simone de beauvoir the ethics of ambiguity sparknotes

Prior to explaining existentialism’s key themes, I must define the authors’ ontological structure. Therefore, I intend to show how this philosophy is particularly useful for directing environmental values, especially with the assistance of ethical theories which bridge the gap between reason and action. Thus, existentialism provides a unique framework for understanding our relationship with “the other” and nature, by defining the meaning of our actions. Finally, I place this existential environmentalism in the context of multiple moral paradigms, including: an existential ethics, virtue ethics and social justice movements. In order to develop an understanding of existentialism, I will predominantly draw on the works of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Franz Fanon. Meanwhile, I provide a substantive comparison with David Loy and Buddhist thinking. For this reason, I will devote a brief portion of this endeavor to reflect on my own relationship with existential values and how they have influenced my worldview. Moreover, the philosophy of existentialism is one that is deeply related to the human condition, especially as it questions the meaning of existence. In this sense, I believe existentialism and environmental values share some important similarities which could illuminate how one should act. Furthermore, nature itself has been treated as an other and I argue that this is coherent with many existentialist notions. Similarly, our environmental consequences affect every person in the world, in a multitude of ways. Just as Sartre expresses, we are always with the other. Likewise, as with environmental issues, existentialism reveals the intimate relationship one has with others.

In fact, we are not only responsible for ourselves, but the world around us and the effects our actions have on it. This creates an interesting set of implications for the area of environmental ethics, as the existentialists believe we are responsible for everything we do. Foremost, the existential doctrine is one of choice and freedom.

Simone de beauvoir the ethics of ambiguity sparknotes