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  • Essay / How People's Actions Define Who They Are: From Socrates to the Philosophy of Sartre

    A major controversy in the philosophies of the modern philosopher Sartre and the ancient philosopher Socrates is the argument concerning how life is will unfold. Either every choice someone makes determines the next thing that can happen to them, or their life is already mapped out in front of them, so that their every move has been predetermined. In the play No Exit, written by Sartre, the three characters Garcin, Inez and Estelle all end up in hell and must examine their past actions and how they lived to understand why they got to their current situation. Sartre and Socrates were very strict about their philosophies, and the characters in this drama both agree and disagree with said philosophies. The characters believe that each movement has been prepared for them by the devil so that they can torture each other (Sartre 2559). Philosophers, of course, would disagree with this view, because the choices someone makes will affect their life path. Even if the characters think otherwise, their actions define who they really are. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essaySartre and Socrates would criticize Garcin, a journalist for a pacifist newspaper, for thinking that he is in hell by chance, and not by cause of his actions. He claims that he did nothing wrong and that he respected his morals and that he was shot when he refused to fight (Sartre 2549). In fact, he did not respect his morals because, in reality, he had fled the fighting. He acted cowardly and is now trying to pretend and deceive his new roommates. Socrates would think that Garcin is stupid for caring about what others think because, in The Trial and Death of Socrates, the philosopher himself says, "Why should we care so much about what the majority thinks?" The most reasonable people, to whom more attention must be paid, will believe that things were done as they were done” (Plato 45). This statement shows that Socrates would believe that Garcin's actions got him to where he was, so he should simply accept the consequences and deal with his situation instead of trying to fool others into believing that he is someone he is not really; their opinions should not be relevant. Garcin also acted deceitfully by treating his wife very poorly. He deceived her, made him and his mistress serve him breakfast, then blamed him for his deception and his poor treatment of her (Sartre 2555). This behavior showed what a horrible person he was and offers another reason why he ended up in Hell. In the book Twelve Theories of Human Nature, Sartre explains that a man would be in bad faith if he believed that he is something that he is not (Sartre 236). Sartre would argue that this act put Garcin in bad faith for blaming others for actions he had clearly decided to commit, and for not recognizing his faults, even though it was obvious he was wrong. Sartre and Socrates would also say looks at Estelle badly because she thinks her actions did not define who she was inside. When asked why she is in hell, she replies, “Like I told you, I have no idea. I rack my brains, but it’s no use” (Sartre 2557). This statement shows that, along with Garcin, she is also trying to hide her true identity so as not to be seen as a monster. She also lies to herself and is not true to who she really is. Upon further examination, she breaks down and tells her roommates that she has.