Sartre’s Philosophy of God

 Jean-Paul Sartre, a leading existentialist, rejected the traditional idea of God, arguing that humans have an impossible desire—to be God. He believed that whether or not God exists, people must take full responsibility for creating their own meaning.

1. The Desire to Be God

Sartre argues that humans struggle between two modes of being: en-soi (in-itself), the stable existence of objects like rocks, and pour-soi (for-itself), the dynamic freedom of human consciousness. However, humans paradoxically want both—stability and freedom—leading to an unattainable desire to be like God. Since humans can never be both completely free and completely stable, this longing is a “useless passion”, leading to frustration and existential anxiety.

2. Atheism or Anti-Theism?

Sartre did not argue much about God’s existence; instead, he believed that even if God existed, it would not change anything. He saw belief in God as a form of bad faith (mauvaise foi)—a way to avoid personal responsibility. For Sartre, religion often provides a false escape from freedom, allowing people to surrender responsibility rather than embracing their power to shape their own lives.

3. “Man Must Save Himself”

Sartre insists that humans must take full responsibility for their lives. In Existentialism and Humanism, he states:

“Even if God existed, that would make no difference. Man must rediscover himself and convince himself that he must save himself.”

Sartre’s View on God and Human Freedom

  1. Humans desire to be like God—both free and unchanging—an impossible contradiction.

  2. This desire leads to a useless passion, chasing something unattainable.

  3. Sartre dismisses God’s existence as irrelevant—humans must create their own meaning.

  4. Many use belief in God as an escape from personal responsibility.

Sartre teaches us to...

  • Accept personal freedom and responsibility.

  • Stop seeking external meaning—create your own.

  • Life has no predefined purpose; we must construct it ourselves.



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