The Limits of Sartrean Freedom in a Deterministic World

Sartre walks into a bar.
The bartender says, “What’ll you have?”
Sartre hesitates.
Because choice is hell. Because he is condemned to be free.

Now imagine a physicist walks in right after him.

The bartender asks the same question. But this guy? He smirks.

Because he knows that every molecule in his body, every neuron in his brain, was always going to bring him right here, right now, ordering that exact drink.

So what happens when these two collide?

When the absolute, gut-wrenching burden of freedom meets the cold, indifferent fist of determinism?

That’s what we’re here for.

Pour yourself something strong. Let’s go.

1. Sartre’s Freedom: The Bad News

Sartre said we’re free whether we like it or not.

There’s no escape. You wake up? That’s your problem. You pick a shirt? That’s on you. Even if you refuse to choose, that’s still a choice.

And if you try to dodge responsibility, Sartre calls you out for living in bad faith—lying to yourself, pretending you’re not in charge of your own miserable existence.

But Sartre never really proved free will exists. He just asserted it.

Like a drunk in a philosophy seminar, yelling louder doesn’t make it true.

2. Hard Determinism: The Worse News

Hard determinism is the guy at the party who tells you love is just oxytocin, happiness is just serotonin, and your entire life is just dominoes tipping over, one after another, from the moment the universe burped itself into existence.

It’s the buzzkill you can’t argue with, because every counterpoint you make? That was determined too.

It tells you that every action, every thought, every guilty pleasure—was always inevitable.

The atoms don’t care. The neurons fire because they must.

Even your so-called choices? Just a biochemical puppet show.

You think you’re choosing coffee over tea? Nope.

The universe chose it for you. You think you’re staying up late because you decided to?

Sorry, your genes, your upbringing, your last meal, and some long-forgotten childhood memory just handed you the script.

Schopenhauer said it best: “A man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills.”

You can pick from the menu, but you didn’t write it. And the chef? Long gone.

Free will? An illusion. Sartre’s “condemnation to be free”?

A joke.

Like handing someone an empty wallet and telling them they’re “condemned to shop.”

If determinism is true, then Sartre’s idea of choice is like a goldfish bragging about its swimming skills—while trapped in a glass bowl.

It can dart left, it can dart right, it can do loop-the-loops, but it’s still inside that same little circle.

It’s got all the feels of freedom, but none of the real thing.

And the worst part? The goldfish will argue with you about it.

3. But Sartre Knew About Limits

Sartre wasn’t completely oblivious to constraints.

He admitted that we don’t get to choose our starting conditions.

You don’t pick your parents, your birthplace, your genes. You don’t even choose the first language you think in.

But here’s his trick: He says, “Fine. You don’t choose your conditions. But you choose how you react to them.“

You can be born in a ditch, but you can still decide whether you stay there.

The determinist laughs.

Because even that reaction? That defiance?

Still just dominoes falling in a preordained chain.

4. The Unshakable Illusion

Here’s a weird thing: Even if determinism is true, we still feel free.

We get up in the morning and decide whether to drink coffee or ruin our day with tea.

We hesitate before sending that risky text. We wrestle with regret, we change our minds, we swear we’ll “do better next time.”

It’s like a magic trick, but the magician is physics, and the rabbit never had a choice about coming out of the hat.

Even if every move we make was set in stone before we were born, it feels like we’re writing the story as we go.

The illusion is so good, we buy into it every time.

“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains,” Rousseau said.

But maybe those chains are made of silk, and we’re too busy enjoying the texture to notice the weight.

So maybe Sartre was wrong about actual freedom, but right about perceived freedom.

Maybe we’re just sophisticated meat puppets who feel like deities.

Maybe we’re all sitting in the audience, watching a show we swear we’re directing. And maybe the biggest joke of all—

Is that we clap anyway.

5. Sartre, Marxism, and Social Chains

Let’s complicate things. Sartre was a Marxist, and Marxism says freedom isn’t just personal—it’s social.

Your choices aren’t just physics, but also history, economy, class struggle.

Your “freedom” might just be capitalism whispering in your ear.

Your “authentic choice” might just be advertising with better PR.

So now we’re trapped twice—once by physics, once by society.

Sartre, you mad genius, you played yourself.

6. Existential Angst vs. Deterministic Shrug

So what do you do with this mess?

Sartre would say: Rebel anyway.

Choose as if it matters, even if the universe is laughing at you.

Shake your fist at fate. Be an idiot, but be a conscious idiot.

The determinist? He just smirks and orders another drink.

7. The Table of Doom (Summary So Far)

Idea	Sartre’s Take	Determinist’s Counter
Free Will Exists?	Yes, we’re condemned to it.	No, it’s a chemical illusion.
Limits to Freedom?	Birth, society, but you react.	Everything is a chain reaction.
Bad Faith?	Lying to yourself about freedom.	Truth is, you never had it.
Sartre’s Response?	Act like it matters.	Cute. Now watch physics work.
Perceived Freedom?	Still counts!	Sure, but it’s still fake.
Social Determinism?	Can’t escape history.	Can’t escape physics either.
Ultimate Verdict?	Rebellion, meaning, action.	Acceptance, resignation, chill.

Here’s Where It Gets Ugly

Sartre tells you to act free even if you’re not.

The determinist tells you it’s all a script.

But here’s the kicker—they might both be right.

Because maybe freedom isn’t about breaking the chain. Maybe it’s about dancing in it.

Maybe knowing you were always going to read this exact sentence, at this exact moment, in this exact way—
doesn’t change the fact that you just did.

And maybe you were always going to feel a little free anyway.