Kierkegaard and Sartre's versions of existentialism Essay

Kierkegaard and Sartre's versions of existentialism - Essay Example On the other hand, they are similar in ways such as their trust on individuality, will power and meaningful decision making through choices. Sartre defines existentialism in ways that deduce the nature of man as man himself and that he uses his wills to accomplish his own destiny using various principles. The first one is that a man is only what he designs of himself. This means that men in the world shoulder responsibilities due to their mere existence on earth and each man knows his in full. He further explains that every man is responsible for humanity in its entirety and not merely for himself (individuality). Every choice that a man makes affects the rest of his species. In another perspective, he declares that God does not exist. Therefore, all men carry the responsibility of their actions. He defines an ethical person as an independent thinker who lives generously in consideration to the needs of others. He sets goals, pursues them actively and enumerates decisions on how to achieve them. This is under the choice of active life. This drives to invisibility of a man’s existence if he fails to pursue his goals in an active manner or make plans of achieving them. This eventually leads to despair, where a man loses hope and the meaning of life itself. Kierkegaard however contradicts this by setting three models of existentialism, namely: aesthetic, ethical and supranational religious faith. The importance of making a choice and the difference between ethical and aesthetical choices are the areas of emphasis. Men shape their personalities through their choices, which in itself is an ethical quality. High levels of determination together with thorough thinking enables man to make an ethical choice that is absolute and genuine. Aesthetical choices are neither meaningful nor stable and usually made for timely or sensual pleasure. Thus, they are not as genuine as