Posted by 
Introduction
To my knowledge, Jean Paul Sartre never formally named his ethical theory; so, Sartrean ethics it is. Sartre is one of the giants of 20th century philosophy. He’s regarded as an existentialist philosopher but, I think, he thought of himself as a writer first. This writer/philosopher overlap was common in the Parisian, intellectual milieu in which Sartre moved.
Sartre’s philosophical writing is in many places infuriatingly opaque. And yet in others it is full of the most profound psychological and philosophical insights. These insights offer the deepest reflections on the human condition.
Sartre’s insights shine a bright light on human freedom, responsibility and existence. These dry, abstract concepts are presented in the most tangible and relatable way.
Ethical theories abound. Some of the greatest human minds have attempted to develop ethical systems. For me, the challenge with these systems is that they don’t actually give you an answer as to how you should act in particular situations.
Sartrean ethics is centred on freedom and choice. In Sartre’s evocative phrase, we are condemned to be free. This means that we have no choice about choosing because even not choosing is a choice.
That may not seem so bad, until we realise that we, and we alone, are responsible for our choices. There are no pre-existing value systems that can help us decide. Even if you make your choices according to a moral code, those choices are still your choices.
So, imagine that a woman, let’s call her Sarah, has been offered a job abroad. Good salary, good prospects, good lifestyle. But it means giving up her happy life here – family, friends and everything.
Sarah comes to you and asks what she should do. If you advise her, and she takes your advice – and she tells everyone who will listen that she is doing what she is doing because you advised her – the decision, the choice, is still Sarah’s. She is responsible for her choice, not you.
If things don’t work out and Sarah decides to blame you because she acted on your advice, Sartre would call this bad faith. Bad faith is a refusal to take responsibility for our choices.
Making choices and taking responsibility for them is pretty much what Sartrean ethics is all about.
Let’s take the classic problem of the runaway trolley on a railway track and see how Sartrean ethics would deal with it.
In this problem, a person must decide whether to pull a lever to divert a runaway trolley and save five people at the cost of one person.
Sartre would argue that you are condemned to make this choice, and you cannot escape the burden of your freedom. There are three choices open to you. Choose to pull the lever, choose not to pull the lever or make no choice. But remember, for Sartre, not choosing is a choice.
In Sartrean ethics, there is no pre-given moral law (like consequentialism or deontology or the advice of a friend) that can make the decision for you. Your decision reflects the values you commit to, and through your action, you are creating those values.
Whether you choose to pull the lever or not, you are responsible for the outcome and must live authentically with that decision, without blaming external forces or moral absolutes.
As we grow older, it can often feel like life is narrowing down. The options you had in your youth seem to slip away, replaced by societal expectations of how you’re “supposed” to age.
But here’s where Sartrean ethics offers a fresh perspective: no matter how old you are, you never lose your fundamental freedom to choose. Jean-Paul Sartre famously claimed that we are “condemned to be free.”
Even as your body changes, your freedom to make decisions remains intact, and in Sartrean ethics, this is something you can’t escape, no matter your age.
Freedom Beyond Youth
It’s easy to think that freedom belongs to the young—the sense that you can do anything, go anywhere, be anyone. But Sartrean ethics challenges this notion. Whether you’re 25 or 75, you still have the freedom to shape your life.
Indeed, you have no choice about this. For sure, certain paths might be closed, but the essence of Sartre’s thought is that, even in later years, you create your world through your choices.
Ageing doesn’t mean you’re in decline; it means you’re navigating a new phase of existence. You have the power to decide how to engage with this phase. Will you accept society’s idea of what ageing should look like—retirement, slowing down, stepping back—or will you forge your own path?
Sartre would argue that you must take responsibility for this decision. It’s your choice, and, as he points out, even choosing not to choose is still a choice.
Facing Responsibility in Ageing
Looking back on life often happens more frequently as you age. There’s a lot of reflecting on past choices, the roads taken or not taken.
