Socratic Ethics and Existential Responsibility: A Critical Analysis of Socrates and Jean-Paul Sartre

Abstract

This article argues that Socrates and Sartre offer two different but related ways of thinking about ethical responsibility. It compares Socratic ethics with Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential philosophy, focusing on responsibility. Although they come from different times and traditions, both thinkers stress that people must take responsibility for how they live. Socrates links ethical responsibility to self-examination, the pursuit of virtue, rational thinking, and care for the soul. Sartre, on the other hand, grounds responsibility in radical freedom, the absence of a fixed human nature, and the need to define oneself through action. The article argues that Socrates and Sartre are neither in direct historical succession nor complete opposition. Their chief difference lies in where they find the basis for ethics: Socrates believes that rational inquiry reveals virtue. At the same time, Sartre rejects any pre-existing moral essence or higher value that determines behaviour. Still, both reject the avoidance of responsibility through unquestioning adherence to external authority or fixed social roles. By examining Socratic self-examination and care for the soul, Sartrean freedom and ontological responsibility, and comparing authenticity, moral knowledge, and self-formation, the article shows that Socrates and Sartre offer two separate yet related ways of thinking about ethical responsibility. For Socrates, responsibility means examining life and seeking virtue. For Sartre, it signifies choosing and accepting responsibility for one’s own identity. Their ideas persist relevant today, as people continue to risk living without reflection and to blame circumstances or outside forces for their actions. The article concludes that living an authentic ethical life requires both honest self-examination and accepting responsibility for one’s actions.