Sartre's theory of the Look

Professor Ellie Anderson, co-host of Overthink philosophy podcast, introduces the theory of the look (or "the gaze") in existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre's Being and Nothingness.

This video was created just for our YouTube subscribers (thank you for your support!) based on Professor Anderson's Existentialism course at Pomona College.

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[sleethmitchell]

i remember being 7 or 8, riding in the backseat of my mother's car. a stranger on the street locked eyes with me as we rode by. at that instant, i felt that we could exchange souls or bodies.... now, in my 70s, the boundaries between me and other people, dog, spiders, blocks of wood are all fading away. and, soon, i will fade away as well.

[Catholic_Fiat]

I personally get really uncomfortable when people look at me. So I can relate to his idea that we are masters of our own world when we are alone as the subjects of our reality. But as soon as another person steps in we become objects and it's fundamentally threatening to our freedom. Especially because we can get into power struggles over 'what we are'. If someone defines us as a bad person and we define ourselves as a good person there is an automatic battle over who's view is more correct. Who has the greater authority of judgement. I think it explains why sensitive people prefer to be alone. Because when your alone you are free to define yourself and to live freely in that definition.

[tonysienzant]

This explanation made me think of our current technology, wherein virtual spaces like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. are having the effect of transforming young people into 'objects' for others' gaze, as if their very personhood (or subjectivity) is on view as a 'brand, ' a commercial entity, a consumer commodity. And then, the negative emotional effects of constantly 'needing' that attention, that outside validation of their inherent worth as a person.

It's as if they've lost their subjectivity in the electronic morass of object-hood presence. They've become dehumanized by an addictive technology, which cares not for the soul of man, but for its own proliferation which is monetized for profit.

[colinfrags]

I get so excited when a theory I have on something is actually a real thing that somebody else thought too. It makes me know that I'm not alone in my deep introspection on the psyche. Very cool explanation of this theory I otherwise wouldn't know about.

[NorthernKitty]

This helps me considerably to understand my social anxiety. It's very situational and I've never been able to quit put into words what triggers it. Oddly, it's not when people perceive me as an object. Contrary to the "shame" that Sartre talks about, I am comfortable with that. I am comfortable blending into the background as if I'm just part of the scenery. Or, to use an analogy of the gaming world, being a "non-player character". Like in the movie "Free Guy". It's when they elevate me to being a subject that I have difficulty, when they elevate me to player status. There is a different sort of expectation or judgment that goes with that.

[sappho]

This video showed up in my YouTube recommended page. I decided to give it a try and... I've binged watch all your videos on continental philosophy! You really have a gift of explaining complex ideas in a simple and clear way. It's also nice to see a fellow woman in mostly men dominated field. Great job and keep it up :)

[alicegam]

This was great, glad I found this channel! Looking forward to watching more of your stuff!

[prod.hxrford]

Man I’m glad that this stuff has been written about and articulated, because I’ve felt this and thought about this a lot, without ever feeling like anybody else was realising the same thing

[jdparker]

So clearly explained. Sartre’s being-for-others is, I think, a key insight to understanding our contemporary world in which we are understood and understand ourselves primarily in terms of how others see us.

[mitrikoudsi]

I'm so glad I found your channel. You have such calmness and deep wisdom in your field of study. You are a great professor and I appreciate your message 🙏❤ . Thank you for your service to the awaking humanity.

[johnmatthewhall]

Ellie Anderson is brilliant. She never wastes a word, making the complex concise and understandable, even for laymen like me.

[kirkaur]

I love your videos Professor Anderson! You're really good at explaining concepts. Looking forward to reading your paper 💜

[heshamlive]

Thank you for this video. I'm a nonnative speaker but my love for philosophy is beyond any language💖💖

[emilewilmar]

This is so intuitive! Because when I look through the screen into your eyes, you become the centre of my universe…

[a.e.jabbour]

Thanks especially for the link to the article, expanding on this. I really look forward to reading it.

[diemanhto]

I am learning about Sartre, and this lecture helps me immensely in understanding the subject! Thank you so much!

[jamesh]

Sartre's view on shame is pretty mind blowing, glad I stumbled upon this video and channel 👍

[VinylMonkey]

This was a very positive video and I enjoyed the insight it provided! I also thoroughly appreciated Dr. Anderson's reading of Sartre's interpretation of 'the look' and adding her understanding of it. This is a great video and I can't wait to see more :)

[pmccarthy]

These are really difficult concepts to understand. Your videos make the really hard a bit easier. Thank you.

[gristlevonraben]

As an autistic person I did and still do see myself as equal to everyone else, as people. It still gets me in trouble when meeting people with more education and anyone in authority. If I am interested in a subject I will explore it and have read new things that educated people in a particular subject have not learned, which instead of exciting them, actually irritates them. When someone in authority tells me to do something, they can see me pondering it, which also irritates them. I don't follow laws or rules because I have to. I do so out of kindness, orderliness, or love. Like many autistic people, I created my own social contract with society. I was just blessed to not have created a sociopathic contract which makes everyone else something to be used, as many scientists and business people have done. I can feel shame, but I try to remember that others do too, so I try to be a gentleman and not make them uncomfortable. I used to hate my autism and naivety, but it has made me a more caring person to others and myself.