Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger both discussed the concept of authenticity in their respective works. However, they have different perspectives on the issue. Yet there are some similarities between Sartre's concept of bad faith with Heidegger's inauthenticity.
Sartre's Concept of Bad Faith
According to Sartre, bad faith is a state of being where individuals deceive themselves into believing that they are not responsible for their actions. Bad faith involves denying one's freedom and responsibility for their actions. Sartre argues that individuals use bad faith to avoid the anxiety and responsibility that comes with making choices.
Sartre believes that people use bad faith to escape their freedom. They deceive themselves into thinking that they are not free to choose their own destiny. They use bad faith to convince themselves that they are merely following the expectations of society, rather than making their own choices.
Heidegger's Inauthenticity
Heidegger's concept of inauthenticity is similar to Sartre's bad faith. Heidegger argues that inauthenticity is a state of being where individuals deny their true selves and conform to the expectations of society. Heidegger believes that people use inauthenticity to avoid facing the anxiety and responsibility that comes with being true to oneself.
Heidegger argues that inauthenticity involves denying one's own existence and choosing to live in a way that is not authentic to one's true self. Inauthenticity involves conforming to societal expectations and living according to the norms of society, rather than making one's own choices.
Between Sartre and Heidegger
Both Sartre's bad faith and Heidegger's inauthenticity involve denying one's own freedom and responsibility for one's actions. Both concepts involve conforming to the expectations of society and denying one's true self. However, Sartre's bad faith emphasizes the denial of one's freedom, while Heidegger's inauthenticity emphasizes the denial of one's existence.
Sartre believes that individuals use bad faith to escape their freedom, while Heidegger argues that inauthenticity involves denying one's existence and conforming to societal norms. Both philosophers believe that individuals use these concepts to avoid facing the anxiety and responsibility that comes with making choices.
See also: Heidegger’s Notion of Authenticity and Inauthenticity