1905 – 1980
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, and novelist who became the central figure of 20th-century existentialism. His philosophy centered on radical human freedom, the primacy of existence over essence, and the burden of responsibility that accompanies absolute liberty. A public intellectual and political activist, he refused the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964 and engaged extensively with Marxism in his later work.
Developed the foundational existentialist thesis 'existence precedes essence' in Being and Nothingness (1943)
Articulated the concept of radical freedom and bad faith as self-deception about one's freedom
Authored the landmark lecture 'Existentialism is a Humanism' (1945), defining the movement for a popular audience
Synthesized existentialism with Marxism in Critique of Dialectical Reason (1960)
Refused the Nobel Prize in Literature (1964) to preserve intellectual independence