"The chips are down" is an extremely classic work by Sartre. It is a prose text that closely resembles a film scenario. The actions and feelings are presented in a rather clinical manner.
The story line is relatively thin. Two individuals who are very different from each other die and meet in the hereafter. They are given a second chance, yet social differences and obligations once again drive them apart.
The elaboration is cleverly accomplished. However, the rapprochement between the two after their death seems rather artificial. Nevertheless, it is a nice read. And even if you only know basic French, it is easy to follow.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
The life is simpler and shorter than we engage with its complex details. We often get lost in the maze of琐事 and forget the essence of life. We should learn to simplify our lives and focus on the important things. By doing so, we can enjoy more peace and happiness. We don't need to worry about every little thing. Instead, we should look at the big picture and cherish the moments that matter. Let's not waste our precious time on unimportant things and make the most of our lives.
Kitap is composed of essays that Sartre published in various periods in the Modern Times (Les Temps Modernes) magazine, which he founded. In his essays, Sartre elaborates on the idea of 'being of one's own era' or 'being a human of the era', which he placed at the foundation of existential philosophy. Starting from this, we can see that the most important issue he attaches significance to is 'the responsibility towards the realities of the age/intellectual age' on the path to free will. Sartre explains this with the words 'the writer is in a situation related to his own era'.
Also, in another essay on what literature and writing should be, we can see that Sartre conflicts with a concept of literature that is detached from the obligations brought by the era. At this point, Sartre places the prose that he characterizes as 'dependent writing' before poetry and other literary writing genres that put the concept of 'art for art's sake' to the fore. Because, unlike poetry, which is based on the emotional manipulation of words, prose prioritizes a direct and conscious flow of ideas that is not independent of the free wills of the writer and the reader.
In short, according to Sartre, in an era where systematic tyranny always threatens true freedom, the writer/intellectual should adopt as 'socially beneficial' means and concepts as possible.
We not only see that Sartre, a thinker who does not isolate himself from the political, economic, and social realities of his time, is the only 'true' philosopher of the last century, but also understand that what he said appeals to every era:
If a writer is in the literary environment, that is, if he writes, it means that he has taken on the task of indicating and voicing freedom in a world where freedom is always in danger. A writer who does not enter this environment is guilty. He is not only simply guilty, but also soon ceases to be a writer.
If a person is not free, we cannot ask him for a judgment of beauty: because that person will be a slave to the preferences in this judgment.
Literature and society are going through a crisis, and those who hold the fate of society in their hands want the writer to remain as a decorative item rather than joining the revolutionaries.
In my opinion, an educated person is a person who has acquired the knowledge and means that help him understand his situation in the world.
Legally, we are all equal before the law. But things like unemployment, hunger, compulsory service, coercive culture, partial courts, class-based juries, and the police force in the hands of the rich class actually turn this equality into a mask.