In Sartrean ethics, you are responsible for these choices. As Sartre reminds us, every decision you’ve made has shaped who you are today, and it’s crucial to take ownership of those choices, no matter where they’ve led you.
This is where the concept of “bad faith” comes in. It’s easy to fall into bad faith when ageing by blaming others, circumstances, or even society for where you are now.
Maybe you didn’t get the career you wanted, or your relationships didn’t turn out as planned. Sartrean ethics asks you to stop blaming external factors. Of course there were obstacles, but how you responded to them was always your choice.
And this doesn’t stop with the past. New decisions still need to be made. Health choices, financial decisions, relationships, or even just how you spend your time—all of these are still your responsibility.
No matter how old you are, your choices continue to define who you are. Sartre’s philosophy urges you to make these decisions in “good faith,” fully aware that you, and you alone, bear the responsibility for them.
Confronting Mortality: Freedom in the Face of Death
One of the most profound changes that come with ageing is an increasing awareness of mortality. While Sartre didn’t spend as much time philosophising about death as others, such as Heidegger, the idea of living authentically in the face of death is deeply embedded in Sartrean ethics.
As you age, death becomes a more immediate reality, but Sartre’s philosophy pushes you to face this without illusion. Death is a part of life, and rather than allowing it to diminish your sense of freedom, Sartre would encourage you to see it as another context in which your freedom operates.
You are free to define your relationship with death. Will you fear it, ignore it, or accept it as part of the human condition?
What’s important here is rejecting any form of fatalism. You might be tempted to think, “Well, this is it; the end is coming.” But Sartre would argue that this mindset strips you of your freedom.
Even in the face of death, you are still free to shape your life through your choices, attitudes, and actions. You remain responsible for how you live your life, right up until the very end.
Navigating Relationships and Social Roles in Ageing
Another major shift that comes with ageing is how others see you. Society often has rigid expectations for older people: retire, settle down, take it easy.
You might feel that others are placing you in a box, seeing you as a “grandparent,” “retiree,” or “senior citizen.” Sartre’s concept of “the gaze” is relevant here—the idea that others’ perceptions can make you feel like an object in their world.
In Sartrean ethics, the key is to resist this objectification. Just because others expect you to act a certain way doesn’t mean you have to. You are free to define your social role for yourself, regardless of what others think.
You can reject the stereotype of the older person “past their prime” and embrace a role that reflects who you truly are.
This also applies to situations where ageing involves dependence on others, or you find yourself caring for someone else. Sartrean ethics reminds us that even in these roles, both the caregiver and the one receiving care are free beings.
It’s crucial to navigate these relationships authentically, recognising each other’s freedom and maintaining responsibility for your actions and attitudes.
Creating Meaning in Later Life
Ageing doesn’t mean the end of purpose. In fact, with the backdrop of Sartrean ethics, every moment of life is an opportunity to create meaning.
Sartre famously argued that existence precedes essence—that we aren’t born with a predefined purpose but instead create it through our actions and choices. This remains just as true in your later years as it did when you were younger.
Many older people may be tempted to adopt pre-packaged identities: “grandparent,” “pensioner,” or “senior.” But Sartrean ethics would caution against accepting these roles without thought.
Meaning isn’t something handed to you by society; it’s something you continuously create. The act of making choices, even about how to spend your day, is a way of shaping meaning. You are still responsible for the values you live by and the purpose you pursue.
Legacy often becomes a concern as you age. What will you leave behind? How will you be remembered? In Sartrean ethics, your legacy is another aspect of your freedom.
It’s not a predetermined fate but something you build through the choices you make today. You are responsible for the meaning others will take from your life, but this responsibility is a freedom, not a burden.
The Anxiety of Ageing
It’s normal to feel a sense of anxiety as you grow older—whether it’s about health, future security, or just the unknown of what’s to come.
Sartre referred to this kind of existential anxiety as “nausea,” a feeling that arises from confronting the weight of our freedom. As you face ageing, this anxiety can become more pronounced. Sartrean ethics encourages you to accept this anxiety as part of what it means to be free.
