This quote has appeared as part of a question in an assignment. I am not required to pick this question, but I think there is a lot of potential in it.
I do not think the person who set the question even knew its context, since it is certainly one of his more commonly repeated utterances. I’m thinking along the lines of the way people find Shakespeare’s “What a piece of work is man” (presumably in a quote book or something) and use it completely removed from its context. If I can find where Sartre said it, I think I can breath more life into an answer to the question.
I have read some Sartre’s work, but do not recall coming across the quote. Did he write it into one of his books, or state it orally? I tried googling, and ironically I find the very assignment I have been given, the same question asked by others and the words on some ‘inspirational quote’ type websites.
I hope you do not mind answering this question since it relates to a homework assignment. I could have done far worse, dropping it into Great Debates without a hint of my motives and siphoning off an essay. Thanks in advance.
Thing is, earlier I saw the thread title and went off for a quick Google, thinking I used to like Sartre (when I was young and not so stupid) soI’d quite like to know too.
And what DID I find but a variety , it seemed, of educational institutions setting out their required work.
So, seeing one reply, I dashed to the thread hoping to learn the answer.
Well, I will not be defeated - we will find it!
Couldn’t you just change the essay to “this nutter took mescaline and was folowed by invisible lobsters” or something?
Is this really a well-known quote? I’ve read quite a bit of and about Sartre, although a few years ago by now, and I can’t remember ever having seen it. I do not doubt that it is a genuine quote, but somehow it never stuck out from the rest, and IIRC neither did it in the secondary literature I read.
The problem for searching is that it could come from almost any work, although it seems more related to literature. It could be from an interview, or from one of his essays in the ten volumes of Situations. It could be from Being and Nothingness and any other of his philosophical works. It could even be from his vast literary output.
I do hope someone comes along who has got a better memory than I do, but otherwise I’m afraid your on your own. Good luck.
