What does existence before essence mean?

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Author and Natural Philosopher

01 Jan 2025

Published 1 year ago.

Updated 2 months ago.

Speed: 1.00

What does existence before essence mean?

Simply put, it means that you are born first, you exist as a blank slate with cognitive abilities and instincts, and then you and society mold you into your essence. This is the counter position to the idea of souls. The idea that you exist before and after your time on Earth.

The “Existence Before Essence” position of this debate says that you are born first, you exist as a blank slate with cognitive abilities and instincts, and then you and society mold you into you, into your essence.

The Essence Before Existence position argues that before you are born, your essence—your fundamental nature or purpose—already exists. Whether as a soul, an intrinsic purpose, or a predetermined essence, you are not simply a blank slate upon arrival. Your existence, then, is an unfolding of what was already there, rather than a construction from nothing.

Metaphysics, the branch of philosophy exploring being and reality, investigates what exists and how they exist. You are born a human, you can’t change that, but the essence of you, your identity either evolves as you age or you were born with your identity.

Here's the key idea. Existence before essence means you arrive without a script, and your identity emerges through a life in motion: shaped by change, choice, and time.

Here is the core takeaway. The idea of existence before essence is most closely associated with modern existentialism, especially Jean-Paul Sartre. It rejects the notion of a soul or destiny and instead places responsibility on the individual to shape who they become. In contrast, essence before existence claims identity or purpose precedes birth. At its core, this debate lives in metaphysics, asking whether identity is discovered or created, and whether meaning is inherited or earned.

That Philosophy FAQ,

was first published on TST 1 year ago.

By the way, the flashcard inspired by it is this.

Front: What does existence before essence imply?

Back: No Soul, No Afterlife, No Self

All this is part of the broader TST project.

Each tidbit carries its own links and academic citations, allowing claims to be traced back to their original sources without overloading longer essays.

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