Death as a Limitation to Human Freedom: A Critical Look at Jean-Paul Sartre's Existential Position on Freedom and Death

Abstract

This work consists of a critical appraisal of Jean-Paul Sartre's claim of absolute freedom despite of the reality of death. If death terminates man's transcendence and forecloses his possibilities, then it also does limit his freedom.  It is the argument of this work that freedom has its limitation and the greatest of such is death. Though death may limit man's freedom it is not the end of man. The work employing the expository and critical methods discussed the reality of death within the context of Sartre's existential position on freedom.  It is Sartre's claim that death is outside man's possibilities and thus cannot limit man's freedom in the real sense since it comes from outside man. For him, when death comes the pour soi (man, consciousness or freedom) is no more. The work argues that death which terminates ones existence does limit his potentialities and possibilities. The work further argues against Sartre's position that one's death makes him a prey to other humans and also makes his existence absurd and meaningless. Against Sartre's position, the work concludes that freedom has its limitations among which is death. Though death limits man's possibilities, it is not the end of everything about man.