In Chapter 18, Soccio (2016) discusses how philosophy can be incorporated into life and used as a base for developing one’s worldview. First, the author speaks about the concept of philosophical advocacy – a specific way of proving one’s agenda with the help of philosophical ideas – explaining its argumentation value. Implementing philosophical advocacy into one’s life could help discern different opinions and investigate social issues. A great part of the chapter is dedicated to Jean-Paul Sartre and his philosophy of existentialism. Soccio (2016) first discusses the effect World War II had on Sartre: how it shaped his life and his views, prompting him to delve into the meaning of existence. Sartre put existence over essence and developed a specific concept of despair that fit into the existential philosophy he practiced.
In the next parts of the chapter, Soccio examines various philosophic notions, doctrines, and arguments proposed by various scholars throughout history. He discusses Carol Gilligan’s concept of different voices, examines representation in academic philosophy, criticizes Martin Luther King Jr.’s assumptions on creative moral tension, and analyzes other specific topics. Overall, in this chapter, Soccio (2016) demonstrates how philosophy can be applied to a vast diversity of issues and themes, highlighting its importance in understanding the world and society.
What is existence in Sartre’s philosophy
Sartre fundamentally postulates existence as a phenomenon that represents its own self, not its being. From there, Sartre proposed the idea that the being of existence cannot present itself prior to consciousness since being in existence is everywhere and nowhere. Thus, for Sartre, only existence can truly, fully be real, which presupposes being as its immanent structure, as they are absolutely indistinguishable.
How, in Sartre’s opinion, despair can serve as a motivator
With his concept of despair, Sartre postulates that people have no control over circumstances; everything can change, and despair is the realization of this prospect. However, existentialism does not call for quietism, nor does it call for abandoning everything due to despair. On the contrary, a person has to do what they can, as reality lies in action, and forget about “unrealized opportunities” – they simply do not exist.
References
Soccio, D. J. (2016). Archetypes of wisdom: An introduction to philosophy. 9th Edition. Cengage Learning.