Invention of the Meaning in Sartre’s View and Criticism in Accordance with Cognitivism Principles

Abstract

Invention and discovery of the meaning are two rival theories of the meaning of life. With explanation of being for itself and being in itself, Sartre, first of all, empties world from all the meanings and then, for the sake of self-transcendence and avoiding passiveness, is in search of invention of the meaning. So, Sartre can be called a subjectivist and non-cognitivist. Therefore, the defects of these schools can also be attributed to Sartre’s theory. One of the most important criticisms is the impossibility of epistemic judgment. According to Sartre, if the meaning is absolutely personal and subjective, then no epistemic judgment about truth or falsity of beliefs would be possible. But, according to the epistemic principles of non-cognitivists and subjectivists, it seems that we can decrease the power of criticism. The insistence of Sartre and existentialists on the subjectivity of meaning implies that the cognitivist criticisms have nothing to do with Sartre.

Keywords

• jean p. sartre
• meaning of life
• being in itself
• being for itself
• contingency
• cognitivism
• non- cognitivism