Existentialism Philosophy: Sartre and Borges Essay

This essay delves into the philosophical concept of existentialism, primarily through the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and Jorge Luis Borges. The essay begins by exploring Sartre's views on the importance of individual choices in shaping one's existence, emphasizing the responsibility that comes with the freedom to choose. It discusses Sartre's rejection of a pre-ordained purpose and his assertion that humans define themselves through their actions. The essay then transitions to Borges' short story, 'The Circular Ruins,' examining its themes of creation, dreams, and the nature of reality. The story is analyzed in the context of the philosophical concept of causa sui, or self-creation, and how it relates to the existentialist questioning of the creator. The essay highlights the cyclical nature of creation and the blurring of lines between dreams and reality, ultimately reflecting on the existentialist themes of identity and the search for meaning in a world without inherent purpose. The references include the works of Sartre and Borges. The essay is a valuable resource for students studying philosophy, providing insights into the key concepts and thinkers of existentialism.

Running head: PHILOSOPHY – EXISTENTIALISM
PHILOSOPHY – EXISTENTIALISM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Question 1............................................................................................................................2
Question 2............................................................................................................................4
References............................................................................................................................6

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Question 1
Jean Paul Sartre is one of the most celebrated philosophical thinkers in the world who is
widely known for his thoughts on the existentialism. The philosophical thinker stated that the
fundamental factor that enables the existence of the individual is the result of the choices that the
individual makes in the tenure of his lifetime. This is linked to the views that Sartre had on the
relationship that existed among the world and the role that was played by humanity within the
world (Sartre). The thinker further highlights through this statement the importance of the
existence and the role played by humanity in the peaceful and harmonious existence of the earth
without the presence of any deity or Supreme Being in the world. The existentialist claimed that
the choice made by the individual played a huge role in the development of the life style as has
been adopted by the concerned individual. The philosopher had explained the same with the help
of illustrative scenarios as well. the thinker has pointed out that the individuals need to make
choices at every single point of life. The philosopher highlights the fact that the individuals are
provided with two choices at any given point of time (Sartre). The philosopher further denies the
existence of God and proceeds to state that the human beings are themselves responsible for the
choices that they make and the consequences that follow the actions that are undertaken by the
individual.
The philosopher argues against the existence of God due to the fact that there has been no
individual who might be capable of explaining the existence of the Supreme Being which can be
explained prior to the description of the conception regarding the Supreme Being. According to
Sartre, the human beings are capable of creating and developing themselves on the basis of the
choices that they make and the consequences that follow from the given actions (Sartre).
However, the existence of the Almighty is not denied by the existentialists but, however they

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argue that the human existence is not completely dependent on the existence of the Almighty
alone.

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Question 2
The circular ruins is one of the most celebrated short stories that have been opened
down by Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentinian author (Borges). The story highlights the processes
of creation and attempts to throw light on the matters that are related to the identity of the person
concerned. The story further provides the readers with the venture into the dominion of dreams.
The story opens with the escape of a wounded foreigner from southern Persia to the
ancient area of the circular ruins that is located in the North. His wounds are found to have been
healed magically while he is resting there and he is observed to be unfazed about the same
(Borges). The story proceeds to reveal the foreigner to be awakening from his sleep to find
certain offerings from the locals. The foreigner is then found to be meditating and attempting to
dream an individual into reality. In his dream he is found to be delivering lectures to students in
order to shortlist one among them whom he would introduce into the real world. The foreigner is
observed to find one such character who would be questioning his thoughts and not merely abide
by them. On finding one such character, he requests the deity of the ruins, Fire to help him create
the person into the real world (Borges). The deity agrees to it with the precondition that stated
that the creation would abide by the rites of fire and that the unreal nature of the creation would
be known only to the foreigner and fire. However, at a certain point of time the created
individual comes to know of the truth and the area is destroyed by the flames. However, the
foreigner remains untouched revealing that even he is unreal in nature.
The author through the short story takes on the revelation that the creation is a cyclic
process and that the dreams are not different from the reality.

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The author of the short story aims at discussing the fact that the creation of the
individuals is generally a result of the creation itself. Borges in this story highlights the notion of
causa sui which is generally translated as “the cause of itself”. The main philosophical notion
that is highlighted in the story is the ever-lasting question regarding the creation of God. The
existentialists believe that God might have created Himself since He is the creator of all the other
beings.

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References
Borges, Jorge Luis. The circular ruins. Umlaut, 1983.
Sartre, Jean-Paul. "Existentialism Is a Humanism.". Translated by Philip Mairet, 1946