This doesn’t mean resigning yourself to despair. Rather, it’s about living authentically with your anxiety, accepting it as part of the human condition.
Sartre argued that we are never fully at ease with our freedom; it’s a constant challenge. But the more you accept this, the more you can live authentically, even in the face of the uncertainties that come with ageing.
Living Authentically in Ageing
The final and perhaps most important aspect of Sartrean ethics as it relates to ageing is the idea of living authentically. Society tends to impose a certain narrative on ageing: that you should slow down, step aside, and let the younger generation take over.
But Sartrean ethics reminds you that no one else can tell you how to live your life. You are free to shape your own story, and you are responsible for that story, no matter your age.
This might mean reinventing yourself in your later years. Maybe it’s taking on new hobbies, forming new relationships, or challenging yourself in ways you never thought possible. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you have to stay fixed in a certain identity.
Sartre believed that we are constantly in the process of becoming, always shaping and reshaping who we are through our choices.
Even when physical limitations arise, Sartrean ethics insists that you remain free. You may not control the body’s decline, but you are always free to decide how you respond to it. This very much chimes with the view of Viktor Frankl who averred that we can’t control our circumstances but we can choose our attitude to those circumstances.
Your freedom lies in your attitude, your perspective, and your choices. In this sense, aging is not a limitation on your freedom but a new context in which that freedom operates.
Sartrean Ethics: Empowerment Through Ageing
In the end, Sartrean ethics offers an empowering way of looking at ageing. It reminds you that no matter your age, you are still free to make choices, still responsible for the person you become, and still capable of living authentically. The process of ageing doesn’t diminish your freedom—it simply offers new opportunities to exercise it.
You are not defined by society’s labels, your past choices, or even your physical limitations. Sartre would insist that you continue to create your life through the decisions you make every day. In the end, your freedom is yours to embrace, right up until the final moment.
Choosing Your Own Narrative in Aging
One of the most powerful aspects of Sartrean ethics is the idea that you are constantly in the process of creating your own narrative.
This doesn’t stop as you get older. In fact, it becomes even more relevant. As you age, there may be a tendency to feel as though the story of your life is winding down, that the important chapters are behind you.
But Sartre would argue that the narrative isn’t finished until your last breath, and until that moment, you are still the author of your own story.
Think about the way society often encourages people to “settle” into old age. You may be expected to assume a passive role, living in the shadow of younger generations or conforming to predefined roles such as a retiree or caregiver.
But Sartrean ethics challenges this idea, reminding you that you are free to decide how your later years will unfold. You have the ability to reject the roles that don’t resonate with you and to create new ones that reflect who you are now.
Living authentically means refusing to let external narratives define your experience of aging. You don’t have to be the person others expect you to be.
If you want to pursue new interests, take risks, or even reinvent yourself entirely, Sartrean ethics empowers you to do so. Your freedom to choose is unbroken by time, and with it comes the responsibility to live in a way that reflects your true self.
Reframing Physical Decline
Of course, one of the undeniable realities of aging is the physical changes that come with it. You might experience health issues, reduced mobility, or other limitations that seem to restrict your freedom.
However, Sartrean ethics offers a unique way of thinking about these changes. While your body may impose certain physical constraints, your existential freedom remains untouched.
What does this mean in practice? It’s about reframing how you think about physical decline. While you may not be able to control certain aspects of aging, you are always free to choose how you respond to these changes. See the reference to Viktor Frankl above.
Do you focus on what’s been lost, or do you look for new ways to engage with the world? Sartre’s philosophy encourages you to take ownership of your attitude and decisions, even in the face of challenges.
You are not defined by your physical abilities but by how you live within the circumstances in which you find yourself.
This doesn’t mean ignoring the difficulties that come with aging. Instead, it’s about embracing the reality of your situation without giving up your agency.
Even in moments of limitation, you can still make meaningful choices. You can choose to seek new ways of finding joy, purpose, and connection. Sartrean ethics reminds you that no matter the external circumstances, your internal freedom to choose how you relate to those circumstances remains intact.
