The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great

by Ben Shapiro

So Sartre writes: Nowhere is it written that the Good exists, that we must be honest, that we must not lie; because the fact is we are on a plane where there are only men. . . . If existence really does precede essence, there is no explaining things away by reference to a fixed and given human nature. In other words, there is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom. On the other hand, if God does not exist, we find no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct. So, in the bright realm of values, we have no excuse behind us, nor justification before us. We are alone, with no excuses. That is the idea I shall try to convey when I say that man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet, in other respects is free; because, once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.10 This is a beautifully expressed idea—an idea replete with the tragedy of existence, but hopeful about man’s possibility of reaching within himself for something higher. But it also leaves human beings without a guidepost. It