About
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) is a major figure of existentialism. A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure, he met Simone de Beauvoir in 1929. His first novel, Nausea (1938), brought him fame. During World War II, he published Being and Nothingness (1943) and the play No Exit (1944). In 1945, he founded the journal Les Temps modernes. He refused the Legion of Honour in 1945 and also declined the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, becoming the first laureate to do so. His work explores freedom, commitment, and the human condition.
* 1905-06-21 — † 1980-04-15
Major works
- La Nausée (1938)novel
- L'Être et le Néant (1943)philosophical essay
- Huis clos (1944)play
- Les Mots (1964)autobiography
- Critique de la raison dialectique (1960)philosophical essay
Key milestones
- 1945Founded the journal Les Temps modernes with Simone de Beauvoir.
- 1964Declined the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first laureate to do so.
- 1945Refused the Legion of Honour.
Themes
freedomcommitmentexistentialismbad faithhuman condition
Sources: classes.bnf.fr · beta.nobelprize.org