Justus Gates
Term Paper
Philosophy of the Human Person
3/3/2025
Jean-Paul Sartre and Fyodor Dostoevsky both explore free will and moral responsibility
but approach them differently. Sartre argues that freedom is inescapable and forces individuals to
take full responsibility for their choices, making humans “condemned to be free.” Dostoevsky,
on the other hand, examines the psychological burden of free will, showing how moral choices
can lead to inner turmoil. Walter White’s transformation in Breaking Bad illustrates Sartre’s
belief that freedom forces individuals to take full responsibility for their actions, as well as
Dostoevsky’s idea that free will can lead to inner turmoil and moral suffering. By analyzing
Walter’s character, we can see how these two philosophical perspectives manifest in real life.
In Sartre’s Existentialism and Human Emotions, freedom is both a gift and a curse. He
argues that humans are “condemned to be free,” meaning that we have the ability to make our
own choices, but with that comes the responsibility for those choices. “-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.” (Sartre 1985, 23). Sartre’s
philosophy suggests that we cannot blame external circumstances for our actions because we
have the power to shape our own identity through the choices we make. Walter White’s decisions
in Breaking Bad reflect Sartre’s concept of freedom. Initially, Walter decides to start cooking
meth to provide for his family after being diagnosed with cancer. Even though this decision
Term Paper
Philosophy of the Human Person
3/3/2025
Jean-Paul Sartre and Fyodor Dostoevsky both explore free will and moral responsibility
but approach them differently. Sartre argues that freedom is inescapable and forces individuals to
take full responsibility for their choices, making humans “condemned to be free.” Dostoevsky,
on the other hand, examines the psychological burden of free will, showing how moral choices
can lead to inner turmoil. Walter White’s transformation in Breaking Bad illustrates Sartre’s
belief that freedom forces individuals to take full responsibility for their actions, as well as
Dostoevsky’s idea that free will can lead to inner turmoil and moral suffering. By analyzing
Walter’s character, we can see how these two philosophical perspectives manifest in real life.
In Sartre’s Existentialism and Human Emotions, freedom is both a gift and a curse. He
argues that humans are “condemned to be free,” meaning that we have the ability to make our
own choices, but with that comes the responsibility for those choices. “-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.” (Sartre 1985, 23). Sartre’s
philosophy suggests that we cannot blame external circumstances for our actions because we
have the power to shape our own identity through the choices we make. Walter White’s decisions
in Breaking Bad reflect Sartre’s concept of freedom. Initially, Walter decides to start cooking
meth to provide for his family after being diagnosed with cancer. Even though this decision
