for petty stuff. What I mean by petty stuff is things like a party; I didn’t
get invited to the party so I tell myself the party probably isn’t going to be
that great. Another example is a homework assignment, the due date was moved up
for a project, so I tell myself that the teacher only moved it up because they didn’t
want to grade papers over the weekend. An example of when I don’t fully rely on
magic takes place back in high school when I was on the wrestling team. I went
up against a guy that was ranked number one and state and made of solid muscle.
I ended up losing to this guy and I used magic to say that it was an unfair
matchup, that match didn’t matter because it was still early in my career, and
other things to comfort me. But that magic lasted only briefly I didn’t let
that become the end all be all of my season. I decided to learn from that match
and make myself better. I guess what I am trying to say is that we don’t have
to let magic be the answer to all of our negative outcomes, we have a choice to
make ourselves better so that next time the outcome will be more favorable.
I really like how you first started out stating what Sartre’s opinion on choice was and then precede to cut him down, I agree with your opinion anyway. In my opinion having choices is far from a curse, yea it might be hard to choose but that’s just life. We all make choices everyday, and every choice that we make affect our future in some way. I think that the only people who view choices as curses are people who are not strong enough to deal with the outcomes of their choices. That may sound mean…. Well that’s because it is, but I think you can kind of agree. I personally would rather have a test that was harder, and it’s not because I’m crazy but because I value my choices. In my lifetime I have made choices that carried the lives of my loved ones as well as my own (I was born in a war-torn country). I not only prefer having many choices but I need to have many choices. If I lived in a world similar to a multiple choice test I think I wouldn’t want to live any longer, because such a life would be too absurd for me to accept. I liked your post though !!
ReplyDeleteWhile Sartre did call choice a curse I do not think that he really felt it a bad thing. For all the reasons you said. Choice to me seems central to Sartre's view of the world, His philosophy. It is difficult to have choice, to have infinite options, perhaps but that is the way it is. We are in control of our own destinies. Right at the end of our excerpt of "Existentialism is Humanism" Sartre attempts to clear up some basic misinterpretations of Existential thought. He says "...In this sense existentialism is optimistic, it is a doctrine of action, and it is only by self-deception, by confusing their won despair with ours that Christians can describe us as without hope" (pg 214). Sartre and the other existentialists are misunderstood because of, as he puts it, the despair of other people (in his case the Christians of his era). While he calls it a curse it is, I think a curse worth having, and further it is. We have choice and it is ours alone. In his mind noting can change that.
ReplyDeleteTo accomplish the requisite 200 words I will tag on, without proof and without explanation this: Sartre doesn't seem to see is at choosing right or wrong. We choose what we value and we value what we think others should value.
Thanks for the post, sorry if I haven't made any sense.
Although you share the same opinion of many people in our class, in that you think that choice is a freedom rather than a curse, I believe a lot of us do not effectively understand the struggle Jean-Paul Sartre sees in allowing people to have a choice. For instance, we may not want to be in a destined position where we are forced to certain make decisions. However, the amount of influence of choice on ourselves and mankind is what puts Sartre in anguish. Without God, man is responsible for every action he commits. This is significant pressure. Furthermore, as he states, “When a man commits himself to anything, fully realizing that he is not only choosing what he will be, but is thereby at the same time a legislator deciding for the whole of mankind – in such a moment a man cannot escape…” (Solomon 209). So, being in such a painful and stressful predicament of manipulating the fate of mankind should put a man in torment. In addition, Sartre asserts that we do not have freedom in the most important circumstance – determining the origin of our existence. That is why man is condemned to be free. “Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet nevertheless at liberty” (211). This ultimate paradox seems much more inconsistent and worrying than if man was created without his control and is destined to act a specific way. That is why I believe Sartre finds a lack of choice preferable to the opportunity to choose.
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