Jean-Paul Sartre
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Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (June 21, 1905 – April 15, 1980) was a French existentialist (way of thinking about human freedom) philosopher (person who thinks about ideas and ways of thinking).
Sartre also wrote plays, stories for movies, novels (stories), and criticism (written comments about other books or plays).
[change] Sartre's life
Sartre was born in Paris, France. He went to school in Paris at a school called the École Normale Supérieure. In 1929, Sartre graduated from university with a doctorate in philosophy. Sartre served in the French Army from 1929 to 1931.
Simone de Beauvoir was a woman who was Sartre's close friend and partner (like a wife, except that they were not married). Simone de Beauvoir was also interested in thinking about ideas and ways of thinking. Simone de Beauvoir was also a philosopher and writer. Sartre and Beauvoir criticized the ways of thinking of people from their country.
In 1938, Sartre wrote the novel (story) called La Nausée (Nausea). This story explains the way of thinking of existentialism. Existentialism is a way of thinking about human freedom.
In 1939 Sartre was drafted into the French army. France was at war with Germany, because Germany had invaded France (this war was called World War II) Sartre was captured by German Nazi troops in 1940, and Sartre spent nine months as a prisoner of war in a camp. Sartre was released from the prison camp (jail) in 1941. Then Sartre began working as a teacher again. He made friends with other writers and thinkers such as Merleau-Ponty, Jean-Toussaint and Dominique Desanti, and Jean Kanapa.
In 1943, Sartre wrote a book about philosophy (ways of thinking) called L'Être et le Néant, which means Being and Nothingness. In this book, Sartre said that when people tried too hard to conform to the rules of society (or of their country), then people did not really make their own decisions.
In 1945, Sartre started a newspaper called Les Temps Modernes (Modern Times), which had articles about politics, art and literature. He also began writing a group of novels (stories) called Les Chemins de la Liberté (The Roads to Freedom).
In 1946 Sartre wrote a book about philosophy (ways of thinking) called Existentialism is a Humanism , which explains the way of thinking of existentialism. Existentialism is a way of thinking about human freedom.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Sartre became involved in politics. Sartre said that France should leave Algeria, a country where France had many soldiers. In the 1960s, Sartre said that the Vietnam War was bad. In 1960, he wrote the Critique de la raison dialectique (Critique of Dialectical Reason). In the 1960s, Sartre had many arguments with Louis Althusser, a man who believed in communism.
Sartre died in 1980. His body is buried in Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris. His funeral was attended by 50,000 people.
