Jean Paul Sartre

Jean Paul Sartre, an existentialist(1905-1980), insisted the nothingness of God and that existence precedes essence.

He used famous similitude to explain what existentialism was. As he put it, paper knives have essence that paper knives is for cutting paper. There is nobody who makes paper knives without understanding what this tool is useful for. In other words, whenever anything is made, there should be essence like use and purpose, so every created things must have essence. In brief, essence precedes existence, if only the problem is about paper knives or any other tools. Essence is the concept which all created things have.

For long time in western culture(or in most culture), people have thought that human beings also must have essence as all created things have. It is because the experience of living often made human beings undergo hardships. If there is any reason to live, namely essence to live, human beings can overcome the hardships. Because essence is given by creator, essence needs the creator of the owner of that essence. Therefore human beings started to believe the being of Creator, that is to say God. They thought that human beings was created by God. Therefore, human beings must have essence to live, thought people. Sartre object to this point.

As I wrote, if the problem is about tools, it can be said that essence precedes existence. However, if only the problem is about human beings, the both words upend, thought Sartre. In the case of human beings, existence precedes essence. Essence is not given to people, because God as creator of human beings doesn't exist no longer. Therefore human beings must create essence for themselves. There is no correct answer about this problem. He said that essence is a pile of behaviour. Therefore, every man and woman should create essence through their option of behaving. Everything is permitted. What you have done is what your essence are.

Like this, his logic presumed that God doesn't exist. He didn't prove that God doesn't exist. Anyone can choose to believe God or not. At least, for anyone who don't believe God, his idea gives some suggestion.