Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre highlights the concept of consciousness and how objective descriptions of humans are incomplete. Sartre adopts phenomena but criticizes earlier phenomenologists, particularly, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger for focusing much on empiricism. In the first argument, he develops the nothingness theory and describes the concept of the unconscious (in itself) and conscious (for itself). According to Sartre, in-itself cannot change and lies beyond human consciousness. For-itself is the conscious being although it is also incomplete. Sartre also discusses self-deception and argues that humans can easily believe in lies or objectify themselves by conceiving themselves as objects.
Sartre faults individuals for defining themselves based on race, class, and social status. Indeed, he believes this is the reason individuals cannot transcend situations. The self-deception about reality leads to bad faith and this makes people deny themselves freedoms. The author also discusses the issue of relationships with others. Here, he argues that individuals are a being for-itself and a being for-others. Being for-others is how the other person makes them feel about themselves. People perceive themselves the way they are being perceived by others and objectify themselves the same way others objectify them. This brings self-deception of identity.
From the perspective view, Sartre objects to Sigmund Freud’s theory about the conscious and unconscious mind. Freud believed that the conscious mind consists of feelings, memories, and thoughts in which people are aware of themselves. However, Sartre believes that Feud’s claims were far-fetched because his conception of consciousness is incomplete and cannot explain the phenomena of bad faith.