Resisting the Temptation of Bad Faith
As you continue to age, the temptation to fall into “bad faith” can grow stronger. Bad faith, in Sartrean ethics, is the act of lying to yourself or others about your responsibility for your choices.
It often involves blaming external forces—circumstances, other people, or societal expectations—for your situation, instead of accepting that you always have a choice in how you respond to life.
In aging, bad faith might look like resignation or passivity. You might tell yourself, “I’m too old to change” or “There’s no point in trying something new now.” These statements are forms of self-deception. They allow you to avoid the discomfort of freedom by convincing yourself that your options are limited. But in Sartrean ethics, this is not living authentically.
To live authentically as you age, you must resist this temptation. You have to acknowledge that, no matter your circumstances, you are still responsible for your choices.
This might mean challenging deeply ingrained beliefs about what aging “should” look like or pushing against the societal pressures that tell you to slow down or step back.
Choosing to live authentically is not always easy. It requires facing uncomfortable truths about yourself and your life. But in Sartrean ethics, this is the path to true freedom.
By taking responsibility for your choices, you free yourself from the constraints of bad faith and open up the possibility of living a life that is true to your own values and desires.
Ageing as an Act of Creation
Ultimately, Sartre believed that we are never finished creating ourselves. Every choice you make, even in later life, is part of the ongoing process of defining who you are.
In this sense, aging is not an end but a continuation of the creative process. You are still shaping your identity, your values, and your purpose, even as you navigate the changes that come with age.
This is one of the most empowering aspects of Sartrean ethics. It rejects the idea that your identity is fixed or predetermined. Instead, you are always in the process of becoming.
Aging gives you new experiences, challenges, and perspectives, all of which can contribute to your ongoing self-creation. Sartre would argue that, just as in youth, you have the freedom to reinvent yourself at any moment. Your choices continue to matter, and your ability to create meaning in your life remains as strong as ever.
Consider how this idea might apply to your own life. Are there areas where you feel stuck or defined by your past?
Sartrean ethics offers the opportunity to break free from those limitations and to see aging as a time of possibility rather than decline.
Whether it’s pursuing a new passion, strengthening relationships, or finding a deeper sense of purpose, you have the freedom to shape your life in ways that are meaningful to you.
Living in the Present with Sartrean Ethics
Another crucial aspect of Sartrean ethics is the focus on living in the present. Sartre believed that we often get caught up in the past or the future, but the only reality we truly have is the present moment. This is especially important in ageing, where there’s a tendency to dwell on what has been or what is yet to come.
Living authentically means embracing the present and making the most of it. It’s about recognising that your freedom exists here and now, not in the past or the future.
What choices can you make today that will allow you to live more fully? How can you engage with the present moment in a way that aligns with your values and desires?
In Sartrean ethics, there’s no room for nostalgia or regret. While it’s natural to reflect on the past, Sartre would urge you not to get lost in it. The present is where your freedom resides, and it’s the only place where you can truly exercise your ability to choose.
By focusing on the here and now, you can live more authentically and make choices that reflect who you are today, rather than who you used to be or who you think you should be.
Conclusion: Sartrean Ethics as a Guide for Aging
As you navigate the process of aging, Sartrean ethics offers a powerful framework for living authentically and embracing your freedom. It reminds you that, no matter your age, you are still responsible for your choices and your life’s direction.
Aging doesn’t take away your freedom; it simply provides new opportunities for you to exercise it.
By accepting responsibility for your past, living authentically in the present, and continuing to create meaning in your life, you can approach aging with a sense of empowerment and purpose.
Sartre’s philosophy challenges you to reject societal narratives about aging and to define your own path, making choices that reflect your true self.
In the end, the truth about aging and Sartrean ethics is that you are always free—free to choose, free to create, and free to live in a way that is authentic to who you are. Embrace that freedom, and let it guide you as you continue to shape your life, no matter your age.
Let me know your views. Leave a comment.