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Tuesday, July 29, 2003 Le Choix “Choice is all that we have, without confirmation of our act; we never know what was right to choose.” (thecry.com) Some of the major concerns of existentialism are the ideas of choice, absurdity, and freedom. According to Jean-Paul Sartre, we become our choices; if we decide not to choose, we have still chosen, and we must take responsibility based on those choices. In essence, a brave person is one who continually chooses engage in acts of bravery; he has created and continually creates himself as brave. He is defined by his choices and must take responsibility for them. Simone de Beauvoir, on the other hand, does not excuse humanity from making choices but recognizes that choice is not always as free as Sartre believes. Yes, one always has a choice, but the options available are not just defined by previous decisions; they are also defined by social constructs and other factors. For example, she would say that women have fewer options than men, for society is molded in such a way as to give them less power. A slave may make choices, but he has less freedom to do so than his master or a free person. This is a recognition of reality that Matrix Reloaded understands--remember the scene in Zion when Neo discusses the human dependence on machines? Sure, they could destroy the machines that are the source of heat and energy in Zion, but do they really have the option of destroying those machines if they want to stay alive? The choice exists in theory but not in reality. Sometimes I think I understand exactly what de Beauvoir was talking about. Certain so-called choices seem illusory. ^ Top | 4:18 PM | | | 
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