Is this true??

Question

Did existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sarte convert to christianity on his death bed? Does anyone know where I could find more info on this? Thank you.

Sage Daily, I saw that I just don't love relying on Wikipedia. Thank you though!

Thanks Jason & Doctor Y!!!

Answer 1

This is false.

Though it is true that he thought ABOUT various people's conceptions of gods, and he spoke of them often, there is no reason to believe that he disavowed his atheism in any way.

When people suggest he converted on his 'deathbed', they are usually referring to one of a couple of interveiws he gave, some of which were taped. This common quote came from six years before his death:

Sartre: Even if one does not believe in God, there are elements of the idea of God that remain in us and that cause us to see the world with some divine aspects.

S.d.B.: What for example?

Sartre: That varies according to the person.

S.d.B.: But for you?

Sartre: As for me, I don't see myself as so much dust that has appeared in the world but as a being that was expected, prefigured, called forth. In short, as a being that could, it seems, come only from a creator; and this idea of a creating hand that created me refers me back to God. Naturally this is not a clear, exact idea that I set in motion every time I think of myself. It contradicts many of my other ideas; but it is there, floating vaguely. And when I think of myself I often think rather in this way, for want of being able to think otherwise.

You can probably see carefully snipped segments of that interview all over the web held up as a kind of death-bed admission. What they don't observe is that right AFTER that section he goes on to talk at length about how happy and free he feels to not actually believe in God, even if the idea of God plagues him at times.

Link below for more information.

Answer 2

I hardly doubt the validity of the claim. Through out the history, religious believers have been claiming that well-regarded non-believers have made deathbed conversions. Conveniently enough, these conversion claims are often deathbed related.

Sartre was interested in Jewish religious claims regarding metaphysics, but he continued to reject the notion of God.
No serious scholar would debate that Sartre was not an atheist until the death. If you are interested in Christian existentialist, Kierkegaard and Dostoyevsky would be good place to start.

Answer 3

i think sartre worked for liberation of humanity and he was not any religion specific.

Answer 4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre

Answer 5

www.google.com