Free Nothingness: Satre''''s Thought of Nothingness
自由的虚无——萨特的虚无思想研究

Nothingness is a most important concept in Jean Satre's philosophy and the philosophical basis of his theory of freedom as well. Many scholars are of the opinion that Satre's philosophy, which reverses traditional philosophy, is one from nothingness to being. This is an misunderstanding. In Satre's philosophy, being is prior to nothingness, which doesn't deny being. On the contrary, nothingness is based on being; it is a "borrowed being". Satre calls nothingness being for itself, and the foundation upon which it exists is being in itself. Satre criticizes the viewpoint of Hegel, who considers nothingness and being as equal in logic, and as the same vanity. He thinks that nothingness is not out of being but obtains itself from being in itself. However, being in itself is meaningless. None other than nothingness can eliminate being in itself and find meanings and values in being in itself's aperture. Satre agrees with Heidegger's view on nothingness, in which nothingness is regarded as the origin of world's meaning. Consciousness which lurks into the whole of the being as nothingness eliminates being in itself. The kernel of Satre's philosophy is nothingness. First nothingness associates with negation. Consciousness eliminates being and we can claim that nothingness determines negation. Nothingness is not nihility; it is a thorough abstention from judgement Epoche] by Phenomenology method. In this way Satre avoids the traditional dualism between subject and object. What's more, he also parenthesizes Hussel's transcendent ego, so there is a special structure in which nothingness appears transparent and tries to break away from the world and make transcendence. Nothingness makes being in itself subtract and lets being for itself appear. Being in itself is substantial and has no aperture. But consciousness appears and has no content at all, but it can point to itself and become self awareness. Since ego is not substantial, when the consciousness tries to grasp the ego, the ego has already escaped from itself. Therefore, we can see that the origin of the nothingness is the man himself who can excrete nothingness which makes him independent. Man's essence is nothingness or being for itself. Nothingness makes man nothing at all, but also makes him omnipotent. Being for itself is a state of absence. Just as nothingness makes him absent, this decides that man's fate is to transcend from absence to perfection. But the will to perfection cannot come true, or else being for itself would become being in itself, not as nothingness any more. Being for itself is a state of absence, but it dissatisfies the unstable state. It pursues a special kind of being which is both substantial and free. But it is impossible. Only God can be both being in itself and being for itself. So life is virtually "useless passion". Satre's philosophy is free, and the philosophical basis of his freedom theory is nothingness. As the essence of man is nothingness, nothingness cannot block