Sartre's Anarchist Philosophy

Is Existentialism closer to Anarchism than Marxism?

Every philosopher must run the gauntlet of time. Philosophical ideas fall in and out of favor, but the acid test is whether we continue to debate a philosopher’s ideas long after they have left the scene. The anniversary of Jean-Paul Sartre’s birthday, almost forty years since his death, is an appropriate moment to look back on the legacy of a philosopher whose work helped to define an era, and whose ideas continue to resonate with the political climate today. Professor Richard Falk places Sartre alongside Noam Chomsky and Edward Said as one of the few individuals worthy of the title ‘public intellectual’. Yet towards the end of his life, even as Sartre moved further in the direction of political engagement, he lamented that his politics were not radical enough; perhaps that is why Sartre’s political philosophy is so highly disputed.

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Peter Simmons 24 June 2019

Quelle surprise! As a lifelong anarchist I'm not surprised. It seems most deep thinkers are anarchist, seeing the dangers in giving up one's autonomy to someone who promises much and delivers nothing. Politicians are by their nature corrupt, dishonest and narcissistic. Who in their right mind would trust such people to resist the temptations of power and wealth?
I'm with Chomsky and have been for decades. The Tao of Lau Tzu is possibly the earliest libertarian/anarchist writing, if only the Chinese had followed him instead of Confucius!
'Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.'