Quote by Jean-Paul Sartre: “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”

This central existentialist idea means humans are burdened by absolute freedom. Without a predetermined nature or divine guide, we are solely responsible for our choices and actions, defining our own existence through them, which can feel like a heavy weight.

Delivered shortly after World War II, a time of immense moral reckoning, this lecture articulated a philosophy that placed individual responsibility at its core, responding to the trauma and choices made during the war.

French philosopher, novelist, and playwright who is the central figure of twentieth-century existentialism. His 1943 work Being and Nothingness and his 1945 lecture 'Existentialism Is a Humanism' defined a philosophy of radical freedom and individual responsibility.