Q0129
“Man is nothing other than what he makes of himself.” — Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism Is a Humanism)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Existentialism Is a Humanism. Theme: self.
English
Man is nothing other than what he makes of himself.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Existentialism Is a Humanism and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) was the public face of French existentialism, author of Being and Nothingness, plays, novels, and political essays. Captured in World War II, he later co-founded Les Temps modernes and refused the 1964 Nobel Prize.
Interpretation
From the 1945 lecture where Sartre was defending existentialism against the charge of pessimism. The claim is the one his whole ethics rests on: there is no human nature fixed in advance, so a person is what they have made of themselves through action. He adds the corollary in the same passage — a person is therefore responsible for what they are. The sentence is often read as empowerment; Sartre's emphasis falls on the responsibility it imposes.
Why it matters
It removes a specific evasion. "That is just how I am" describes a preference on this account, not a constraint, and treating it as a constraint is the bad faith he is describing.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Freedom
- Freedom is among the most searched and most contested themes in philosophy: what it is to choose, to be responsible, and to live without illegitimate constraint.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Jean-Paul Sartre. (n.d.). Man is nothing other than what he makes of himself. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0129
MLA: Jean-Paul Sartre. “Man is nothing other than what he makes….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0129.
Chicago: Jean-Paul Sartre. “Man is nothing other than what he makes….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0129.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Man is nothing other than what he makes…”?
The passage is attributed to Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism Is a Humanism. The archive attributes this English wording to Existentialism Is a Humanism and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Jean-Paul Sartre mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, freedom.